THE PROPHET'S MOSQUE

The Prophet's Mosque, or masjid al-Nabawi in Arabic, dates back to the Hegira, the year of the founding of Islam. But it is not the very first mosque built by the Prophet. He would have first invested the mosque of Quba, which still exists, 3 km south of Medina. Before entering Medina, Muhammad stopped in the village of Quba. He refused the hospitality of the inhabitants and chose the exact spot where his camel stopped to build his house and a mosque adjacent to it. It was only after 20 days in Quba that Muhammad entered Medina. The location of the al-Nabawi mosque was determined by the place of the first Friday prayer. Reality or legend? It does not matter. The al-Nabawi Mosque was indeed founded by the Prophet. And it became the model for all mosques: a square enclosure, a shaded gallery and a prayer hall. For the first 8 years of the Hegira, prayers were directed towards Jerusalem, until Muhammad returned to Mecca and declared the Kaaba to be the house of God, making it the holiest city in Islam. Nothing remains of the original mosque, which has been altered many times. However, a model of it is exhibited at the Ithra Museum in Dammam.

The Prophet's mosque was remodeled and enlarged by the first Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab, companion of the Prophet. His tomb is in the mosque, next to the Prophet's. In 650, the mosque was again enlarged by Caliph Othman ibn Affan, another companion of Muhammad. The first caliphs were keen to leave their mark on the mother of all mosques. The Umayyad caliph Al Walid ibn Abdel Malek will have a considerable influence. He ordered the addition of a minaret and the digging of a niche in the wall of the qibla ("the direction"), the mihrab. More than 2,600 square meters of land were added to the mosque, which includes the tombs of the mothers of the first believers. During the second half of the 8th century, the mosque was again expanded and rebuilt. But it is in the 15th century that it undergoes again important modifications. The Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay had the mausoleum of the Prophet rebuilt with the addition of a dome over the burial chamber. In 1813, the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II had the dome of the Prophet's mausoleum covered with lead and painted green. Around 1850, his successor had the mosque razed to the ground and rebuilt in a larger size. The only building that escaped his ambition is the prophetic room. The Sauds also proceeded to enlarge the mosque as the influx of pilgrims became ever more important. Today, the al-Nabawi Mosque covers an area of 16 hectares and can accommodate 250,000 worshippers.

The current mosque is built on two floors, with the main prayer hall on the second floor. The flat roof, with 27 domes, can accommodate the faithful on busy days. The vast esplanade outside the mosque compound is also crowded with pilgrims at prayer time. Both the esplanade and the courtyard of the mosque are sheltered from the sun by retractable umbrellas. The new mosque is bounded by 6 minarets. In its center, the mosque of the Ottoman period has 4 minarets. The green dome easily distinguishable signals the location of the tomb of the Prophet.