Al Masjid an Nabawi (The Prophet’s Mosque)
The final resting place of the Prophet Muhammad is in this stunning 10-minaret mosque, which can accommodate 1 million visitors and is open 24 hours. The Prophet’s tomb is located under the mosque’s only green dome, in its southeastern corner. After his arrival in Medina, the Prophet Muhammad helped construct the mosque, originally an open-air building, which has since been expanded numerous times by subsequent city rulers. It became the first building in the Arabian Peninsula with electric lights, which were installed in 1909. The area between the minbar and the Prophet Muhammad’s tomb is known as Rawdah ash Sharifah, or the Noble Garden, which is one of the Gardens of Paradise. Tradition says that prayers uttered here are never rejected.
Quba Mosque
On the migration from Makkah to Medina in 622, the Prophet Muhammad and his followers stopped in the village of Quba and put down the foundation stone of the world’s first mosque. Worshippers have gathered here ever since, though the current building is a more recent construction. Once outside the boundaries of Medina, the mosque and the surrounding area have been fully absorbed by the city, and Quba Mosque sees a steady stream of visitors. Nearby Quba City Market sells dates, perfumes and other local specialties.
