Al-Masjid an-Nabawi

The Prophet's Mosque is the second holiest site in Islam and the spiritual centre of Medina. Muhammad built it himself on his arrival in the city in 622 CE, and it remains his resting place: the famous Green Dome marks his tomb, which sits within the Rawdah al-Sharifah — a chamber that many scholars describe as one of the gardens of paradise. Pilgrims queue for hours, sometimes days, for the chance to pray within the Rawdah and pay their respects at the tomb.

The mosque operates continuously, day and night. During Hajj and Ramadan, the complex swells to extraordinary crowds, with the vast air-conditioned halls and retractable outdoor canopies accommodating waves of worshippers through every prayer time. The enormous minarets and the distinctive green dome are visible from across the city, and the sound of the adhan here — broadcast on loudspeakers audible throughout Medina — carries a particular weight for those who have come on pilgrimage.

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The mosque was originally built by Muhammad himself on his arrival in Medina in 622 CE, using palm trunks for pillars and palm leaves for the roof. He is said to have followed the direction his camel chose to kneel, letting the animal decide where to stop. The current structure — expanded more than twenty times over fourteen centuries — can hold over a million worshippers. The original footprint would fit in one of its side courtyards.