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Medina. Photo by Aymanzaid2.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Medina

Medina which officially is known as Al Madinah Al Munawwarah is the capital of the Medina Province of Saudi Arabia and the second-holiest city in Islam.

Medina is the fourth-most populous city in the country with an estimated population of 1,545,420 as of 2022.

Medina is located at the core of the Medina Province in the western reaches of Saudi Arabia.

Of the three key cities in Islamic tradition, Medina which is generally considered to be the “cradle of Islamic culture and civilization” is taken to be the second-holiest.

Mecca is considered the holiest while Medina is the second earliest and Jerusalem is the third holiest of the three key cities in Islamic tradition.

The top 10 fascinating facts about Medina include the following.

1. The Fourth Largest City in Saudi Arabia Is Medina

Medina is a city located in western Saudi Arabia in the Hejaz region and is about 160 kilometers and 443 kilometers inland from the Red Sea and by road from Mecca respectively.

The city which is the capital of Al Madinah Province had a population of 1,545,420 as of 2022 making it the fourth-largest city in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh, Jiddah, and Mecca in that order.

2. Prophet Mohammad Was Buried in Medina

Al- Masjid an -Nabawi. Photo by Bluemangoa2z.

Medina is also known as 鈥渢he enlightened city鈥� and 鈥渢he city of the Messenger of God鈥� and after Mecca, it is the second holiest place in Islam.

The Prophet Mohammed gained refuge in Medina after he migrated from Mecca in 622 in what is known as the Hijrah following the migration of his followers.

Medina is the burial place of the Prophet Mohammad.

The Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, known in English as The Prophet鈥檚 Mosque situated on a site next to Muhammad鈥檚 home is where Prophet Muhammad is buried

3. Prophet Muhammad Fled To Medina In The Year 622

On the 20th of September in the year 622, the Prophet Muhammad arrived in Medina, in flight from Mecca.

The year 622 marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar and that is the year when Prophet Muhammad fled to Medina.

The name of the journey from Mecca to Medina is called the Hijrah or Hegira.

Muhammad fled Mecca to escape persecution and Medina then became the heart of Muhammad鈥檚 growing Muslim community and the seat of power.

4. The Oldest Mosque In The World Is Located In Medina

Quba Mosque. Photo by Ashashyou.

Medina is home to many old mosques such as The Prophet鈥檚 Mosque situated on a site next to Muhammad鈥檚 home.

It is recorded that the mosque was constructed in 622 CE with the help of Muhammad himself.

The Prophet鈥檚 Mosque is the second-largest mosque in the world and the second holiest site in Islam even though it is the second mosque that Muhammad constructed in Medina.

The oldest mosque in the world is the Quba Mosque located in Medina.

Muhammad positioned the mosque鈥檚 first stones as soon as he arrived in Medina in 622 CE according to available records.

5. Entry To The Center Of Medina Is Not Permitted To Non-Muslims

Government officials forbid non-Muslims from entering Nabawi Square in the centre of the city as Medina just like Mecca is a sacred place in Islamic religion.

The  Nabawi Square which is out of bounds to non-Muslims is where the Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi or The Prophet鈥檚 Mosque  is located.

The haram is the name of the area closed off to non-Muslims. However, non-Muslims  can visit the outskirts and other areas of the city.

6. Muslims Must Make Hajj to Medina At Least Once In Their Lifetime

The Kaaba. Photo by Adli Wahid.

At least once in their lifetime, all devout and able Muslims must attempt a Hajj or pilgrimage to the holy site of The Kaaba in Mecca.

Many pilgrims also make the journey to Medina to pray at the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi and visit The Tomb of Prophet Muhammad during their Hajj.

Muslims believe that 1000 prayers in any other mosque cannot match the rewards of praying in Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina.

More than 300,000 pilgrims visited the mosque in just one day during Hajj in 2016 to pray in the mosque.

7. Medina Is Famous For Its Date Palms And The Production Of Dates

Medina Dates Market. Photo by Adiput (talk).

Dates are some of the array of fruits produced in Saudi Arabia.  Producers in the country grow more than 300 varieties of dates.

Medina is not only famous worldwide for productions of dates but also for its date palms.

A plant constructed in 1953 in Medina, is used to process and package these fruits for the export market.

8. The Day Mohammed Entered Medina Marks The Beginning Of The Islamic Calendar

Prophet Muhammad lived and preached Islam after migrating from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD and built many mosques there.

He assisted in the construction of the Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi or The Prophet鈥檚 Mosque which is the second holiest site in Islam.

  Records show that Muhammad also positioned  the first stones of the Quba Mosque located in Medina. Quba Mosque is the oldest mosque in the world.

The day Prophet Muhammad  entered the premises of Medina is the day that marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

The calendar is also known as the Hijri Calendar and it signifies the importance of Medina to Muslims.

9. Medina Al Munawwarah, Means 鈥淭he Enlightened City

Medina which is also known as Medina Al Munawwarah means the 鈥淭he Enlightened City鈥� since it plays a pivotal role in the history of the Islamic religion.

Visiting the city is a lifelong dream for all devout and able bodied Muslims from all over the world.

Muslims long to pray in The Prophet鈥檚 Mosque where the prophet is buried as they believe praying there gives more rewards than 1000 prayers offered in other mosques elsewhere.

10. Twenty Eight Quranic verses Were Revealed In Medina To The Prophet

Medina where the Mosque of Prophet Muhammad is located, and where he is buried is a sacred city in Islam.

The city鈥檚 importance is only second to Mecca in its significance in Islam.

Medina is where the prophet migrated to from Mecca due to persecution and he lived there. Medina became the centre of the Muslim Empire under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad.

Three of the most significant mosques in Islam namely Masjid an-Nabawi, Masjid al-Qibaltayn, and Masjid Al-Quba are located in Medina.

The 28 Quranic verses, which are known as the Madni Surahs were revealed in the city of Prophet Muhammad.