Medina welcomes thousands of tourists every year moved to know one of the most important cities for the Muslim faith
Limits to non-Muslims, one could say that Mecca and Medina are quiet tourist cities without crowd. However, these cities are home to millions of people every year, driven by the culture and Muslim religion. Technically are tourists. But, emotionally, are pilgrims seeking to discover the two “holy places” or Al-Haramayn Ash-Sharifayn.
Although the main town is Mecca, 453 kilometers away Medina stands as the second most important city. Although it is not considered a pillar of Islam, to the Prophet’s Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi) city attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. It is said that Muhammad built the original mosque and that subsequent caliphs were enlarging it in size and luxury.
It currently has a capacity of one million people, has ten minarets and is open 24 hours every day of the year. As curiosities, the mosque is located in the geographical and historical center of the city and was the first one in the entire Arabian Peninsula to have electricity.
Very close to it, just 100 meters away, you can find BelleVue Royal Amjad Al Salam. The hotel offers every comfort to those who come to visit the mosque and the city. The hotel is five minutes drive from Hejaz Railway Museum and only 15 minutes from the airport.
Undoubtedly, it is religion that drives millions of tourists to visit Medina; there are also other interested places. In Medina there are over a hundred mosques, built over different periods. The first one is from the seventh century, called Masjid Kuba.
However, the pilgrimage to Medina can be completed with an archaeological visit to the cave “Umm Garsan” one of the largest in the world, located in the town of Huret Khaybar, north of Medina. Discovered less than 10 years ago in its 1500 meters you can see long human bones, well-preserved animal’s bodies, inscriptions and articles.
