City in Medina Province, Saudi Arabia
Medina
???????
- The Prophet's City (
????? ?????
)
- The Prophetic City (
??????? ???????
)
- The first Islamic capital (
??????? ????????? ??????
)
- The Purest of Pure (
???? ??????
)
|
---|
|
Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
??????? ???????
|
|
Location of Medina
Show map of Saudi Arabia
Medina (Asia)
Show map of Asia
|
Coordinates:
24°28′12″N
39°36′36″E
/
24.47000°N 39.61000°E
/
24.47000; 39.61000
|
Country
|
Saudi Arabia
|
---|
Province
| Medina Province
|
---|
First settled
| 9th century BCE
|
---|
Hijrah
| 622 CE (1
AH
)
|
---|
Saudi conquest of Hejaz
| 5 December 1925
|
---|
Named for
| Muhammad
|
---|
Districts
|
- Urban
- Al Haram
- Quba'a
- Uhud
- Al 'Awali
- Al 'Uqaiq
- Al 'Uyoon
- Al Baidaa'
- Suburban
- Al 'Aqul
- Al Mulayleeh
- Al Mandasah
- Abyar Al Mashi
- Al Fareesh
|
---|
|
? Type
| Municipality
|
---|
? Body
| Madinah Regional Municipality
|
---|
?
Mayor
| Fahad Al-Belaihshi
[1]
|
---|
? Provincial Governor
| Prince
Salman bin Sultan Al Saud
|
---|
|
?
City
| 589 km
2
(227 sq mi)
|
---|
? Metro
| 22,900 km
2
(8,800 sq mi)
|
---|
Elevation
| 620 m (2,030 ft)
|
---|
Highest elevation
| 1,077 m (3,533 ft)
|
---|
|
?
City
| 1,411,599
|
---|
? Rank
| 4th
|
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? Density
| 2,012/km
2
(5,212/sq mi)
|
---|
?
Metro
| 1,477,047 (Medina Governorate)
|
---|
Demonym(s)
| Madani
????
|
---|
Time zone
| UTC+03:00
(
SAST
)
|
---|
Website
| www
.amana-md
.gov
.sa
|
---|
![Map](https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,10,a,a,270x300.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=Medina&revid=1228255531&groups=_f3d9c748e23f53ebf15f73b4839129c2e80b4dd5) |
Medina
,
[a]
officially
Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
(
Arabic
:
??????? ???????
,
romanized
:
al-Mad?nah al-Munawwarah
,
lit.
'The Luminous City',
Hejazi Arabic pronunciation:
[al.ma?diːna
al.m??nawːara]
) and also commonly simplified as
Mad?nah
or
Madinah
(
???????
,
al-Madina
), is the capital of
Medina Province
in the
Hejaz
region of western
Saudi Arabia
. It is one of the oldest and most important places in Islamic history. One of the
most sacred cities in Islam
, the population as of 2022 is 1,411,599, making it the
fourth-most populous city in the country
. Around 58.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and 41.5% are foreigners.
[3]
Located at the core of the Medina Province in the western reaches of the country, the city is distributed over 589 km
2
(227 sq mi), of which 293 km
2
(113 sq mi) constitutes the city's urban area, while the rest is occupied by the
Hejaz Mountains
, empty valleys,
agricultural spaces
and older dormant
volcanoes
.
Medina is generally considered to be the "cradle of
Islamic culture
and civilization".
[4]
The city is considered to be the second-holiest of three key cities in Islamic tradition, with
Mecca
and
Jerusalem
serving as the holiest and third-holiest cities respectively.
Al-Masjid al-Nabawi
(
lit.
'
The Prophet's Mosque
'
) is of exceptional importance in Islam and serves as burial site of the
prophet
Muhammad
, by whom the mosque was built in 622 CE (first year of the
Hijrah
). Observant
Muslims
usually visit his tomb, or
rawdhah
, at least once in their lifetime during a pilgrimage known as
Ziyarat
, although this is not obligatory.
[5]
The original name of the city before the
advent of Islam
was
Yathrib
(
Arabic
:
???????
), and it is referred to by this name in
Chapter 33
(
Al-A?z?b
,
lit.
'
The Confederates
'
) of the
Quran
. It was renamed to
Mad?nat an-Nab?
(
lit.
'
City of the Prophet
'
or
'
The Prophet's City
'
) after Muhammad's death and later to
al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
(
lit.
'
The Enlightened City
'
) before being simplified and shortened to its modern name,
Madinah
(
lit.
'
The City
'
), from which the
English-language
spelling of "Medina" is derived. Saudi road signage uses
Madinah
and
al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
interchangeably.
[5]
The city existed for over 1,500 years before Muhammad's migration from Mecca,
[6]
known as the
Hijrah
. Medina was the capital of a rapidly-increasing Muslim
caliphate
under
Muhammad's leadership
, serving as its base of operations and as the cradle of Islam, where Muhammad's
ummah
(
lit.
'
nation
'
)?composed of Medinan citizens (
Ansar
) as well as those who immigrated with Muhammad (
Muhajirun
), who were collectively known as the
Sahabah
?gained huge influence. Medina is home to
three prominent mosques
, namely
al-Masjid an-Nabawi
,
Quba Mosque
, and
Masjid al-Qiblatayn
, with the Quba Mosque being the oldest in Islam. A larger portion of the Qur'an was
revealed in Medina
in contrast to the earlier
Meccan surahs
.
[7]
[8]
Much like most of the
Hejaz
, Medina has seen numerous exchanges of power within its comparatively short existence. The region has been controlled by
Jewish-Arabian tribes
(up until the fifth century CE), the
?Aws
and
Khazraj
(up until Muhammad's arrival),
Muhammad
and the
Rashidun
(622?660), the
Umayyads
(660?749), the
Abbasids
(749?1254), the
Mamluks of Egypt
(1254?1517), the
Ottomans
(1517?1805), the
First Saudi State
(1805?1811),
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
(1811?1840), the Ottomans for a second time (1840?1918), the
Sharifate of Mecca
under the
Hashemites
(1918?1925) and finally is in the hands of the present-day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1925?present).
[5]
In addition to visiting for Ziyarah, tourists come to visit the other prominent mosques and landmarks in the city that hold religious significance such as
Mount Uhud
,
Al-Baqi'
cemetery and the
Seven Mosques
among others. The
Saudi government
has also carried out the
destruction of several historical structures and archaeological sites
, both in Medina and
Mecca
.
[9]
Names
[
edit
]
Yathrib
[
edit
]
Before the advent of Islam, the city was known as Yathrib (
Arabic
:
???????
,
romanized
:
Ya?rib
;
pronounced
[?jaθr?b]
). The word
Yathrib
appears in an inscription found in Harran, belonging to the Babylonian king
Nabonidus
(6th century BCE)
[10]
and is well attested in several texts in the subsequent centuries.
[11]
The name has also been recorded in
?yah
(verse) 13 of
Surah
(chapter)
33
of the
Qur'an
.
[Quran
33:13
]
and is thus known to have been the name of the city up to the
Battle of the Trench
. According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad later forbade calling the city by this name.
[12]
Taybah and Tabah
[
edit
]
8th century rock inscription discovered in Madinah, refers to the city as 'Taybah'
Sometime after the battle, Muhammad renamed the city
Taybah
(the Kind or the Good) (
Arabic pronunciation:
[?t?ajba]
;
???????
)
[13]
and
Tabah
(
Arabic
:
??????
)
[14]
which is of similar meaning. This name is also used to refer to the city in the popular folk song, "
Ya Taybah!
" (O Taybah!). The two names are combined in another name the city is known by,
Taybat at-Tabah
(the Kindest of the Kind).
Madinah
[
edit
]
The city has also simply been called Al-Madinah (i.e. 'The City') in some
ahadith
[14]
.
The names
al-Mad?nah an-Nabawiyyah
(
???????????? ?????????????
) and
Mad?nat un-Nab?
(both meaning "City of the Prophet" or "The Prophet's City") and
al-Mad?nat ul-Munawwarah
("The Enlightened City") are all derivatives of this word. This is also the most commonly accepted modern name of the city, used in official documents and road signage, along with Madinah.
History
[
edit
]
Medina is home to several distinguished sites and landmarks, most of which are mosques and hold historic significance. These include the three aforementioned mosques, Masjid al-Fath (also known as Masjid al-Khandaq), the Seven Mosques, the
Baqi' Cemetery
where the graves of many famous Islamic figures are presumed to be located; directly to the southeast of the Prophet's Mosque, the
Uhud mountain
, site of the eponymous
Battle of Uhud
and the King Fahd Glorious Qur'an Printing Complex where most modern Qur'anic
Mus'hafs
are printed.
Early history and Jewish control
[
edit
]
Medina has been inhabited at least 1500 years before the Hijra, or approximately the 9th century BCE.
[6]
By the fourth century CE, Arab tribes began to encroach from
Yemen
, and there were three prominent
Jewish
tribes
that inhabited the city around the time of Muhammad: the
Banu Qaynuqa
, the
Banu Qurayza
, and
Banu Nadir
.
[15]
Ibn Khordadbeh
later reported that during the
Persian Empire
's domination in Hejaz, the Banu Qurayza served as
tax collectors
for the Persian
Shah
.
[16]
[
full citation needed
]
The situation changed after the arrival of two new
Arab
tribes, the
'Aws
or Banu 'Aws and the
Khazraj
, also known as the Banu Khazraj. At first, these tribes were allied with the Jewish tribes who ruled the region, but they later revolted and became independent.
[17]
17th century bronze token depicting
prophet's Mosque
, the inscription below reads 'Madinah Shareef' (Noble City)
Under the 'Aws and Khazraj
[
edit
]
Toward the end of the 5th century,
[18]
the Jewish rulers lost control of the city to the two Arab tribes. The
Jewish Encyclopedia
states that "by calling in outside assistance and treacherously massacring at a banquet the principal Jews", Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj finally gained the upper hand at Medina.
[15]
Most modern historians accept the claim of the Muslim sources that after the revolt, the Jewish tribes became clients of the 'Aws and the Khazraj.
[19]
However, according to Scottish scholar,
William Montgomery Watt
, the clientship of the Jewish tribes is not borne out by the historical accounts of the period prior to 627, and he maintained that the Jewish populace retained a measure of political independence.
[17]
Early Muslim chronicler
Ibn Ishaq
tells of an ancient conflict between the last
Yemenite
king of the
Himyarite Kingdom
[20]
and the residents of Yathrib. When the king was passing by the oasis, the residents killed his son, and the Yemenite ruler threatened to exterminate the people and cut down the
palms
. According to
Ibn Ishaq
, he was stopped from doing so by two
rabbis
from the Banu Qurayza tribe, who implored the king to spare the oasis because it was the place "to which a prophet of the
Quraysh
would migrate in time to come, and it would be his home and resting-place." The Yemenite king thus did not destroy the town and converted to
Judaism
. He took the
rabbis
with him, and in
Mecca
, they reportedly recognized the
Ka'bah
as a temple built by
Abraham
and advised the king "to do what the people of Mecca did: to
circumambulate
the temple, to venerate and honor it, to shave his head and to behave with all humility until he had left its precincts." On approaching Yemen, tells Ibn Ishaq, the rabbis demonstrated to the local people a miracle by coming out of a fire unscathed and the Yemenites accepted Judaism.
[21]
Eventually the Banu 'Aws and the Banu Khazraj became hostile to each other and by the time of Muhammad's
Hijrah
(emigration) to Medina in 622, they had been fighting for 120 years and were sworn enemies
[22]
The Banu Nadir and the Banu Qurayza were allied with the 'Aws, while the Banu Qaynuqa sided with the Khazraj.
[23]
They fought a total of four wars.
[17]
Their last and bloodiest known battle was the
Battle of Bu'ath
,
[17]
fought a few years prior to the arrival of Muhammad.
[15]
The outcome of the battle was inconclusive, and the feud continued.
'Abd Allah ibn Ubayy
, one Khazraj chief, had refused to take part in the battle, which earned him a reputation for equity and peacefulness. He was the most respected inhabitant of the city prior to Muhammad's arrival. To solve the ongoing feud, concerned residents of Yathrib
met secretly
with
Muhammad
in 'Aqaba, a place outside
Mecca
, inviting him and his small group of believers to come to the city, where Muhammad could serve a mediator between the factions and his community could practice its faith freely.
Under Muhammad and the Rashidun
[
edit
]
In 622, Muhammad and an estimated 70 Meccan
Muhajirun
left Mecca over a period of a few months for sanctuary in Yathrib, an event that transformed the religious and political landscape of the city completely; the longstanding enmity between the Aus and Khazraj tribes was dampened as many of the two Arab tribes and some local Jews embraced the new religion of Islam. Muhammad, linked to the Khazraj through his great-grandmother, was agreed on as the leader of the city. The natives of Yathrib who had converted to Islam of any background?
pagan Arab
or Jewish?were called the
Ansar
("the Patrons" or "the Helpers").
According to
Ibn Ishaq
, all parties in the area agreed to the
Constitution of Medina
, which committed all parties to mutual cooperation under the leadership of Muhammad. The nature of this document as recorded by Ibn Ishaq and transmitted by
Ibn Hisham
is the subject of dispute among modern Western historians, many of whom maintain that this "treaty" is possibly a collage of different agreements, oral rather than written, of different dates, and that it is not clear exactly when they were made. Other scholars, however, both Western and Muslim, argue that the text of the agreement?whether a single document originally or several?is possibly one of the oldest Islamic texts we possess.
[24]
In Yemenite Jewish sources, another treaty was drafted between Muhammad and his Jewish subjects, known as
Kit?b Dimmat al-Nabi
, written in the 3rd year of the
Hijra
(625), and which gave express liberty to Jews living in Arabia to observe the
Sabbath
and to grow-out their side-locks. In return, they were to pay the
jizya
annually for protection by their patrons, while the Muslims would pay the
Zakat
tax.
[25]
[5]
Battle of Uhud
[
edit
]
Mount Uhud
, with the old
Mosque of the Leader of Martyrs
(
???? ??? ???????
), named after Muhammad's uncle,
Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib
, in the foreground. The mosque was demolished in 2012 and a new, larger mosque with the same name was built in its place.
[26]
In the year 625,
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb
, a senior chieftain of Mecca who later converted to Islam, led a Meccan force against Medina. Muhammad marched out to meet the
Qurayshi
army with an estimated 1,000 troops, but just as the army approached the battlefield, 300 men under
'Abd Allah ibn Ubayy
withdrew, dealing a severe blow to the Muslim army's
morale
. Muhammad continued marching with his now 700-strong force and ordered a group of 50 archers to climb a small hill, now called
Jabal ar-Rummaah
(The Archers' Hill) to keep an eye on the Meccan's
cavalry
and to provide protection to the rear of the Muslim's army. As the battle heated up, the Meccans were forced to retreat. The frontline was pushed further and further away from the archers and foreseeing the battle to be a victory for the Muslims, the archers decided to leave their posts to pursue the retreating Meccans. A small party, however, stayed behind; pleading the rest to not disobey Muhammad's orders.
Seeing that the archers were starting to descend from the hill,
Khalid ibn al-Walid
commanded his unit to ambush the hill and his cavalry unit pursued the descending archers were systematically slain by being caught in the plain ahead of the hill and the frontline, watched upon by their desperate comrades who stayed behind up in the hill who were shooting arrows to thwart the raiders, but with little to no effect. However, the Meccans did not capitalize on their advantage by invading Medina and returned to Mecca. The Madanis (people of Medina) suffered heavy losses, and Muhammad was injured.
[27]
Battle of the Trench
[
edit
]
Three of the
Seven Mosques
at the site of the
Battle of the Trench
were combined into the modern Masjid al-Fath, here pictured with Jabal Sal'aa in the background and a shop selling local goods in the foreground.
In 627,
Abu Sufyan
led another force toward Medina. Knowing of his intentions, Muhammad asked for proposals for defending the northern flank of the city, as the east and west were protected by volcanic rocks and the south was covered with
palm trees
.
Salman al-Farsi
, a
Persian
Sahabi
who was familiar with Sasanian war tactics recommended digging a trench to protect the city and Muhammad accepted it. The subsequent siege came to be known as the Battle of the Trench and the Battle of the Confederates. After a month-long siege and various skirmishes, the Meccans withdrew again due to the harsh winter.
During the siege, Abu Sufyan contacted the Jewish tribe of
Banu Qurayza
and formed an agreement with them, to attack the Muslim defenders and effectively encircle the defenders. It was however discovered by the Muslims and thwarted. This was in breach of the
Constitution of Medina
and after the Meccan withdrawal, Muhammad immediately marched against the Qurayza and laid siege to their strongholds. The Jewish forces eventually surrendered. Some members of the Aws negotiated on behalf of their old allies and Muhammad agreed to appoint one of their chiefs who had converted to Islam,
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh
, as judge. Sa'ad judged that all male members of the tribe should be killed and the women and children enslaved.
[28]
[29]
This action was conceived of as a defensive measure to ensure that the Muslim community could be confident of its continued survival in Medina. The French historian Robert Mantran proposes that from this point of view it was successful?from this point on, the Muslims were no longer primarily concerned with survival but with expansion and conquest.
[30]
In the ten years following the
hijra
, Medina formed the base from which Muhammad and the Muslim army attacked and were attacked, and it was from here that he
marched on Mecca
, entering it without battle in 630. Despite Muhammad's tribal connection to Mecca, the growing importance of Mecca in Islam, the significance of the
Ka'bah
as the center of the Islamic world, as the direction of prayer (
Qibla
), and in the Islamic pilgrimage (
Hajj
), Muhammad returned to Medina, which remained for some years the most important city of Islam and the base of operations of the early
Rashidun Caliphate
.
[5]
The city is presumed to have been renamed
Madinat al-Nabi
("City of the Prophet" in
Arabic
) in honor of Muhammad's prophethood and the city being the site of his
burial
. Alternatively, Lucien Gubbay suggests the name Medina could also have been a derivative from the
Aramaic
word
Medinta
, which the Jewish inhabitants could have used for the city.
[31]
Under the first three caliphs
Abu Bakr
,
Umar
, and
Uthman
, Medina was the capital of a rapidly increasing Muslim Empire. During the reign of
'Uthman ibn al-Affan
, the third caliph, a party of Arabs from Egypt, disgruntled at some of his political decisions, attacked Medina in 656 and assassinated him in his own home.
Ali
, the fourth caliph, changed the capital of the caliphate from Medina to
Kufa
in
Iraq
for being in a more strategic location. Since then, Medina's importance dwindled, becoming more a place of religious importance than of political power. Medina witnessed little to no economic growth during and after Ali's reign.
[5]
The
Green Dome
was built in 1297 over Muhammad's
rawdhah
(residence) and
site of burial
.
Under subsequent Islamic regimes
[
edit
]
Umayyad Caliphate
[
edit
]
After
al-Hasan
, the son of 'Ali, ceded power to
Mu'awiyah I
, son of
Abu Sufyan
, Mu'awiyah marched into
Kufa
, Ali's capital, and received the allegiance of the local 'Iraqis. This is considered to be the beginning of the Umayyad caliphate. Mu'awiyah's governors took special care of Medina and dug the 'Ayn az-Zarqa'a ("Blue Spring")
spring
along with a project that included the creation of underground
ducts
for the purposes of irrigation. Dams were built in some of the
wadis
and the subsequent agricultural boom led to the strengthening of the economy.
The
Gold dinar
of
Umar II
, also known as 'Umar ibn Abdulaziz or the Fifth of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
Following a period of unrest during the
Second Fitna
in 679, Husayn ibn 'Ali was martyred at
Karbala
and Yazid assumed unchecked control for the next three years. In 682,
Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr
declared himself Caliph of Mecca and the people of Medina swore allegiance to him. This led to an eight-year-long period of economic distress for the city. In 692, the Umayyads regained power and Medina experienced its second period of huge economic growth. Trade improved and more people moved into the city. The banks of Wadi al-'Aqiq were now lush with greenery. This period of peace and prosperity coincided with the rule of
'Umar ibn Abdulaziz
, who many consider to be the fifth of the
Rashidun
.
[5]
Abbasid Caliphate
[
edit
]
Abdulbasit A. Badr, in his book,
Madinah, The Enlightened City: History and Landmarks
, divides this period into three distinct phases:
[5]
Tomb of
Salahuddin al-Ayyubi
, who started a tradition of greatly funding Medina and protecting pilgrims visiting the holy city.
The Medina sanctuary and
Green Dome
, photographed in 1880 by
Muhammad Sadiq
. The dome was built during the Mamluk period, but given its signature color by the Ottomans nearly 600 years later.
Badr describes the period between 749 and 974 as a push-and-pull between peace and political turmoil, while Medina continued to pay allegiance to the Abbasids. From 974 to 1151, the
Sharifate of Medina
was in a liaison with the Fatimids, even though the political stand between the two remained turbulent and did not exceed the normal allegiance. From 1151 onwards, Medina paid allegiance to the
Zengids
, and the
Emir Nuruddin Zengi
took care of the roads used by pilgrims and funded the fixing of the water sources and streets. When he visited Medina in 1162, he ordered the construction of a new wall that encompassed the new urban areas outside the old city wall. Zengi was succeeded by
Saladin
, founder of the
Ayyubid dynasty
, who supported
Qasim ibn Muhanna
, the Sharif of Medina, and greatly funded the growth of the city while slashing taxes paid by the pilgrims.
[5]
He also funded the
Bedouins
who lived on the routes used by pilgrims to protect them on their journeys. The later Abbasids also continued to fund the expenses of the city. While Medina was formally allied with the Abbasids during this period, they maintained closer relations with the Zengids and Ayyubids. The historic city formed an oval, surrounded by a strong wall, 30 to 40 ft (9.1 to 12.2 m) high, dating from this period, and was flanked with towers. Of its four gates, the
Bab al-Salam
("The Gate of Peace"), was remarked for its beauty. Beyond the walls of the city, the west and south were suburbs consisting of low houses, yards, gardens and plantations.
[5]
Mamluk Sultanate of Cairo
[
edit
]
After a brutal long conflict with the Abbasids, the Mamluk Sultanate of Cairo took over the Egyptian governorate and effectively gained control of Medina.
[5]
In 1256, Medina was threatened by
lava
from the
Harrat Rahat
volcanic region but was narrowly saved from being burnt after the lava turned northward.
[5]
[32]
[33]
During Mamluk reign, the
Masjid an-Nabawi
caught fire twice. Once in 1256, when the storage caught fire, burning the entire mosque, and the other time in 1481, when the masjid was struck by
lightning
. This period also coincided with an increase in scholarly activity in Medina, with scholars such as
Ibn Farhun
,
Al-Hafiz Zain al-Din al-'Iraqi
,
Al Sakhawi
and others settling in the city.
[5]
The striking iconic
Green Dome
also found its beginnings as a cupola built under Mamluk Sultan
al-Mansur Qalawun as-Salihi
in 1297.
[5]
Ottoman rule
[
edit
]
First Ottoman period
[
edit
]
In 1517, the first
Ottoman
period began with
Selim I
's conquest of Mamluk Egypt. This added Medina to their territory and they continued the tradition of showering Medina with money and aid. In 1532,
Suleiman the Magnificent
built a secure fortress around the city and constructed a strong castle armed by an Ottoman battalion to protect the city. This is also the period in which many of the
Prophet's Mosque
's modern features were built even though it was not painted green yet.
[34]
These suburbs also had walls and gates. The Ottoman sultans took a keen interest in the Prophet's Mosque and redesigned it over and over to suit their preferences.
Muhammad Ali
, who kept Medina in the hands of the Ottoman Empire for around 30 years after taking it from the
First Saudi State
.
First Saudi insurgency
[
edit
]
As the Ottomans' hold over their domains broke loose, the Madanis pledged alliance to
Saud bin Abdulaziz
, founder of the
First Saudi state
in 1805, who quickly took over the city. In 1811,
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
, Ottoman commander and
Wali
of Egypt, commanded two armies under each of his two sons to seize Medina, the first one, under the elder Towson Pasha, failed to take Medina. But the second one, a larger army under the command of
Ibrahim Pasha
, succeeded after battling a fierce resistance movement.
[5]
Muhammad Ali's era
[
edit
]
After defeating his Saudi foes, Muhammad Ali took over governance of Medina and although he did not formally declare
independence
, his governance took on more of a
semi-autonomous
style. Muhammad's sons, Towson and Ibrahim, alternated in the governance of the city. Ibrahim renovated the city's walls and the Prophet's Mosque. He established a grand provision distribution center (taqiyya) to distribute food and alms to the needy and Medina lived a period of security and peace.
[
citation needed
]
In 1840, Muhammad moved his troops out of the city and officially handed the city to the central Ottoman command.
[5]
Second Ottoman period
[
edit
]
The
Hejaz railway
track near
Wadi Rum
in
Jordan
. Jordan uses the railway today for transporting
phosphate
.
Four years in 1844, after Muhammad Ali's departure,
Davud Pasha
was given the position of governor of Medina under the Ottoman sultan. Davud was responsible for renovating the Prophet's Mosque on Sultan
Abdulmejid I
's orders. When
Abdul Hamid II
assumed power, he made Medina stand out of the desert with a number of modern marvels, including a
radio communication station
, a
power plant
for the Prophet's Mosque and its immediate vicinity, a telegraph line between Medina and
Constantinople
, and the
Hejaz railway
which ran from
Damascus
to Medina with a planned extension to Mecca. Within one decade, the population of the city multiplied by leaps and bounds and reached 80,000. Around this time, Medina started falling prey to a new threat, the
Hashemite
Sharifate of Mecca
in the south. Medina witnessed the longest siege in its history during and after
World War I
.
[5]
Modern history
[
edit
]
Sharifate of Mecca and Saudi conquest
[
edit
]
The Sharif of Mecca,
Husayn ibn Ali
, first attacked Medina on 6 June 1916, in the middle of
World War I
.
[5]
Four days later, Husayn held Medina in a bitter 3-year siege, during which the people faced food shortages, widespread disease and mass
emigration
.
[5]
Fakhri Pasha
, governor of Medina, tenaciously held on during the
Siege of Medina
from 10 June 1916 and refused to surrender and held on another 72 days after the
Armistice of Moudros
, until he was arrested by his own men and the city was taken over by the Sharifate on 10 January 1919.
[5]
[35]
Husayn largely won the war due to his alliance with the
British
. In anticipation of the plunder and destruction to follow, Fakhri Pasha secretly dispatched the
Sacred Relics of Muhammad
to the Ottoman capital,
Istanbul
.
[36]
As of 1920, the
British
described Medina as "much more self-supporting than Mecca."
[37]
After the Great War, the Sharif of Mecca,
Sayyid Hussein bin Ali
was proclaimed King of an independent
Hejaz
. Soon after, the people of Medina secretly entered an agreement with
Ibn Saud
in 1924, and his son, Prince
Mohammed bin Abdulaziz
conquered Medina as part of the
Saudi conquest of Hejaz
on 5 December 1925 which gave way to the whole of the
Hejaz
being incorporated into the modern
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
.
[5]
Under the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
[
edit
]
The
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
focused more on the expansion of the city and the demolition of former sites that according to them violated
Islamic principles
and
Islamic law
such as the
tombs at al-Baqi
. Nowadays, the city mostly only holds religious significance and as such, just like Mecca, has given rise to a number of hotels surrounding the
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
, which unlike the
Masjid Al-?ar?m
, is equipped with an underground parking. The old city's walls have been destroyed and replaced with the three
ring roads
that encircle Medina today, named in order of length, King Faisal Road, King Abdullah Road and King Khalid Road. Medina's ring roads generally see less traffic overall compared to the four ring roads of Mecca.
An international airport, named the
Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport
, now serves the city and is located on Highway 340, known locally as the Old Qassim Road. The city now sits at the crossroads of two major Saudi Arabian highways, Highway 60, known as the Qassim?Medina Highway, and Highway 15 which connects the city to
Mecca
in the south and onward and
Tabuk
in the north and onward, known as the Al Hijrah Highway or Al Hijrah Road, after Muhammad's journey.
Medina from
International Space Station
, 2017. Note that North is to the right.
The old Ottoman railway system was shutdown after their departure from the region and the old railway station has now been converted into a
museum
. The city has recently seen another connection and mode of transport between it and Mecca, the
Haramain high-speed railway
line connects the two cities via
King Abdullah Economic City
near
Rabigh
,
King Abdulaziz International Airport
and the city of
Jeddah
in under 3 hours.
Though the city's sacred core of the old city is off limits to non-Muslims, the
Haram area
of Medina itself is much smaller than that of Mecca and Medina has recently seen an increase in the number of Muslim and Non-Muslim expatriate workers of other nationalities, most commonly
South Asian
peoples and people from other countries in the
Gulf Cooperation Council
. Almost all of the historic city has been demolished in the Saudi era. The rebuilt city is centered on the vastly expanded
al-Masjid an-Nabawi
.
Destruction of heritage in Medina
[
edit
]
Saudi Arabia
upholds
Wahhabism
as its religious ideology,
[9]
which is hostile to any reverence given to historical or religious places of significance for fear that it may give rise to
shirk
(idolatry). As a consequence, under Saudi rule, Medina has suffered from considerable destruction of its physical heritage including the loss of many buildings over a thousand years old.
[9]
[38]
Critics have described this as "Saudi vandalism" and claim that 300 historic sites linked to Muhammad, his family or companions have been lost in Medina and
Mecca
over the last 50 years.
[39]
The most famous example of this is the
demolition of al-Baqi
.
[9]
The train which
Fakhri Pasha
used to transport the
Sacred Relics
from Medina to
Istanbul
.
Geography
[
edit
]
Mount Uhud
at night. The mountain is currently the highest peak in Medina and stands at 1,077 m (3,533 ft) of elevation.
Medina is located in the
Hejaz region
which is a 200 km (120 mi) wide strip between the
Nafud
desert and the
Red Sea
.
[5]
Located approximately 720 km (450 mi) northwest of
Riyadh
which is at the center of the Saudi desert, the city is 250 km (160 mi) away from the
west coast
of Saudi Arabia and at an elevation of approximately 620 m (2,030 ft)
above sea level
. It lies at 39º36' longitude east and 24º28' latitude north. It covers an area of about 589 km
2
(227
sq mi
). The city has been divided into twelve districts, 7 of which have been categorized as urban districts, while the other 5 have been categorized as suburban.
Elevation
[
edit
]
Like most cities in the Hejaz region, Medina is situated at a very high elevation. Almost three times as high as Mecca, the city is situated at 620 m (2,030 ft) above sea level. Mount Uhud is the highest peak in Medina and is 1,077 meters (3,533 feet) tall.
Topography
[
edit
]
Medina is a
desert oasis
surrounded by the
Hejaz Mountains
and volcanic hills. The soil surrounding Medina consists of mostly
basalt
, while the hills, especially noticeable to the south of the city, are
volcanic ash
which dates to the first
geological period
of the
Paleozoic
Era. It is surrounded by a number of famous
mountains
, most notably
Jabal Al-Hujjaj
(The Pilgrims' Mountain) to the west, Sal'aa Mountain to the north-west,
Jabal al-'Ir
or Caravan Mountain to the south and
Mount Uhud
to the north. The city is situated on a flat mountain plateau at the tripoint of the three valleys (
wadis
) of
Wadi al 'Aql
,
Wadi al 'Aqiq
, and
Wadi al Himdh
, for this reason, there are large green areas amidst a dry deserted mountainous region.
[5]
Climate
[
edit
]
Under the
Koppen climate classification
, Medina falls in a
hot desert climate
region
(BWh)
. Summers are extremely hot and dry with daytime temperatures averaging about 43 °C (109 °F) with nights about 29 °C (84 °F). Temperatures above 45 °C (113 °F) are not unusual between June and September. Winters are milder, with temperatures from 8 °C (46 °F) at night to 25 °C (77 °F) in the day. There is very little rainfall, which falls almost entirely between November and May. In summer, the wind is north-western, while in the spring and winters, is south-western.
Climate data for Medina (1991?2020)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
33.2
(91.8)
|
36.6
(97.9)
|
40.0
(104.0)
|
43.0
(109.4)
|
46.0
(114.8)
|
48.1
(118.6)
|
49.0
(120.2)
|
48.5
(119.3)
|
46.4
(115.5)
|
42.8
(109.0)
|
37.0
(98.6)
|
33.0
(91.4)
|
49.0
(120.2)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
24.4
(75.9)
|
27.0
(80.6)
|
30.8
(87.4)
|
35.5
(95.9)
|
39.7
(103.5)
|
43.0
(109.4)
|
43.0
(109.4)
|
43.8
(110.8)
|
42.3
(108.1)
|
37.3
(99.1)
|
30.4
(86.7)
|
26.0
(78.8)
|
35.3
(95.5)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
18.3
(64.9)
|
20.7
(69.3)
|
24.4
(75.9)
|
28.9
(84.0)
|
33.3
(91.9)
|
36.6
(97.9)
|
36.8
(98.2)
|
37.4
(99.3)
|
35.9
(96.6)
|
30.7
(87.3)
|
24.3
(75.7)
|
20.0
(68.0)
|
28.9
(84.1)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
12.1
(53.8)
|
14.1
(57.4)
|
17.4
(63.3)
|
21.7
(71.1)
|
25.9
(78.6)
|
29.0
(84.2)
|
29.8
(85.6)
|
30.5
(86.9)
|
28.6
(83.5)
|
23.5
(74.3)
|
18.0
(64.4)
|
14.0
(57.2)
|
22.1
(71.7)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
1.0
(33.8)
|
1.4
(34.5)
|
7.0
(44.6)
|
11.5
(52.7)
|
14.0
(57.2)
|
21.7
(71.1)
|
22.0
(71.6)
|
23.0
(73.4)
|
18.2
(64.8)
|
11.6
(52.9)
|
5.0
(41.0)
|
3.0
(37.4)
|
1.0
(33.8)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
8.6
(0.34)
|
3.0
(0.12)
|
5.3
(0.21)
|
6.5
(0.26)
|
4.5
(0.18)
|
0.2
(0.01)
|
1.3
(0.05)
|
3.9
(0.15)
|
0.3
(0.01)
|
5.2
(0.20)
|
13.9
(0.55)
|
7.0
(0.28)
|
59.7
(2.35)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 1.0 mm)
|
0.9
|
0.3
|
0.6
|
0.9
|
0.8
|
0.1
|
0.2
|
0.6
|
0.1
|
0.8
|
1.4
|
0.8
|
7.4
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
38
|
31
|
25
|
32
|
17
|
12
|
14
|
16
|
14
|
19
|
32
|
38
|
24
|
Source:
World Meteorological Organization
,
[40]
Jeddah Regional Climate Center
[41]
|
Significance in Islam
[
edit
]
Medina's importance as a religious site derives from the presence of two mosques,
Masjid Quba'a
and
al-Masjid an-Nabawi
. Both of these mosques were built by
Muhammad
himself. Islamic scriptures emphasize the sacredness of Medina. Medina is mentioned several times in the Quran; two examples are
Surah
At-Tawbah
(verse 101) and
Al-Hashr
(verse 8).
Medinan suras
are typically longer than their Meccan counterparts and they are also larger in number.
Muhammad al-Bukhari
recorded in
Sahih Bukhari
that
Anas ibn Malik
quoted Muhammad as saying:
"Medina is a sanctuary from that place to that. Its trees should not be cut and no heresy should be innovated nor any sin should be committed in it, and whoever innovates in it an heresy or commits sins (bad deeds), then he will incur the curse of God, the angels, and all the people."
The Prophet's Mosque (al-Masjid an-Nabawi)
[
edit
]
According to
Islamic tradition
, a prayer in The Prophet's Mosque equates to 1,000 prayers in any other mosque except the
Masjid al-Haram
[42]
where one prayer equates to 100,000 prayers in any other mosque.
[42]
The mosque was initially just an open space for prayer with a raised and covered
minbar
(pulpit) built within seven months and was located beside Muhammad's
rawdhah
(residence, although the word literally means garden) to its side along with the houses of
his wives
. The mosque was expanded several times throughout history, with many of its internal features developed over time to suit contemporary standards.
The modern Prophet's Mosque is famed for the
Green Dome
situated directly above Muhammad's
rawdhah,
which currently serves as the burial site for
Muhammad
,
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
and
Umar ibn al-Khattab
and is used in road signage along with its signature minaret as an icon for Medina itself. The entire piazza of the mosque is shaded from the sun by 250 membrane umbrellas.
Panoramic view of the Prophet's Mosque, from the east at sunset.
Quba'a Mosque
[
edit
]
It is
Sunnah
to perform
prayer
at the Quba'a Mosque. According to a
hadith
, Sahl ibn Hunayf reported that Muhammad said,
"Whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the mosque of Quba' and prays in it, he will have a reward like the Umrah pilgrimage."
[12]
[42]
and in another narration,
"Whoever goes out until he comes to this mosque ? meaning the Mosque of Quba' ? and prays there, that will be equivalent to 'Umrah."
[12]
It has been recorded by
al-Bukhari
and
Muslim
that Muhammad used to go to Quba'a every Saturday to offer two
rak'ahs
of Sunnah prayer. The mosque at Quba'a was built by Muhammad himself upon his arrival to the old city of Medina. Quba'a and the mosque has been referred in the Qur'an indirectly in
Surah
At-Tawbah
, verse 108.
Other sites
[
edit
]
Masjid al-Qiblatayn
[
edit
]
Masjid al-Qiblatayn
is another mosque historically important to Muslims. Muslims believe that Muhammad was commanded to change his direction of prayer (
qibla
) from praying toward
Jerusalem
to praying toward the
Ka'bah
at Mecca, as he was commanded in
Surah
Al-Baqarah
, verses 143 and 144.
[43]
The mosque is currently being expanded to be able to hold more than 4,000 worshippers.
[44]
Masjid al-Fath and the Seven Mosques
[
edit
]
Three of these historic six mosques were combined recently into the larger Masjid al-Fath with an open courtyard.
[5]
Sunni sources contend that there is no
hadith
or any other evidence to prove that Muhammad may have said something about the virtue of these mosques.
Al-Baqi' Cemetery
[
edit
]
Al-Baqi'
is a significant cemetery in Medina where several
family members of Muhammad
,
caliphs
and
scholars
are known to have been buried.
[5]
In Islamic eschatology
[
edit
]
End of civilization
[
edit
]
Concerning the end of civilization in Medina,
Abu Hurairah
is
recorded to have said
that Muhammad said:
[45]
"The people will leave Medina in spite of the best state it will have, and none except the wild birds and the beasts of prey will live in it, and the last persons who will die will be two shepherds from the tribe of Muzaina, who will be driving their sheep towards Medina, but will find nobody in it, and when they reach the valley of Thaniyat-al-Wada'h, they will fall down on their faces dead."
[45]
(al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith 98)
Sufyan ibn Abu Zuhair said Muhammad said:
[45]
"Yemen will be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families, and those who will obey them to migrate (to Yemen) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew. Sham will also be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families and those who will obey them, to migrate (to Sham) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew. 'Iraq will be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families and those who will obey them to migrate (to 'Iraq) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew."
[45]
(al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith 99)
Protection from plague and ad-Dajjal (the False Messiah)
[
edit
]
With regards to Medina's protection from plague and ad-Dajjal, the following
ahadith
were recorded:
by
Abu Bakra
:
[45]
"The terror caused by
Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal
will not enter Medina and at that time Medina will have seven gates and there will be two angels at each gate guarding them."
[45]
(al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith 103)
by Abu Hurairah:
"There are angels guarding the entrances (or roads) of Medina, neither plague nor Ad-Dajjal will be able to enter it."
[45]
(al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith 104)
Demographics
[
edit
]
Medina Sex Pyramid Chart as of 2018
[46]
As of 2018, the recorded population of Medina province was 2,188,138,
[46]
with a growth rate of 2.32%.
[47]
Being a destination of
Muslims
from around the world, Medina witnesses illegal immigration after performing
Hajj
or
Umrah
, despite the strict rules the government has enforced. However, the Central Hajj Commissioner
Prince Khalid bin Faisal
stated that the numbers of illegal staying visitors dropped by 29% in 2018.
[48]
Religion
[
edit
]
As with most cities in Saudi Arabia, Islam is the religion followed by the majority of the population of Medina.
Sunnis
of different schools (
Hanafi
,
Maliki
,
Shafi'i
and
Hanbali
) constitute the majority, while there is a significant
Shia
minority in and around Medina, such as the
Nakhawila
. Outside the
haram
, there are significant numbers of Non-Muslim migrant workers and expats.
Culture
[
edit
]
Similar to that of
Mecca
, Medina exhibits a
cross-cultural
environment, a city where people of many
nationalities
and
cultures
live together and interact with each other on a daily basis. This only helps the
King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran
. Established in 1985, the biggest publisher of
Quran
in the world, it employs around 1100 people and publishes 361 different publications in many languages. It is reported that more than 400,000 people from around the world visit the complex every year.
[49]
[50]
Every visitor is gifted a free copy of the Qur'an at the end of a tour of the facility.
[50]
Museums and arts
[
edit
]
The Al Madinah Museum
has several exhibits concerning the cultural and historical heritage of the city featuring different archeological collections, visual galleries and rare images of the old city.
[51]
It also includes the
Hejaz Railway Museum
. The Dar Al Madinah Museum opened in 2011 and it uncovers the history of Medina specializing in the architectural and urban heritage of the city.
[52]
There is no archeology or architecture from the time of Mohammed, except what remains of a few stone defensive towers
[53]
The Holy Qur'an Exhibition houses rare manuscripts of the Quran, along with other exhibitions that encircle the Masjid an-Nabawi.
[54]
Madinah Arts Center
The Madinah Arts Center, founded in 2018 and operated by the MMDA's Cultural Wing, focuses on
modern
and
contemporary arts
. The center aims to enhance arts and enrich the artistic and cultural movement of society, empowering artists of all groups and ages. As of February 2020, before the implementation of
social distancing
measures and
curfews
, it held more than 13 group and solo art galleries, along with weekly workshops and discussions. The center is located in King Fahd Park, close to
Quba Mosque
on an area of 8,200 square meters (88,000 square feet)
[55]
In 2018, the MMDA launched Madinah Forum of Arabic Calligraphy, an annual forum to celebrate
Arabic calligraphy
and renowned Arabic calligraphers. The event includes discussions about Arabic calligraphy, and a gallery to show the work of 50 Arabic calligraphers from 10 countries.
[56]
The Dar al-Qalam Center for Arabic Calligraphy is located to the northwest of the Masjid an-Nabawi, just across the
Hejaz Railway Museum
. In April 2020, it was announced that the center was renamed the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Center for Arabic Calligraphy, and upgraded to an international hub for Arabic Calligraphers, in conjunction with the "Year of Arabic Calligraphy" event organized by the
Ministry of Culture
during the years 2020 and 2021.
[57]
Other projects launched by the MMDA Cultural Wing include the Madinah Forum of Live Sculpture held at Quba Square, with 16 sculptors from 11 countries. The forum aimed to celebrate
sculpture
as it is an ancient art, and to attract young artists to this form of art.
[58]
Economy
[
edit
]
Panel representing the Mosque of Medina. Found in
?znik
,
Turkey
, 18th century. Composite body, silicate coat, transparent glaze, underglaze painted.
Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport
Historically, Medina's economy was dependent on the sale of
dates
and other agricultural activities. As of 1920, 139 varieties of dates were being grown in the area, along with other
vegetables
.
[59]
Religious tourism
plays a major part in Medina's economy, being the second holiest city in Islam, and holding many historical Islamic locations, it attracts more than 7 million annual visitors who come to perform
Hajj
during the Hajj season, and
Umrah
throughout the year.
[60]
Medina has two industrial areas, the larger one was established in 2003 with a total area of 10,000,000 m
2
, and managed by the
Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones
(MODON). It is located 50 km (31 mi) from
Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport
, and 200 km (120 mi) from
Yanbu Commercial Port
, and has 236 factories, which produce petroleum products, building materials, food products, and many other products.
[61]
The
Knowledge Economic City (KEC)
is a Saudi Arabian
joint stock company
founded in 2010. It focuses on
real estate development
and knowledge-based industries.
[62]
The project is under development and is expected to highly increase the number of jobs in Medina by its completion.
[63]
Human resources
[
edit
]
Education and scholarly activity
[
edit
]
Primary and secondary education
[
edit
]
The Ministry of Education is the governing body of education in the
al-Madinah Province
and it operates 724 and 773 public schools for boys and girls respectively throughout the province.
[64]
Taibah High School is one of the most notable schools in Saudi Arabia. Established in 1942, it was the second-largest school in the country at that time. Saudi ministers and government officials have graduated from this high school.
[65]
Higher education and research
[
edit
]
Taibah University
is a public university providing higher education for the residents of the province, it has 28 colleges, of which 16 are in Medina. It offers 89 academic programs and has a strength of 69210 students as of 2020.
[66]
The Islamic University
, established in 1961, is the oldest higher education institution in the region, with around 22000 students enrolled. It offers majors in
Sharia
,
Qur'an
, Usul ad-Din,
Hadith
, and the
Arabic language
.
[67]
The university offers
Bachelor of Arts
degrees and also
Master's
and
Doctorate
degrees.
[68]
The admission is open to Muslims based on scholarships programs that provide accommodation and living expenses. In 2012, the university expanded its programs by establishing the College of Science, which offers
Engineering
and
Computer science
majors.
[69]
Al Madinah College of Technology
, which is governed by
TVTC
, offers a variety of degree programs including
electrical engineering
,
mechanical engineering
, computer sciences and electronic sciences.
[
circular reference
]
Private universities at Medina include
University of Prince Muqrin
, the
Arab Open University
, and Al Rayyan Colleges.
Transport
[
edit
]
Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport
Medina is served by the
Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport
located off Highway 340. It handles domestic flights, while it has scheduled international services to regional destinations in the
Middle East
. It is the fourth-busiest airport in Saudi Arabia, handling 8,144,790 passengers in 2018.
[70]
The airport project was announced as the world's best by
Engineering News-Record
'
s 3rd Annual Global Best Projects Competition held on 10 September 2015.
[71]
[72]
The airport also received the first
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Gold certificate in the
MENA
region.
[73]
The airport receives higher numbers of passengers during the
Hajj
.
A government-run bus in Medina at Salam Rd. Station
Roads
[
edit
]
In 2015, the
MMDA
announced Darb as-Sunnah (Sunnah Path) Project, which aims to develop and transform the 3 km (1.9 mi) Quba'a Road connecting the Quba'a Mosque to the al-Masjid an-Nabawi to an avenue, paving the whole road for pedestrians and providing service facilities to the visitors. The project also aims to revive the
Sunnah
where Muhammed used to walk from his house (al-Masjid an-Nabawi) to Quba'a every Saturday afternoon.
[74]
The city of Medina lies at the junction of two of the most important Saudi highways, Highway 60 and Highway 15. Highway 15 connects Medina to
Mecca
in the south and onward and
Tabuk
and
Jordan
in the north. Highway 60 connects the city with
Yanbu
, a port city on the
Red Sea
in the west and
Al Qassim
in the east. The city is served by three
ring roads
: King Faisal Road, a 5 km ring road that surrounds
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
and the downtown area, King Abdullah Road, a 27 km road that surrounds most of urban Medina and King Khalid Road is the biggest ring road that surrounds the whole city and some rural areas with 60 km of roads.
Bus and rapid transit
[
edit
]
Haramain high-speed railway
station at Medina
The bus transport system in Medina was established in 2012 by the
MMDA
and is operated by SAPTCO. The newly established bus system includes 10 lines connecting different regions of the city to
Masjid an-Nabawi
and the downtown area, and serves around 20,000 passengers on a daily basis.
[75]
[76]
In 2017, the
MMDA
launched the Madinah Sightseeing Bus service.
Open top buses
take passengers on sightseeing trips throughout the day with two lines and 11 destinations, including Masjid an-Nabawi,
Quba'a Mosque
and
Masjid al-Qiblatayn
and offers audio tour guidance with eight different languages.
[77]
By the end of 2019, the
MMDA
announced its plan to expand the bus network with 15
BRT
lines. The project was set to be done in 2023.
[78]
In 2015, the
MMDA
announced a three-line
metro
project in extension to the public transportation master plan in Medina.
[79]
Rail
[
edit
]
The historic Ottoman
Hejaz railway
was abandoned following World War One and the Medina railway station was converted into a museum by the Saudi government. The
Haramain High Speed Railway (HHR)
came into operation in 2018, linking Medina and
Mecca
, and passes through three stations:
Jeddah
,
King Abdul Aziz International Airport
, and
King Abdullah Economic City
.
[80]
It runs along 444 kilometers (276 miles) with a speed of 300 km/h, and has an annual capacity of 60 million passengers.
[81]
Notable people
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
;
Arabic
:
???????????? ?????????????
,
al-Mad?nah al-Munawwarah
, "the radiant city"; or
????????????
,
al-Mad?nah
, (
Hejazi Arabic pronunciation:
[alma?diːna]
), "the city"
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"Fahad Al-Belaihshi Appointed Mayor of Madinah by a Royal Decree (Arabic)"
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City Population
.
Archived
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Archived
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ISBN
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Badr, Abdulbasit A. (2015).
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Wahh?bism
prohibits the veneration of shrines, tombs, and sacred objects, many sites associated with the
early history of Islam
, such as the homes and graves of
companions
of
Muhammad
, were demolished under Saudi rule.
Preservationists
have estimated that as many as 95 percent of the historic sites around
Mecca
and Medina have been razed.
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.
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a
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b
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d
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Tubba'
".
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The Message
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.
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2015
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. Nawaw?, 1233?1277, Salahi, M. A. London.
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978-0-86037-767-2
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1151770048
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2014
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2019
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b
c
d
e
f
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Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Medina
.
People and things in the
Quran
|
---|
|
---|
| |
---|
Mentioned
| Ulul-?Azm
('Those of the
Perseverance
and Strong Will')
| |
---|
Debatable ones
| |
---|
|
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Implied
| |
---|
|
| People of Prophets
|
---|
Good ones
|
- Adam's immediate relatives
- Believer of Ya-Sin
- Family of Noah
- Luqman's son
- People of Abraham
- People of Jesus
- People of Solomon
- Zayd
(Muhammad's adopted son)
People of
Joseph
| |
---|
People of
Aaron and Moses
| |
---|
|
---|
Evil ones
| |
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Implied or
not specified
| |
---|
|
| Groups
|
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Mentioned
| Tribes,
ethnicities
or families
| |
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|
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Implicitly
mentioned
| |
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Religious
groups
| |
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|
|
|
Locations
|
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Mentioned
|
|
---|
Implied
| |
---|
|
Events, incidents, occasions or times
|
---|
| Battles or
military expeditions
| |
---|
Days
|
- Al-
Jumu?ah
(The Friday)
- As-
Sabt
(The Sabbath or Saturday)
- Days of battles
- Days of Hajj
- Doomsday
|
---|
Months of the
Islamic calendar
|
- 12 months: Four holy months
|
---|
Pilgrimages
|
- Al-
?ajj
(literally 'The Pilgrimage', the Greater Pilgrimage)
- Al-?
Umrah
(The Lesser Pilgrimage)
|
---|
Times for prayer
or remembrance
| Times for
Du???
('
Invocation
'),
?al?h
and
Dhikr
('Remembrance', including
Ta?m?d
('Praising'),
Takb?r
and
Tasb??
):
- Al-?Ashiyy
(The Afternoon or the Night)
- Al-Ghuduww
('The Mornings')
- Al-Bukrah
('The Morning')
- A?-?ab??
('The Morning')
- Al-Layl
('The Night')
- A?-
?uhr
('The Noon')
- Dul?k ash-Shams
('Decline of the Sun')
- Al-
Mas??
('The Evening')
- Qabl al-
Ghur?b
('Before the Setting (of the Sun)')
- Al-A??l
('The Afternoon')
- Al-
?A?r
('The Afternoon')
- Qabl ?ul?? ash-Shams
('Before the rising of the Sun')
|
---|
Implied
| |
---|
|
|
Other
|
---|
Holy books
| |
---|
Objects
of people
or beings
| Mentioned idols
(cult images)
| Of Israelites
| |
---|
Of Noah's people
| |
---|
Of Quraysh
| |
---|
|
---|
|
---|
Celestial
bodies
| Ma??b??
(literally 'lamps'):
- Al-Qamar
(The Moon)
- Kaw?kib
(Planets)
- Nuj?m
(Stars)
|
---|
Plant matter
|
Ba?al
(Onion)
F?m
(Garlic or wheat)
Sha??
(Shoot)
S?q
(Plant stem)
Zar?
(Seed)
Fruits
| |
---|
Bushes, trees
or plants
| |
---|
|
---|
Liquids
|
- M??
(Water or fluid)
- Nahr
(River)
- Yamm
(River or sea)
- Shar?b
(Drink)
|
---|
|
Note:
Names are sorted alphabetically. Standard form: Islamic name / Biblical name (title or relationship)
|
|
---|
1,000,000 and more
| |
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300,000-999,999
| |
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<300,000
| |
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|
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International
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National
| |
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Geographic
| |
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Other
| |
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