In the west of the Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the ancient city of Medina, one of the most significant shrines of the Muslim world is located: the Mosque of the Prophet.
Among the sacred places for a Muslim, obligatory for the Hajj, the mosque in Medina ranks second after the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.
Legends of the place
Historians are sure that the construction of the first mosque in Medina was started during the lifetime of the Prophet, in 622. According to legend, for a long time they could not find a place worthy of erecting a sacred building. Each citizen offered his own version, and then Muhammad decided not to offend any of the inhabitants of the city.
He ordered the camel on which he arrived in the city to be sent forward to indicate a place suitable for construction. A little time passed, and the tired animal sank to the ground near the stall, which belonged to two orphans. Having generously paid the children, the prophet ordered to build a mosque on this place, which later became his tomb.
Muslims underunder the leadership of the prophet, they actively began construction, and the first building of the mosque was built quite quickly. After the completion, the prophet settled in the building and delivered sermons to the people daily.
Soon, a special building was built next to the mosque, which gathered needy or tired travelers, as well as people seeking to comprehend the wisdom of Islam.
And in subsequent centuries, the mosque was the center of the public life of the city: meetings of residents were held here and the elders made court decisions. And the mosque has always been a place where the young men of Medina and 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 has always been separated from the mosque building 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, the 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 with high walls. To this day, the room in which Muhammad rests is located in the mosque of Medina, but at the same time it is separated from it by high walls.
Reconstruction of the mosque
During the long centuries of existence, the mosque in Medina was rebuilt 9 times. This happened for the first time during Muhammad's lifetime, after the Battle of Khaibar. The number of Muslims who came tothe city was so large that a small mosque could not accommodate everyone. After that, the prophet ordered to increase her territory.
Since then, every ruler considered it his sacred duty to improve the mosque and equip it. Very complex work on the restructuring 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 ceilings 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, 600,000 believers can freely accommodate in it, and during the Hajj, their number is still increasing. The total area of the complex is 235 thousand square meters.
Architecture Features
In the Islamic world, most of the later religious buildings were modeled after the first mosque in Medina. For the first time, a prototype of the future columned hall was installed in it. At the time of construction, it was focused on Jerusalem, and then all the mosques began to focus on Mecca, the holiest 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 halls, several ofwhich are separated by dense high screens and are intended for women.
The building of the mosque can be entered through 89 separate entrances, each of which is richly decorated with multi-colored marble. Special gratings 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 from the sun those pilgrims who could not get inside the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina, the famous automatic umbrellas were installed. When opened, they are rectangular in shape and create a shadow over a rectangular area. And in the evening they automatically close and turn into a kind of 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 background of the dark night sky.
Most pilgrims strive to capture the beauty of the Prophet's Mosque at night, although this building is amazingly beautiful during the day. However, without special permission from the Supreme Imam, you can only shoot outside the building, reviews warn. Also, tourists are advised to take socks with them, because it is forbidden to enter in shoes.
People have a lot of emotions after visiting the shrine. They say that this place attracts with inexpressible energy.
Dome color
It is noteworthy that the usual stone dome on the mosque appeared only in the XIII century. Prior to this, the dome was made of wood and covered with dense canvas. Yes, and its appearance was unusual: it was quadrangular at the bottom and had a complex octagonal shape at the top.
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. It was painted in the traditional Islamic green color only 150 years ago.
Visit Rules
Saudi Arabia is a rather closed country, and it is difficult for non-Islamic guests to enter its territory.
However, true Muslims should also follow certain rules when visiting the holy mosque of Mohammed in Medina:
- The purpose of a visit to the mosque should not be to visit the grave of the Prophet, but to offer prayers in this holy place. It is believed that the power of each prayer uttered here increases 1000 times.
- You can't lean against the walls of the room in which Muhammad is buried, and even raise your voice next to her.
- You need to enter the building of the mosque with your right foot, while reading a prayer.
- The best day to visit is traditionally Saturday.
- You also need to remember that photography is prohibited on the territory of the mosque of Medina.
