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Medina

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Medina is a major city in western Saudi Arabia.

Medina from ISS 2017
Medina from ISS 2017

It serves as the capital of the Medina Province. The city sits in the Hejaz region near the Hejaz Mountains.

Mount Uhud
Mount Uhud

You can find empty valleys and old, dormant volcanoes nearby.

ISS030-E-266117 - View of Saudi Arabia
ISS030-E-266117 - View of Saudi Arabia

As of 2022, the population was 1,477,023 people. This makes it the fourth-most populous city in the country. About 58.5% of the people are Saudi citizens. The other 41.5% are foreigners living there.

Medina Age Structure Chart
Medina Age Structure Chart

This city is a very important center for Islamic culture. It is known as the second holiest city in Islam. Mecca is the holiest, and Jerusalem is the third.

Madina Haram at evening
Madina Haram at evening

Many Muslims visit the city for a pilgrimage called Ziyarat. They often go to visit the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad. This tomb is located inside the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi mosque.

Green dome, Masjid e Nabawi, Medina, KSA
Green dome, Masjid e Nabawi, Medina, KSA

The Prophet Muhammad built this mosque in 622 CE.

This was the first year of the Hijrah. The Quba Mosque is also here and is the oldest mosque in Islam.

Quba Mosque SA
Quba Mosque SA

Long ago, the city had a different name. Before Islam, people called it Yathrib.

An inscription mentioning prophet's grave in Madinah
An inscription mentioning prophet's grave in Madinah

The name Yathrib is even mentioned in the Quran. Later, the city was given new names like Taybah.

An inscription mentioning prophet's grave in Madinah
An inscription mentioning prophet's grave in Madinah

Taybah means "the Kind" or "the Good." Some people also call it Al-Madinah, which simply means "The City."

Gold dinar of Umar II
Gold dinar of Umar II

These names show how the city's identity has changed over time. The modern name Medina comes from these older words.

The history of the area is very long. People lived in the city for at least 1,500 years before the Hijrah.

Medina Art Center
Medina Art Center

In the past, different groups controlled the land. Jewish-Arabian tribes lived there until the fifth century CE. Later, the 'Aws and Khazraj tribes became important.

Sab'u Masajid
Sab'u Masajid

After Muhammad arrived, the city became the capital of a growing Muslim caliphate. Many different empires ruled the region later on. These included the Umayyads, the Abbasids, the Mamluks, and the Ottomans.

Louvre - carreaux ottomans 07
Louvre - carreaux ottomans 07

Finally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took control in 1925.

Today, Medina is a place where history and modern life meet. Visitors come to see many famous landmarks.

Masjid Al-Ghamamah (Umroh Ramadhan 2023)-6
Masjid Al-Ghamamah (Umroh Ramadhan 2023)-6

They visit Mount Uhud and the Al-Baqi' cemetery.

جبل أحد - مساء3 - panoramio
جبل أحد - مساء3 - panoramio

Some people visit the Seven Mosques or the King Fahd Glorious Qur'an Printing Complex.

Mihrab of Masjid al-Qiblatayn Interior
Mihrab of Masjid al-Qiblatayn Interior

The city is also easy to reach now.

Haramain High Speed Railway Station in Medina
Haramain High Speed Railway Station in Medina

You can travel using the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport.

Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport at Noon
Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport at Noon

Modern trains and buses help people move around the city easily.

Medina Buses Salam Road Stop
Medina Buses Salam Road Stop
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🖼️ Images & Media (26)
File:An inscription mentioning prophet's grave in Madinah.jpg
An inscription mentioning prophet's grave...
File:'Madinah Sharif' Indian token.jpg
'Madinah Sharif' Indian token.jpg
File:Quba Mosque SA.jpg
Quba Mosque SA.jpg
File:Mount Uhud.JPG
Mount Uhud.JPG
File:Sab'u Masajid.jpg
Sab'u Masajid.jpg
File:Green dome, Masjid e Nabawi, Medina, KSA.jpg
Green dome, Masjid e Nabawi, Medina, KSA.jpg
File:Gold dinar of Umar II.jpg
Gold dinar of Umar II.jpg
File:Salahadin's Tomb, Umayyad Mosque, Damascus 001 (4931142474).jpg
Salahadin's Tomb, Umayyad Mosque,...
File:Khalili Collection Hajj and Arts of Pilgrimage Arc.pp-0254.11.jpg
Khalili Collection Hajj and Arts of...
File:Wadi Rum railway track, Hejaz railway, Jordan.jpg
Wadi Rum railway track, Hejaz railway, Jordan.jpg
File:Sacred Relics Train.jpg
Sacred Relics Train.jpg
File:Medina from ISS 2017.jpg
Medina from ISS 2017.jpg

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