In the west of the Islamic kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the ancient city of Medina, is located one of the most significant shrines of the Muslim world: the mosque of the Prophet (Mosque of the Prophet).
Among the Muslim holy sites required for the Hajj, the mosque in Medina is second only to the Mecca Sanctuary Mosque.
Legends of the place
Historians are sure that the construction of the first mosque in Medina was begun during the life of the Prophet, in 622. According to legend, for a long time they could not find a place worthy of the erection of a sacred building. Each citizen offered his own option, and then Muhammad decided not to offend any of the inhabitants of the city.
He ordered the camel to come forward, on which he arrived in the city, so that she would indicate a place suitable for construction. A little time passed, and a tired animal sank to the ground near a stall belonging to two orphans. Having generously paid the children, the prophet ordered to build a mosque in this place, which later became his tomb.
The Muslims, led by the prophet, actively set about building, and the first building of the mosque was built quite quickly. After completion, the prophet settled in the building and read sermons to the people daily.
Soon, a special building was built near the mosque, which gathered needy or tired travelers, as well as people seeking to understand the wisdom of Islam.
And in the following centuries, the mosque was the center of the city’s public life: there were meetings of residents and elders made court decisions. And the mosque has always been a place in which the youths of Medina and the surrounding settlements studied.
Chamber of Secrets
It is believed that after the death of Muhammad was buried in a mosque in Medina, but this is not entirely true. The building had not yet been completed, and the body of the Prophet was left in a small room that belonged to his wife Aisha. The room was always separated from the mosque by a wall with a small door.
Several centuries passed, and the emir of the city decided to expand the territory of the mosque. During the reconstruction, a room with the body of the Prophet was inside the hall of the mosque. But the emir ordered to separate it from the rest of the territory by high walls. And to this day, the room in which Mohammed rests is located in the mosque of Medina, but at the same time is separated from it by high walls.
Reconstruction of a mosque
Over the centuries of existence, the mosque in Medina was rebuilt 9 times. This first happened during the life of Muhammad, after the Battle of Khaibar. The number of Muslims who came to the city then was so great that a small mosque could not accommodate everyone. After this, the prophet commanded to increase its territory.
Since then, each ruler considered it his sacred duty to make improvements to the mosque and improve it. Very complex work on the reconstruction of the building was carried out in 1849-1861. by order of the ruling Sultan Abdal-Majid. In fact, the building was rebuilt in parts: the old walls and floors were gradually replaced by new structures. The last large-scale reconstruction was carried out in 1953 at the initiative of the Government of Saudi Arabia.
Centuries have passed since its foundation, and now the territory occupied by the mosque in Medina has become almost 100 times larger. Today, 600 thousand believers can freely accommodate in it, and during the Hajj their number still increases. The total area of the complex is 235 thousand square meters.
Architecture features
In the Islamic world, most of the later cult buildings were modeled after the first mosque in Medina. The prototype of the future columned hall was first established in it. At the time of construction, it was oriented towards Jerusalem, and then all mosques began to orient toward Mecca, the most sacred city of Muslims.
The first four minarets appeared during the life of the prophet. They were located at the corners of the building and were oriented to the cardinal points. Today, the mosque in Medina has 10 minarets, the highest of which reaches 105 meters. The complex consists of 27 separate prayer rooms, several of which are separated by dense high screens and are designed for women.
The mosque can be accessed through 89 separate entrances, each of which is richly decorated with colorful marble. Special lattices are mounted in the columns, through which cooled air enters. To avoid unnecessary noise in the holy place, all air circulation and cooling systems are located 7 kilometers from the mosque.
To protect the pilgrims who could not get inside the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina from the sun, the famous automatic umbrellas were installed. When opened, they have a rectangular shape and create a shadow over a rectangular area. In the evening, they automatically close and turn into peculiar columns that illuminate the territory.
The high minarets of the mosque are also brightly lit. According to reviews, the first four historical minarets look especially beautiful against the dark night sky.
Most pilgrims seek to capture the beauty of the Prophet’s mosque at night, although this building is surprisingly beautiful during the day. However, without the special permission of the supreme imam, you can only shoot outside the building, reviews warn. Also, tourists are advised to bring socks with them, because it is forbidden to enter shoes.
People have a lot of emotions after visiting a shrine. They say that this place attracts inexpressible energy.
Dome color
It is noteworthy that the familiar stone dome at the mosque appeared only in the XIII century. Prior to this, the dome was made of wood and covered with a dense canvas. And his appearance was unusual: it was quadrangular from below and had a complex octagonal shape from above.
In those years, many Muslims did not like this innovation, it was considered alien to religion. And the color of the dome has repeatedly changed: he managed to visit white, blue and purple. In the traditional Islam, green was painted just 150 years ago.
Visiting Rules
Saudi Arabia is a fairly closed country, and it is difficult for non-Muslim guests to enter its territory.
However, the faithful Muslims, when visiting the holy mosque of Muhammad in Medina, should follow certain rules:
- The purpose of the visit to the mosque should not be a visit to the grave of the Prophet, but the offering of prayers in this holy place. It is believed that the power of every prayer uttered here increases 1000 times.
- You can’t lean against the walls of the room in which Mohammed is buried, or even raise your voice next to her.
- You need to enter the mosque with your right foot, while reading a prayer.
- Saturday is traditionally considered the best day to visit.
- You also need to remember that in the territory of the mosque of Medina, taking photos is prohibited.