The Prophet Muhammad's burial site lies inside the mosque.īuy Prayer rugs for sale outside the mosque ( updated Apr 2021)Īnother place worth visiting is the battleground of Khandaq or the Trench. A smaller, private museum that hosts a number of models of old Medina. 24.4768 39.6875 9 Dar Al Madinah Museum ( Next to the high-speed railway station).One of few non-religious sites in Medina, this museum is housed in the former terminus station of the Hejaz railway and showcases the history of Medina from prehistoric to modern time. This is either the oldest mosque in the world or the second-oldest, and dates from the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Masjid Gamama where once he had prayed for rain. Masjid Jumua where the Prophet prayed the first Jumua or Friday prayers. Further away is the Masjid al-Qiblatayn where the Quran recounts that the Prophet was ordered by Allah to turn his face from Jerusalem to the Kaaba in Makkah while offering prayers. Almost all are working mosques, meaning that visits might be limited. ( updated Apr 2021)Īpart from the main Prophet's Mosque, there are numerous historic mosques scattered around the city. There is also the burial ground of the 70 martyrs of this battle including the Prophet's uncle Hamza who is considered one of the greatest martyrs of all time. Other things to be seen, a little away from the city, are the plains and mountain of Uhud where the battle took place. A huge graveyard, where most family members and companions of the Prophet are buried. Only Muslims may enter the mosque compound, while non-Muslims may only take photos from outside the perimeter fence. Women may visit only after the Fajr or dawn and Duhr or afternoon prayers, when they are taken there in groups according to their countries. Men are allowed to visit the burial site of the Prophet and pay respects throughout the opening hours of the mosque, which used to close for the night at around 10PM but has since become 24/7. The Masjid Nabawi or the Prophet's Mosque is the second most important pilgrimage site in Islam, where devout Muslims offer prayers. The overwhelming majority of visitors come to Medina for religious purposes.
#DO IT BEST MEDINA DRIVERS#
If you are on the side of the road, you might find locals willing to pick you up and take you to your destination for a fee, even though they aren't officially taxis, but beware of con artists from among both official and unofficial taxi drivers (see "Stay safe" below). There is no public transport other than taxis. The 24.473076 39.699842 2 Medina railway station is east of the centre, along King Abdul Aziz Rd. The SAPTCO terminal is off-limits to non-Muslims.Ī new high-speed railway linking Medina with Jeddah and Mecca opened in Sep 2018 with 8 services a day. The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) runs luxurious buses several times daily to and from most parts of the country at cheap rates. To get from airport to city itself, use taxis, Uber or public bus (route 400 goes to Prophet's Mosque, bus stop is near the corner of the terminal, to the right as you exit the building). Also, beware of scammers (see "Stay safe" below). And expect a free-for-all in the check-in areas, where queuing seems to be (literally) a foreign concept. So expect a crush at the baggage carousels.
Keep in mind that this is a very small airport, and not really designed to cope with the large numbers now passing through it. This airport fields an increasing number of direct flights from around the Middle East, and the airport is accessible to non-Muslims. 24.550278 39.705833 1 Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport ( MED IATA).However, as of April 2023, enforcement of this rule is lax, as there seems to be no one that would ask questions at the entrance.įor pilgrims, the most common route is to arrive in Jeddah by plane, and get on a special pilgrims' bus to Mecca and Medina, and come back to fly home in a couple of weeks. Entry into the Prophet's Mosque is still banned for non-Muslims. Non-Muslims used to be banned from Al-Haram, the city centre, but this rule was relaxed in 2021, so non-Muslim tourists may now head all the way up to the perimeter fence of the Prophet's Mosque and take photos from the outside. Unlike Mecca, Medina is open to everyone, including non-Muslims. If caught by security, you will be escorted outside. Note: Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the Prophet’s Mosque.
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