Medina
Medina (Arabic: المدينة المنورة or المدينة I; also transliterated as Madīnah; officially al Madīnat al
Munawwarah) is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of Al Madinah Province. It
is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of
Muhammad.
Medina was originally known as Yathrib, but later the city's name was changed to Madīnat al-Nabī (مدينة ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ )
meaning "city of the prophet") or Al Madīnah al Munawwarah ("the enlightened city" or "the radiant city"). Medina means
"city." Medina contains the tomb of Muhammed, and ranks as the second holiest city of Islam, after
Mecca.
Medina currently has a population of over 1,300,000 people. It is located at 24.28° N 39.36° E. It is 210 miles north
of Mecca and about 120 miles from the Red Sea coast. It is situated in the most fertile spot of all the Hejaz, an oasis
formed where the streams of the vicinity converge. The city forms an oval, surrounded by a strong wall, 30 to 40
feet high, that dates from the 12th century C.E., and is flanked with towers. The wall has four gates, of which
the Bab-al-Salam, or Egyptian gate, is remarkable for its beauty. Beyond the walls of the city, west and south are
suburbs consisting of low houses, yards, gardens ,and plantations. These suburbs have also walls and gates. The mosque
of the Prophet is in the eastern part of the city and is a small scale version of the Meccan mosque. Its court is almost
500 feet in length, the dome is high and three minarets picturesque. The tomb of the prophet, who died and was buried
here in 632 C.E., is enclosed by a screen of iron filigree, at the south side of which the hajji pilgrim goes through
his devotions, and is a pilgrimage site for
Hajj pilgrims (Hajji). The tombs of Fatima
Zahra (Muhammed's daughter) and Abu Bakr (first caliph and the father of his wife Aisha), and of Umar ibn Khattab, the
second caliph, are also here. The mosque dates back to the time of Muhammed, but has been twice burned and reconstructed
Synonyms and alternate spellings:
Further Information: See
History of Islam and the Arabs
|