Medina (Al-Madinah), the second-holiest site in Islam

 


Medina (Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah) is the second-holiest site in Islam after Mecca. Recently the government allowed non-Muslims to visit the city, but inside the fenced area around the Prophet's Mosque (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) is off limits. (Some say the whole Haram area is, which is a bigger area around the mosque, but there are museums and historic sites within the Haram so I am not sure.) While some locals are happy about the changes, like my friend Abdullah, others are definitely not. So it's better to keep a low profile and try to avoid revealing if someone is not Muslim.

Medina is surrounded by many volcanic hills and mountains.




The Quba Mosque, the first ever mosque in the world.










From the Quba Mosque, a long pedestrian street leads to the Haram area. It is also served by electronic shuttle vehicles for those who don't want to walk. Providing water for strangers is a good deed in Islam, and a crate of water bottles was put outside a shop for the public. Along the road there is a beautiful old building being renovated.






















There are several ancient mosques within the Haram area, including the Masjid al-Khattab, Masjid al-Ghamamah, Masjid Abu Bakr Siddeeq, and the Shia mosque, Masjid Ali bin Abi Talib. Tens of thousands of people flock to the prayers during ordinary days, and on important event days the number is above a million, with crowds packing all the neighbouring streets as well. This is the reason why the hotels and all building around the Haram will be demolished and the Haram area will be extended to accommodate these large numbers.































The Seven Mosques is a complex of six small historic mosques and a newer big one. Behind them is Mount Sela, a hill with ruins that offers great views of all of central Medina - more about it in a separate post.














At the foot of Mount Uhud is the Sayyid Ash-Shuhada Mosque, dedicated to the martyrs of the Battle of Uhud, some of whom are burried in the adjacent historic cemetery. Next to them is the Archers' Hill that played a cruicial role in the battle. There are far reaching views of Medina and the surroundings from Mount Uhud - more about it in a separate post. 














Not as good as the apartment in Taif, this is what I had for GBP 30 in Medina.







In the majlis of my friend Abdullah's family, with his brother, Ali. 


Popular posts from this blog

Countries

Image
     The world is yours. Where do you want to go next? Featured: Those countries are featured where posts with useful information are available—such as maps, practical details, guides, instructions, etc.—in addition to the many accompanying photos. 
More »

Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park - Day 1: Yuanjiajie & Golden Whip Stream

Image
  Located about 30 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie, near the town of Wulingyuan, is China’s oldest national park: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. This is the place that inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar, earning it the popular nickname "Avatar Mountains". The park covers a large area, with shuttle buses, cable cars, and even lifts operating inside to connect the main scenic spots. (Shuttle buses are free with the ticket; the rest are at an additional cost.) There are popular cliff-edge paths as well as quieter hiking trails. The national park is divided into 4 main areas, and the entrance ticket is valid for four consecutive days, which is useful if you want to explore each earea to some extent. It's not likely that you can hike every trail in four days unless you’re an extreme walker. The four main areas consist of Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, and Huangshi Village (Huangshizhai), and between them are other locations such as the Gol...
More »

Leshan (very basic) tourist information with map

Image
  Many visitors come for just a few hours on a day trip from Chengdu—but that’s a mistake. You need a full day to properly visit the Leshan Giant Buddha , see it from the river, and explore the nearby Oriental Buddha Park and Wuyou Temple hill. At a leisurely pace, it could easily take two days. You can also do a day trip to Emeishan from Leshan by public bus, but in my opinion, it's better to stay overnight there—perhaps in a monastery below the Golden Summit. So, for Leshan alone, you’ll need at least one night, preferably two. The city itself is quite sprawling, modern, and tidy, but it doesn't offer many attractions. The train station is a bit far from the center, but public transport is a good option to reach both the city center and the Leshan Giant Buddha. Below are the tourist basics. 
More »

Leshan Giant Buddha - Walking tour and boat ride

Image
  Located near Chengdu, Leshan is home to the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. Carved out of a cliff face, the 71 meters tall statue overlooks the junction of the Min and Dadu Rivers. You can walk up to the statue’s head and look down, walk down to its feet and look up, and view it from a boat. The area also offers distant but nice city views. You could do the walk and the boat ride easily in a short day, along with a visit to the Mahao Cliff Tombs and Wuyou Temple, both located between the Giant Buddha and the cruise port. In a longer day's program you can also include a visit to the Oriental Buddha Park, a separate and fairly large attraction (separate ticket required) that is well worth seeing — see the post about the Oriental Buddha Park . 
More »