Thousands of Muslims come to city of Medina (also called Madinah) every year for the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the Umrah.  Medina is Saudi Arabia ’s second holiest city (behind only Mecca ), and is the location of Islam’s first mosque.  Just like in Mecca , non-Muslims are not allowed to enter, as there are many immigration blocks preventing any unauthorised attempts.

 The Prophet Muhammad came to the town of Medina at the beginning of the 7th century, where he lived during some important years of his life.  At the site of his home, a shrine was build, which is known as the Prophet’s Dome.   This site, along with the shrine, years later became part of a mosque that was built there.  The land is considered one of the holiest sites in the city. Although the mosque has expanded over the years, the green domed part is the original mosque. 

 Although there is a permanent population of over 900,000 people (many workers are from the Indian sub continent and other neighbouring Arab countries), Medina is primarily a place of worship.  There are hundreds of mosques around the city, including the first mosque of Islam.

 For more information about the city of Medina , check out this Medina Information page.