View source for Medina

{{Short description|Second Holiest city in Islam}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect-multi|2|Madinah|Madina}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Medina
| official_name      = al-Madinah al-Munawwarah <br /> {{lang|ar|
المدينة المنورة}}
| native_name        = {{Script/Arabic|المدينة}}
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia|City]]
| image_skyline      = {{Multiple image
| total_width        = 300
| image1             = Al-Masjid_An-Nabawi_(Bird's_Eye_View).jpg
| image2            = Quba Mosque - panoramio.jpg
| image3            = Al-Baqi Cemetery 2021.jpg
| image4            = Madinah_Museum.JPG
| image5            =  Masjid al-Qiblatain.jpg
| caption1           = [[Prophet's Mosque|Masjid an-Nabawī]]
| caption2           = [[Quba Mosque]]
| caption3           = [[Al-Baqi Cemetery]]
| caption4           = [[Hejaz Railway Museum]]
| caption5           = [[Masjid al-Qiblatayn]]
| perrow             = 1/2/2
| border             = infobox
}}
| image_blank_emblem = Visit Madinah Logo.svg
| blank_emblem_type  = [[Wordmark]]
| nickname           = {{ubl|The Pure ({{lang|ar|طيبة}})|The Prophet's City ({{lang|ar|مدينة النبي}})|The Prophetic City ({{lang|ar|المدينة النبوية}})}}
| image_flag         = 
| flag_size          = 135px
| image_seal         = 
| pushpin_map        = Saudi Arabia#Asia
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Medina
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| coordinates        = {{coord|24|28|12|N|39|36|36|E|region:SA|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces of Saudi Arabia|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Medina Province, Saudi Arabia|Medina]]
| subdivision_type2  = Region
| subdivision_name2  = [[Hejaz]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Fahd Al-Balayeshi]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Fahd Al-Balayeshi Appointed Mayor of Madinah by a Royal Decree (Arabic) |url=https://sabq.org/cL3zph |archive-date=12 April 2021 |access-date=29 December 2020 |website=Sabq Online Newspaper |date=7 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412164558/https://sabq.org/cL3zph |url-status=live}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = Governor
| leader_name1       = [[Salman bin Sultan Al Saud|Salman bin Sultan]]
| area_total_km2     = 589
| area_total_sq_mi   = 227
| area_metro_km2     = 22900
| elevation_m        = 620
| elevation_ft       = 2030
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Medina Governorate |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/saudiarabia/madina/0301__al_mad%C4%ABnah_al_munuwarah/ |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=City Population |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204001752/https://www.citypopulation.de/en/saudiarabia/madina/0301__al_mad%C4%ABnah_al_munuwarah/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_total   = 1,411,599
| population_as_of   = 2022 census
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_note    = 
| population_metro   = 1,477,047 (Medina Governorate)
| website            = {{URL| https://www.amana-md.gov.sa/}}<br />{{URL|https://visitmadinahsa.com/sa-en}}
| timezone           = [[Saudi Arabia Standard Time|SAST]]
| utc_offset         = +03:00
| native_name_lang   = ar
| other_name         = 
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| established_date2  = 5 December 1925
| governing_body     = * [[Medina Development Authority]]<br>(Upper body)
* [[Medina Municipality]] (Lower body)
| elevation_max_m    = 1077
| elevation_max_point = [[Mount Uhud]]
| established_title2 = [[Saudi conquest of Hejaz]]
| established_date   = [[9th century BC]]
| government_type    = Development Authority / [[Municipality]]
| population_rank    = 4th
| named_for          = [[Muhammad]]
| established_date1  = 622 CE (1 [[Anno Hegirae|AH]])
| established_title1 = [[Hijra (Islam)|Hijrah]]
| established_title  = First settled
| population_demonym = Madani <br /> {{lang|ar|مدني}}
| demographics_type1 = [[Gross domestic product|GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)]]
| demographics1_footnotes = 
| demographics1_title1 = Year
| demographics1_info1 = 2023
| demographics1_title2 = Total (Metro)
| demographics1_info2 = $46.7&nbsp;billion<ref name="TelluBase">{{cite web |title=TelluBase—Saudi Arabia Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series) |url=https://tellusant.com/repo/tb/tellubase_factsheet_sau.pdf |publisher=Tellusant |access-date=2025-03-31}}</ref>
| demographics1_title3 = Per capita
| demographics1_info3 = $48,800
| population_density_urban_km2 = 
| area_urban_sq_mi   = 
| area_rural_km2     = 
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 
| blank_name_sec1    = 
| population_rural   = 
| blank_info_sec1    = 
| module             = {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes |zoom=10 |frame-height=300 | stroke-width=1 |shape-fill-opacity=0.2 |coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
}}
{{Islam}}<!-- please do not add any specific sects of Islam because if we have any then we have to have all -->
'''Medina''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|d|iː|n|ə}}; {{langx|ar|ٱلْمَدِيْنَة ٱلْمُنَوَّرَة}}, ''{{transliteration|ar|DIN|al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah}}'', "the radiant city"; or {{lang|ar|ٱلْمَدِيْنَة}}, ''{{transliteration|ar|DIN|al-Madīnah}}'', ({{IPA|acw|almaˈdiːna}}), "the city"}} officially '''al-Madinah al-Munawwarah''',{{efn|{{Langx|ar|المدينة المنورة|al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah|The Enlightened City|engvar=gb}}, {{IPA|acw|al.maˈdiːna al.mʊˈnawːara}}}} also known as '''Taybah'''{{efn|{{Langx|ar|طيبة|lit=[the] Pure}}}} and known in pre-Islamic times as '''Yathrib''',{{efn|{{Lang|ar|يَثْرِب}}}} is the capital and administrative centre of [[Medina Province (Saudi Arabia)|Medina Province]] in the [[Hejaz]] region of western [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]]. It is one of the oldest and most important places in [[Islamic history]]. The [[Holiest sites in Islam|second holiest city in Islam]], the population as of 2022 is 1,477,023, making it the [[List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia|fourth-most populous city in the country]]. Around 58.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and 41.5% are foreigners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al-Madīnah (Al-Madīnah al-Munuwarah, Medina Region, Saudi Arabia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/saudiarabia/madina/al_mad%C4%ABnah_al_munuwarah/03001__al_mad%C4%ABnah/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=City Population |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204001751/https://www.citypopulation.de/en/saudiarabia/madina/al_mad%C4%ABnah_al_munuwarah/03001__al_mad%C4%ABnah/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Located at the core of the Medina Province in the western reaches of the country, the city is distributed over {{cvt|589|km2|sqmi}}, of which {{cvt|293|km2|sqmi}} constitutes the city's urban area, while the rest is occupied by the [[Hijaz Mountains|Hejaz Mountains]], empty valleys, [[Agriculture in Saudi Arabia|agricultural spaces]] and older dormant [[volcano]]es.

Medina is generally considered to be the "cradle of [[Islamic culture]] and civilization".<ref>{{cite book |title=Islam: Beliefs and Institutions |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Islam/NXa4AQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA5&printsec=frontcover |first=H. |last=Lammens |year=2013 |isbn=9781136994302 |page=5 |publisher=Routledge |quote=}}</ref> The city is considered to be the second-holiest of three key cities in Islamic tradition, with [[Mecca|Makkah]] and [[Jerusalem]] serving as the holiest and third-holiest cities respectively. [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|''Al-Masjid al-Nabawi'']] ({{Literal translation|The Prophet's Mosque}}) is of exceptional importance in Islam and serves as burial site of the [[prophets and messengers in Islam|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.<ref name=":5" /> The original name of the city before the [[History of Islam|advent of Islam]] was Yathrib ({{langx|ar|يَثْرِب|label=[[Classical Arabic|Arabic]]}}), and it is referred to by this name in [[Al-Aḥzāb|Chapter 33]] (''Al-Aḥzāb'', {{Literal translation|The Confederates}}) of the [[Quran]]. It was renamed to ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|Madīnat an-Nabī}}'' ({{Literal translation|City of the Prophet|The Prophet's City}}) after and later to ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|al-Madinah al-Munawwarah}}'' ({{Literal translation|The Enlightened City}}) before being simplified and shortened to its modern name, ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|Madinah}}'' ({{Literal translation|The City}}), from which the [[English language|English-language]] spelling of "Medina" is derived. Saudi road signage uses ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|Madinah}}'' and ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|al-Madinah al-Munawwarah}}'' interchangeably.<ref name=":5" />

The city existed for over 1,500 years before Muhammad's migration from Mecca,<ref name=":3">{{cite web |title=Masjid an-Nabawi at the time of Prophet Muhammad - Madain Project (En) |url=https://madainproject.com/masjid_al_nabawi_at_the_time_of_prophet_muhammad#:~:text=The%20Masjid%20al-Nabawi%20was,after%20his%20arrival%20in%20Medina. |website=madainproject.com |access-date=19 September 2023 |archive-date=30 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930105440/https://madainproject.com/masjid_al_nabawi_at_the_time_of_prophet_muhammad#:~:text=The%20Masjid%20al-Nabawi%20was,after%20his%20arrival%20in%20Medina. |url-status=live }}</ref> known as the [[Hegira|Hijrah]]. Medina was the capital of a rapidly increasing Muslim [[caliphate]] under [[Diplomatic career of Muhammad|Muhammad's leadership]], serving as its base of operations and as the cradle of Islam, where Muhammad's ''[[ummah]]'' ({{Literal translation|nation}})—composed of Medinan citizens ([[Ansar (Islam)|''Ansar'']]) as well as those who immigrated with Muhammad (''[[Muhajirun]]''), who were collectively known as the [[Companions of the Prophet|''Sahabah'']]—gained huge influence. Medina is home to [[list of the oldest mosques|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 [[Medinan surah|revealed in Medina]] in contrast to the earlier [[Meccan surah]]s.<ref>{{cite book |editor1=Abida Samiuddin |editor2=R. Khanam |date=2002 |title=Muslim Feminism and Feminist Movement, Part 1, Volume 1 |publisher=Global Vision Publishing House |page=26 |isbn=9788187746409 |oclc=51217777 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZcMHD5WWL7AC&pg=PA26}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Ahmed Al-Laithy |date=2005 |title=What Everyone Should Know about the Qurʼan |publisher=Garant |page=61 |isbn=978-90-441-1774-5 |oclc=319691554 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ShMqiiJbNYC&pg=PA61}}</ref>

Much like most of the [[Hejaz]], Medina has seen numerous exchanges of power within its comparatively short existence. The region has been controlled by [[History of the Jews in the Arabian Peninsula|Jewish-Arabian tribes]] (up until the fifth century CE), the [[Banu Aws|ʽAws]] and [[Banu Khazraj|Khazraj]] (up until Muhammad's arrival), [[Muhammad in Islam|Muhammad]] and the [[Rashidun]] (622–660), the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyads]] (660–749), the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasids]] (749–1254), the [[Mamluk Sultanate|Mamluks of Egypt]] (1254–1517), the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] (1517–1805), the [[Emirate of Diriyah|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).<ref name=":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 [[The Seven Mosques|Seven Mosques]] among others. The [[Saudi government]] has also carried out the [[Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia|destruction of several historical structures and archaeological sites]], both in Medina and [[Mecca]].<ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |title=Wahhābī (Islamic movement) |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wahhabi |date=9 June 2020 |access-date=8 September 2020 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]] |location=[[Edinburgh]] |quote=Because [[Wahhabism|Wahhābism]] 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 the Prophet|companions]] of [[Muhammad]], were demolished under Saudi rule. [[Preservationist]]s have estimated that as many as 95 percent of the historic sites around [[Mecca]] and Medina have been razed. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626201633/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wahhabi |archive-date=26 June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Names==
===Yathrib===
Before the advent of Islam, the city was known as Yathrib ({{langx|ar|يَثْرِب|translit=Yaṯrib|engvar=gb}}; {{IPA|ar|ˈjaθrɪb|pron}}). The word ''Yathrib'' appears in an inscription found in Harran, belongs to the Babylonian king [[Nabonidus]] (6th century BCE)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=C. J. Gadd |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3642415 |title=The Harran Inscriptions of Nabonidus |journal=Anatolian Studies |year=1958 |volume=8 |page=59 |doi=10.2307/3642415 |jstor=3642415 |s2cid=162791503 |access-date=29 June 2021 |archive-date=21 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421062943/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3642415?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3Acf24ec5d1543efefc4bfd7e117098145&seq=41#page_scan_tab_contents |url-status=live|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and is well attested in several texts in the subsequent centuries.<ref>{{cite web |date= |title=A Pre-Islamic Nabataean Inscription Mentioning The Place Yathrib |url=https://www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/inscriptions/yathrib1.html |url-status=live |website=Islamic Awareness |access-date=29 June 2021 |archive-date=5 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405103321/https://www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/inscriptions/yathrib1.html}}</ref> The name has also been recorded in [[Āyah]] (verse) 13 of [[Surah]] (chapter) [[al-Ahzab|33]] of the [[Quran|Qur'an]].{{qref|33|13|b=y|s=y}} 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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |title=<>. |date=2003 |publisher=Bayt al-Afkar al-Dawliyah |others=Ibn Ḥanbal, ʻAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad, 828–903. |isbn=9957-21-049-1 |location='Amman |oclc=957317429 }}</ref>

===Taybah and Tabah===
[[File:An inscription mentioning prophet's grave in Madinah.jpg|thumb|8th century rock inscription discovered in Medina, refers to the city as 'Taybah']]
Sometime after the battle, Muhammad renamed the city ''Taybah'' (the Kind or the Good) ({{IPA|ar|ˈtˤajba}}; {{lang|ar|طَيْبَة}})<ref>{{Cite book |last=Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj al-Qushayrī, approximately 821–875. |title=Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim : with the full commentary by Imam al-Nawawi |others=Nawawī, ‡d 1233–1277., Salahi, Adil |date=26 November 2019 |isbn=978-0-86037-786-3 |location=London |oclc=1134530211 }}</ref> and ''Tabah'' ({{langx|ar|طَابَة}})<ref name="Ibn Ḥajar al-ʻAsqalānī, Aḥmad ibn ʻAlī, 1372–1449">{{Cite book |last1=Ibn Ḥajar al-ʻAsqalānī, Aḥmad ibn ʻAlī, 1372-1449. |title=Fatḥ al-Bārī : victory of the Creator |last2=ابن حجر العسقلاني، أحمد بن علي،, 1372–1449. |others=Williams, Khalid, Waley, M. I. |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-909460-11-9 |location=[U.K.] |oclc=981125883 }}</ref> 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===
The city has also simply been called Al-Madinah (i.e. 'The City') in some ''ahadith''<ref name="Ibn Ḥajar al-ʻAsqalānī, Aḥmad ibn ʻAlī, 1372–1449"/>''.'' The names ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|al-Madīnah an-Nabawiyyah}}'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلْمَدِيْنَة ٱلنَّبَوِيَّة}}) and ''Madīnat un-Nabī'' (both meaning "City of the Prophet" or "The Prophet's City") and ''al-Madīnat 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==
{{for timeline|Timeline of Medina}}
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|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 [[Mount Uhud|Uhud mountain]], site of the eponymous [[Battle of Uhud]] and the King Fahd Glorious Qur'an Printing Complex where most modern Qur'anic [[Mus'haf]]s are printed.

===Early history ===
Medina has been inhabited at least 1500 years before the Hijra, or approximately the 9th century BCE.<ref name=":3" /> By the fourth century, Arab tribes began to encroach from [[Yemen]], and there were three prominent [[Jewish tribes of Arabia|Jewish]] [[Arabian tribes that interacted with Muhammad|tribes]] that inhabited the city around the time of Muhammad: the [[Banu Qaynuqa]], the [[Banu Qurayza]], and [[Banu Nadir]].<ref name="jewishencyclopedia 1">[[Jewish Encyclopedia]] [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=326&letter=M Medina] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918092258/http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=326&letter=M |date=18 September 2011 }}</ref> [[Ibn Khordadbeh]] later reported that during the [[History of Iran|Persian Empire]]'s domination in Hejaz, the Banu Qurayza served as [[tax collector]]s for the Persian [[Shah]].<ref>Peters 193</ref>{{full citation needed|date=November 2023}}

The situation changed after the arrival of two new [[Arab]] tribes, the [[Banu Aws|'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.<ref name="Medina">"Al-Medina." ''[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]''</ref>
[[File:'Madinah Sharif' Indian token.jpg|alt=17th century CE bronze token the inscription below reads 'Madinah Shareef' (Noble City)|thumb|17th century bronze token depicting [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|prophet's Mosque]], the inscription below reads 'Madinah Shareef' (Noble City)]]

===Under the 'Aws and Khazraj===
Toward the end of the 5th century,<ref>for date see "J. Q. R." vii. 175, note</ref> the Jewish rulers lost control of the city to the two Arab tribes. 

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.<ref>See e.g., Peters 193; "Qurayza", ''[[Encyclopaedia Judaica]]''</ref> 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.<ref name="Medina" />

Early Muslim chronicler [[Ibn Ishaq]] tells of an ancient conflict between the last [[Yemen]]ite king of the [[Himyarite Kingdom]]<ref>Muslim sources usually referred to Himyar kings by the dynastic title of "[[Tubba']]".</ref> 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 [[Arecaceae|palms]]. According to [[Ibn Ishaq]], he was stopped from doing so by two [[rabbi]]s 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 [[rabbi]]s with him, and in [[Mecca]], they reportedly recognised the [[Kaaba|Ka'bah]] as a structure built by [[Abraham]] and advised the king "to do what the people of Mecca did: to [[Circumambulation|circumambulate]] the structure, 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.<ref>Guillaume 7–9, Peters 49–50</ref>

Eventually the Banu 'Aws and the Banu Khazraj became hostile to each other and by the time of Muhammad's [[Hijra (Islam)|Hijrah]] (emigration) to Medina in 622, they had been fighting for 120 years and were sworn enemies<ref name="balagh.net">Subhani, ''The Message'': [http://www.balagh.net/english/ahl_bayt/the_message/27.htm The Events of the First Year of Migration] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524053521/http://www.balagh.net/english/ahl_bayt/the_message/27.htm |date=24 May 2012}}</ref> The Banu Nadir and the Banu Qurayza were allied with the 'Aws, while the Banu Qaynuqa sided with the Khazraj.<ref>For alliances, see Guillaume 253</ref> They fought a total of four wars.<ref name="Medina" />

Their last and bloodiest known battle was the [[Yawm al-Buath|Battle of Bu'ath]],<ref name="Medina" /> fought a few years prior to the arrival of Muhammad.<ref name="jewishencyclopedia 1" /> The outcome of the battle was inconclusive, and the feud continued. [[Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy|'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 [[Aqaba pledge of allegiance|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===
{{Main|Hijrah|Constitution of Medina|First Islamic state}}

[[File:Quba Mosque SA.jpg|thumb|[[Muhammad]] built the [[Quba Mosque|Quba'a Masjid]] upon his arrival at Medina and is said to have visited the mosque every Saturday afternoon.]]
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. 

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.<ref>Firestone 118. For opinions disputing the early date of the Constitution of Medina, see e.g., Peters 116; "Muhammad", "Encyclopaedia of Islam"; "Kurayza, Banu", "Encyclopaedia of Islam".</ref> In Yemenite Jewish sources, another treaty was drafted between Muhammad and his Jewish subjects, known as ''Kitāb Dimmat al-Nabi'', written in the 3rd year of the [[Hijri year|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.<ref>Shelomo Dov Goitein, ''The Yemenites – History, Communal Organization, Spiritual Life'' (Selected Studies), editor: Menahem Ben-Sasson, Jerusalem 1983, pp. 288–299. {{ISBN|965-235-011-7}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Badr |first=Abdulbasit A. |title=Madinah, The Enlightened City: History and Landmarks |year=2015 |isbn=9786039041474 |location=Madinah}}</ref>

====Battle of Uhud====
{{Main|Battle of Uhud}}

[[File:Mount Uhud.JPG|thumb|right|[[Mount Uhud]], with the old ''Mosque of the Leader of Martyrs'' ({{Lang|ar|جامع سيد الشهداء}}), named after Muhammad's uncle, [[Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib|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.<ref name="madainjameh">{{cite web |title=Jameh Syed al-Shohada Mosque |url=https://madainproject.com/jameh_syed_al_shohada |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506143705/https://madainproject.com/jameh_syed_al_shohada |archive-date=6 May 2020 |access-date=6 May 2020 |website=Madain Project}}</ref>|300x300px]]

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 [[Quraysh]]i army with an estimated 1,000 troops, but just as the army approached the battlefield, 300 men under [[Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy|'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 ''[[Al Romat Mountain|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 capitalise on their advantage by invading Medina and returned to Mecca. The Madanis (people of Medina) suffered heavy losses, and Muhammad was injured.<ref>Esposito, John L. "Islam." Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices, edited by Thomas Riggs, vol. 1: Religions and Denominations, Gale, 2006, pp. 349–379.</ref>

====Battle of the Trench====
{{Main|Battle of the Trench}}
[[File:Sab'u Masajid.jpg|thumb|Al-Khandaq mosque (The trench mosque) at the site of the [[Battle of the Trench]], with [[The Seven Mosques|the seven historical mosques]] near it.]]
In 627, [[Abu Sufyan ibn Harb|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 [[Arecaceae|palm trees]]. [[Salman the Persian|Salman al-Farsi]], a [[Sasanian Empire|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 Mua'dh|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.<ref name="Oxford University Press">{{citation |author=Ibn Ishaq |title=The Life of Muhammad (Sirat Rasul Allah) |pages=461–464 |year=1955 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-636033-1 |translator=A. Guillaume}}</ref><ref name="WattProphetStatesman">Watt, ''Muhammad, Prophet and Statesman'', p. 172-173</ref> 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.<ref name="mantran">Robert Mantran, ''L'expansion musulmane'' Presses Universitaires de France 1995, p. 86.</ref>

In the ten years following the [[hijra (Islam)|hijra]], Medina formed the base from which Muhammad and the Muslim army attacked and were attacked, and it was from here that he [[Conquest of Mecca|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 [[Kaaba|Ka'bah]] as the centre 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]].<ref name=":5" />

The city is presumed to have been renamed ''Madinat al-Nabi'' ("City of the Prophet" in [[Arabic]]) in honour of Muhammad's prophethood and the city being the site of his [[Burial site|burial]]. Alternatively, Lucien Gubbay suggests the name Medina could also have been a derivative from the [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] word ''Medinta'', which the Jewish inhabitants could have used for the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Jews of Arabia |url=http://www.dangoor.com/71page33.html |work=dangoor.com |access-date=25 August 2007 |archive-date=10 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810123722/http://www.dangoor.com/71page33.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

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|'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.<ref name=":5" /> [[File:Green dome, Masjid e Nabawi, Medina, KSA.jpg|thumb|The [[Green Dome]] was built in 1297 over Muhammad's ''rawdhah'' (residence) and [[Burial|site of burial]].]]

===Under subsequent Islamic regimes===

====Umayyad Caliphate====
After [[Hasan ibn Ali|al-Hasan]], the son of 'Ali, ceded power to [[Muawiyah I|Mu'awiyah I]], son of [[Abu Sufyan ibn Harb|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 (hydrology)|spring]] along with a project that included the creation of underground [[Aqueduct (water supply)|ducts]] for the purposes of irrigation. Dams were built in some of the [[wadi]]s and the subsequent agricultural boom led to the strengthening of the economy.
[[File:Gold dinar of Umar II.jpg|thumb|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 [[Battle of Karbala|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 II|'Umar ibn Abdulaziz]], who many consider to be the fifth of the [[Rashidun]].<ref name=":5" />

====Abbasid Caliphate====
Abdulbasit A. Badr, in his book, ''Madinah, The Enlightened City: History and Landmarks'', divides this period into three distinct phases:<ref name=":5" />
[[File:Salahadin's Tomb, Umayyad Mosque, Damascus 001 (4931142474).jpg|thumb|Tomb of [[Saladin|Salahuddin al-Ayyubi]], who started a tradition of greatly funding Medina and protecting pilgrims visiting the holy city.]]
[[File:Khalili Collection Hajj and Arts of Pilgrimage Arc.pp-0254.11.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The Medina sanctuary and [[Green Dome]], photographed in 1880 by [[Muhammad Sadiq (photographer)|Muhammad Sadiq]]. The dome was built during the Mamluk period, but given its signature colour 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 [[Zengid dynasty|Zengids]], and the [[Nur ad-Din (died 1174)|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.<ref name=":5" /> He also funded the [[Bedouin]]s 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, {{cvt|30|to|40|ft|abbr=out}} 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.<ref name=":5" />

====Mamluk Sultanate of Cairo====
After the fall of Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Empire, to the Mongols, the Mamluk Sultanate of Cairo took over the Egyptian governorate and effectively gained control of Medina.<ref name=":5" /> In 1258, Medina was threatened by [[lava]] from the [[Harrat Rahat]] volcanic region but was narrowly saved from being burnt after the lava turned northward.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{cite gvp |vn=231070 |title=Harrat Rahat}}</ref><ref>Bosworth,C. Edmund: Historic Cities of the Islamic World, p. 385 – "Half-a-century later, in 654/1256, Medina was threatened by a volcanic eruption. After a series of earthquakes, a stream of lava appeared, but fortunately flowed to the east of the town and then northwards."</ref> 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|Al Sakhawi]] and others settling in the city.<ref name=":5" /> The striking iconic [[Green Dome]] also found its beginnings as a cupola built under Mamluk Sultan [[Al-Mansur Qalawun|al-Mansur Qalawun as-Salihi]] in 1297.<ref name=":5" />

===Al-Baqi in the Ottoman Empire  ===

====First Ottoman period====
In 1517, the first [[Ottoman Empire|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 [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|Prophet's Mosque]]'s modern features were built even though it was not painted green yet.<ref>{{cite book |last=Somel |first=Selcuk Aksin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jGZQL41tg_oC&q=medina+mamluks+ottoman&pg=PA172 |title=Historical Dictionary of the Ottoman Empire |date=13 February 2003 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810866065 |via=Google Books |access-date=5 October 2020 |archive-date=21 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621181432/https://books.google.com/books?id=jGZQL41tg_oC&q=medina+mamluks+ottoman&pg=PA172 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.
====First Saudi insurgency====
As the Ottomans' hold over their domains broke loose, the Madanis pledged alliance to [[Saud Al Kabeer bin Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Faisal Al Saud|Saud bin Abdulaziz]], founder of the [[First Saudi dynasty|First Saudi state]] in 1805, who quickly took over the city. In 1811, [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt]], Ottoman commander and [[Wali (administrative title)|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 of Egypt|Ibrahim Pasha]], succeeded after battling a fierce resistance movement.<ref name=":5" />

====Muhammad Ali's era====
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 centre (taqiyya) to distribute food and alms to the needy and Medina lived a period of security and peace.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} In 1840, Muhammad moved his troops out of the city and officially handed the city to the central Ottoman command.<ref name=":5" />

====Second Ottoman period====
[[File:Wadi Rum railway track, Hejaz railway, Jordan.jpg|thumb|The [[Hejaz railway]] track near [[Wadi Rum]] in [[Jordan]]. Jordan uses the railway today for transporting [[phosphate]].]][[File:Sacred Relics Train.jpg|thumb|The train which [[Fakhri Pasha]] used to transport the [[Sacred Relics (Topkapı Palace)|Sacred Relics]] from Medina to [[Istanbul]].]]

Four years in 1844, after Muhammad Ali's departure, [[Davud Pasha (governor of Medina)|Davud Pasha]] was given the position of governor of Medina under the Ottoman sultan.<ref name=":5" /> Davud was responsible for renovating the Prophet's Mosque on Sultan [[Abdulmejid I]]'s orders.<ref name=":5" /> 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 station|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.<ref name=":5" /> Built between 1904 and 1908, the railway aimed to facilitate the pilgrimage journey and strengthen Ottoman control over the region.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title= Medina: Meaning, Name, Islam, Map, Importance, & History |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]] (online version) |date= 2025-02-23 |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Medina-Saudi-Arabia?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date= 2025-04-04}}</ref> Within one decade, the population of the city multiplied by leaps and bounds and reached 80,000.<ref name=":5" /> Around this time, Medina started falling prey to a new threat, the [[Hashemite]] [[Sharifate of Mecca]] in the south. Medina witnessed [[Siege of Medina |the longest siege]] in its history [[Arab Revolt |during]] and after [[World War I]].<ref name=":5" />

===Modern history===
====Sharifate of Mecca and Saudi conquest====
The Sharif of Mecca, [[Sharif Husayn|Husayn ibn Ali]], first attacked Medina on 6 June 1916, in the middle of [[World War I]].<ref name=":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]].<ref name=":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.<ref name=":5" /><ref>Peters, Francis (1994). ''Mecca: A Literary History of the Muslim Holy Land''. PP376-377. Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|0-691-03267-X}}</ref> Husayn largely won the war due to his alliance with the [[British Empire|British]]. In anticipation of the plunder and destruction to follow, Fakhri Pasha secretly dispatched the [[Relics of Muhammad|Sacred Relics of Muhammad]] to the Ottoman capital, [[Istanbul]].<ref>Mohmed Reda Bhacker (1992). ''Trade and Empire in Muscat and Zanzibar: Roots of British Domination''. Routledge Chapman & Hall. P63: Following the plunder of Medina in 1810 'when the Prophet's tomb was opened and its jewels and relics sold and distributed among the Wahhabi soldiery'. P122: the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II was at last moved to act against such outrage.</ref> As of 1920, the [[British people|British]] described Medina as "much more self-supporting than Mecca."<ref name="Prothero103">{{cite book |last=Prothero |first=G.W. |url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11767/view/1/103/ |title=Arabia |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |year=1920 |location=London |page=103 |access-date=12 September 2013 |archive-date=22 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622165406/https://www.wdl.org/en/item/11767/view/1/103/ |url-status=live}}</ref> After the Great War, the Sharif of Mecca, [[Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca|Sayyid Hussein bin Ali]] was proclaimed King of an independent [[Kingdom of Hejaz|Hejaz]]. Soon after, the people of Medina secretly entered an agreement with [[Ibn Saud]] in 1924, and his son, Prince [[Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud|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 [[Saudi Arabia|Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]].<ref name=":5" />

====Under the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia====
The [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]] focused more on the expansion of the city and the demolition of former sites that according to them violated [[Fiqh|Islamic principles]] and [[Sharia|Islamic law]] such as the [[Demolition of al-Baqi|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 [[Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām|Masjid Al-Ḥarām]], is equipped with an underground parking. The old city's walls have been destroyed and replaced with the three [[ring road]]s 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 Airport|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, Saudi Arabia|Tabuk]] in the north and onward, known as the Al Hijrah Highway or Al Hijrah Road, after Muhammad's journey. [[File:Medina from ISS 2017.jpg|thumb|Medina from [[International Space Station]], 2017. Note that North is to the right.]]The old Ottoman railway system was shut down 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 (site)|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 Asia]]n 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 centred on the vastly expanded ''al-Masjid an-Nabawi''.

====Destruction of heritage in Medina====
{{Main|Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia}}

[[Saudi Arabia]] upholds [[Wahhabism]] as its religious ideology,<ref name="Britannica" /> which is hostile to any reverence given to historical or religious places of significance for fear that it may give rise to [[Shirk (Islam)|''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.<ref name="Britannica" /><ref name=":4">{{cite news |last=Howden |first=Daniel |date=6 August 2005 |title=The destruction of Mecca: Saudi hardliners are wiping out their own heritage |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-destruction-of-Mecca-saudi-hardliners-are-wiping-out-their-own-heritage-8023992.html |url-status=live |access-date=17 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004230517/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-destruction-of-mecca-saudi-hardliners-are-wiping-out-their-own-heritage-8023992.html |archive-date=4 October 2012}}</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.islamicpluralism.org/764/islamic-heritage-lost-as-Makkah-modernises ''Islamic heritage lost as Makkah modernises''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622111459/http://www.islamicpluralism.org/764/islamic-heritage-lost-as-makkah-modernises |date=22 June 2018 }}, Center for Islamic Pluralism</ref> The most famous example of this is the [[demolition of al-Baqi]].<ref name="Britannica" /> 
==Geography==
[[File:جبل أحد - مساء3 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Uhud]] at night. The mountain is currently the highest peak in Medina and stands at {{convert|1,077|m|ft|abbr=on}} of elevation.]]
Medina is located in the [[Hejaz|Hejaz region]] which is a {{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide strip between the [[An Nafud|Nafud]] desert and the [[Red Sea]].<ref name=":5" /> Located approximately {{convert|720|km|mi|abbr=on}} northwest of [[Riyadh]] which is at the centre of the Saudi desert, the city is {{convert|250|km|mi|abbr=on}} away from the [[Red Sea|west coast]] of Saudi Arabia and at an elevation of approximately {{cvt|620|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} [[above sea level]]. It lies at 39º36' longitude east and 24º28' latitude north. It covers an area of about {{cvt|589|km2|sqmi|lk=out|abbr=off|sp=us}}. The city has been divided into twelve districts, 7 of which have been categorised as urban districts, while the other 5 have been categorised as suburban.

===Elevation===
Like most cities in the Hejaz region, Medina is situated at a relatively high elevation. Almost two times as high as Mecca, the city is situated at {{cvt|620|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} above sea level. Mount Uhud is the highest peak in Medina and is {{convert|1,077|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} tall.

===Topography===
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 [[Wareqan Mountain|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 ([[wadi]]s) 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.<ref name=":5" />

===Climate===
Under the [[Köppen climate classification]], Medina falls in a [[Desert climate|hot desert climate]] region '''''(BWh)'''''. Summers are extremely hot and dry with daytime temperatures averaging about {{cvt|43|°C|°F|0}} with nights about {{cvt|29|°C|°F|0}}. Temperatures above {{cvt|45|°C|°F|0}} are not unusual between June and September. Winters are milder, with temperatures from {{cvt|8|°C|°F|0}} at night to {{cvt|25|°C|°F|0}} 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.

{{Weather box
| location = Medina (1991–2020)
| metric first = 1
| single line = 1
| Jan record high C = 33.2
| Feb record high C = 36.6
| Mar record high C = 40.0
| Apr record high C = 43.0
| May record high C = 46.0
| Jun record high C = 48.1
| Jul record high C = 49.0
| Aug record high C = 48.5
| Sep record high C = 46.4
| Oct record high C = 43.5
| Nov record high C = 37.1
| Dec record high C = 33.0
| Jan high C = 24.4
| Feb high C = 27.0
| Mar high C = 30.8
| Apr high C = 35.5
| May high C = 39.7
| Jun high C = 43.0
| Jul high C = 43.0
| Aug high C = 43.8
| Sep high C = 42.3
| Oct high C = 37.3
| Nov high C = 30.4
| Dec high C = 26.0
| Jan mean C = 18.3
| Feb mean C = 20.7
| Mar mean C = 24.4
| Apr mean C = 28.9
| May mean C = 33.3
| Jun mean C = 36.6
| Jul mean C = 36.8
| Aug mean C = 37.4
| Sep mean C = 35.9
| Oct mean C = 30.7
| Nov mean C = 24.3
| Dec mean C = 20.0
| Jan low C = 12.1
| Feb low C = 14.1
| Mar low C = 17.4
| Apr low C = 21.7
| May low C = 25.9
| Jun low C = 29.0
| Jul low C = 29.8
| Aug low C = 30.5
| Sep low C = 28.6
| Oct low C = 23.5
| Nov low C = 18.0
| Dec low C = 14.0
| Jan record low C = 1.0
| Feb record low C = 1.4
| Mar record low C = 7.0
| Apr record low C = 11.5
| May record low C = 14.0
| Jun record low C = 21.7
| Jul record low C = 22.0
| Aug record low C = 23.0
| Sep record low C = 18.2
| Oct record low C = 11.6
| Nov record low C = 5.0
| Dec record low C = 3.0
| Jan precipitation mm = 8.6
| Feb precipitation mm = 3.0
| Mar precipitation mm = 5.3
| Apr precipitation mm = 6.5
| May precipitation mm = 4.5
| Jun precipitation mm = 0.2
| Jul precipitation mm = 1.3
| Aug precipitation mm = 3.9
| Sep precipitation mm = 0.3
| Oct precipitation mm = 5.2
| Nov precipitation mm = 13.9
| Dec precipitation mm = 7.0
|year precipitation mm = 59.7
| precipitation colour = green
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 0.9
| Feb precipitation days = 0.3
| Mar precipitation days = 0.6
| Apr precipitation days = 0.9
| May precipitation days = 0.8
| Jun precipitation days = 0.1
| Jul precipitation days = 0.2
| Aug precipitation days = 0.6
| Sep precipitation days = 0.1
| Oct precipitation days = 0.8
| Nov precipitation days = 1.4
| Dec precipitation days = 0.8
| year precipitation days = 7.4 
| Jan humidity = 38
| Feb humidity = 31
| Mar humidity = 25
| Apr humidity = 32
| May humidity = 17
| Jun humidity = 12
| Jul humidity = 14
| Aug humidity = 16
| Sep humidity = 14
| Oct humidity = 19
| Nov humidity = 32
| Dec humidity = 38
| year humidity =
| Jan sun = 251.1
| Feb sun = 243.0
| Mar sun = 288.3
| Apr sun = 282.0
| May sun = 297.6
| Jun sun = 318.0
| Jul sun = 319.3
| Aug sun = 294.5
| Sep sun = 279.0
| Oct sun = 291.4
| Nov sun = 255.0
| Dec sun = 251.1
| year sun =
|Jand sun = 8.1
|Febd sun = 8.6
|Mard sun = 9.3
|Aprd sun = 9.4
|Mayd sun = 9.6
|Jund sun = 10.6
|Juld sun = 10.3
|Augd sun = 9.5
|Sepd sun = 9.3
|Octd sun = 9.4
|Novd sun = 8.5
|Decd sun = 8.1
|yeard sun = 9.2
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]],<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/SaudiArabia/CSV/Madinah_40430.csv
| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020
| publisher = World Meteorological Organization
| access-date = 2 August 2023
| archive-date = 27 February 2024
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240227050350/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/SaudiArabia/CSV/Madinah_40430.csv
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Jeddah Regional Climate Center<ref name=JRCC>
{{cite web |url=http://jrcc.sa/reports_files/1985_2010Reports/Madinah.RTF |title=Climate Data for Saudi Arabia |publisher=Jeddah Regional Climate Center |access-date=7 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102637/http://jrcc.sa/reports_files/1985_2010Reports/Madinah.RTF |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
| source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (sunshine hours, 1999–2010)<ref name="DWD">{{cite web |url=http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_404300_kt.pdf |title=Klimatafel von Medina (al-Madinah) / Saudi-Arabien |work=Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world |publisher=Deutscher Wetterdienst |language=de |access-date=25 January 2016}}</ref>
| source =
}}

==Significance in Islam==
{{Main|First Islamic state}}

[[File:Masjid Al-Ghamamah (Umroh Ramadhan 2023)-6.jpg|thumb|[[Mosque of Al-Ghamama]], dates to 712 AD]]

Medina's importance as a religious site derives from the presence of two mosques, ''[[Quba Mosque|Masjid Quba'a]]'' and ''[[al-Masjid an-Nabawi]]''. Both of these mosques were built by [[Muhammad]] himself. Islamic scriptures emphasise 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 sura]]s 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: <blockquote>''"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."''</blockquote>

===The Prophet's Mosque (al-Masjid an-Nabawi)===
{{Main|Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|l1 = The Prophet's Mosque}}

According to [[Islamic traditional|Islamic tradition]], a prayer in The Prophet's Mosque equates to 1,000 prayers in any other mosque except the [[Masjid Al Haram|''Masjid al-Haram'']]<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj al-Qushayrī, approximately 821–875 |title=Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim : with the full commentary by Imam al-Nawawi, Volume two |others=Nawawī, 1233–1277, Salahi, M. A. |date=8 October 2019 |isbn=978-0-86037-767-2 |location=London |oclc=1151770048 }}</ref> where one prayer equates to 100,000 prayers in any other mosque.<ref name=":0" /> 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 [[Muhammad's wives|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|Abu Bakr al-Siddiq]] and [[Umar|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. [[File:Madina Haram at evening.jpg|centre|thumb|1129x1129px|Panoramic view of the Prophet's Mosque, from the east at sunset.]]

===Quba'a Mosque===
{{Main|Quba Mosque|l1 = Quba'a Mosque}}

[[File:Quba Mosque Foyer.jpg|thumb|[[Quba Mosque]] interior]]
It is [[Sunnah]] to perform [[Sunnah prayer|prayer]] at the Quba'a Mosque. According to a ''[[hadith]]'', Sahl ibn Hunayf reported that Muhammad said, <blockquote>''"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."''<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /></blockquote> and in another narration,<blockquote>''"Whoever goes out until he comes to this mosque – meaning the Mosque of Quba' – and prays there, that will be equivalent to 'Umrah."''<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>It has been recorded by [[Muhammad al-Bukhari|al-Bukhari]] and [[Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj|Muslim]] that Muhammad used to go to Quba'a every Saturday to offer two [[Rakat|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===

====Masjid al-Qiblatayn====
{{Main|Masjid al-Qiblatayn}}

[[File:Mihrab of Masjid al-Qiblatayn Interior.jpg|thumb|Mihrab of [[Masjid al-Qiblatayn]]]]
''Masjid al-Qiblatayn'' (Mosque of the Two Qiblas) 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.dawntravels.com/performing-hajj-umrah/ |title=Place Pilgrims Visit During or After Performing Hajj / Umrah |publisher=Dawntravels.com |access-date=2 September 2014 |archive-date=5 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205125141/http://blog.dawntravels.com/performing-hajj-umrah/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The mosque is currently being expanded to be able to hold more than 4,000 worshippers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://muslim.sg/articles/11-places-to-visit-in-madinah?type=articles |title=10 Places To Visit in Madinah |website=muslim.sg |access-date=2019-12-10 |archive-date=2 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102060902/https://muslim.sg/articles/11-places-to-visit-in-madinah?type=articles |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Masjid al-Fath and the Seven Mosques====
{{Main|The Seven Mosques}}

Three of these historic six mosques were combined recently into the larger Masjid al-Fath with an open courtyard.<ref name=":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====
{{Main|Al-Baqi Cemetery}}

{{See also|Demolition of al-Baqi|label 1=Demolition of al-Baqi'}}
[[Al-Baqi']] is a significant cemetery in Medina where several [[Banu Hashim|family members of Muhammad]], [[Caliphate|caliphs]] and [[Ulama|scholars]] are known to have been buried.<ref name=":5" />

===In Islamic eschatology===
{{Main|Islamic eschatology}}

====End of civilisation====
Concerning the end of civilisation in Medina, [[Abu Hurairah]] is [[Hadith|recorded to have said]] that Muhammad said:<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Bukhārī, Muḥammad ibn Ismāʻīl, 810–870. |title=Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī=The translation of the meanings of Ṣaḥīḥ AL-Buk̲h̲ārī : Arabic-English |last2=بخاري، محمد بن اسماعيل،, 810–870. |year=1987 |orig-year=1984 |publisher=Kitab Bhavan |others=Khan, Muhammad Muhsin. |isbn=81-7151-013-2 |edition=Rev. |location=New Delhi |oclc=55626415 }}</ref><blockquote>"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."<ref name=":2" /> (al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith 98)</blockquote>Sufyan ibn Abu Zuhair said Muhammad said:<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>"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."<ref name=":2" /> (al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith 99)</blockquote>

====Protection from plague and ad-Dajjal (the False Messiah)====
{{Main|Al-Masih ad-Dajjal}}

With regards to Medina's protection from plague and ad-Dajjal, the following ''ahadith'' were recorded:

by [[Nufay ibn al-Harith|Abu Bakra]]:<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>"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."<ref name=":2" /> (al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith 103)</blockquote>by Abu Hurairah:<blockquote>"There are angels guarding the entrances (or roads) of Medina, neither plague nor Ad-Dajjal will be able to enter it."<ref name=":2" /> (al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith 104)</blockquote>

==Demographics==
[[File:Medina Age Structure Chart.jpg|thumb|Medina Sex Pyramid Chart as of 2018<ref name="stats.gov.sa">{{cite web |title=Population in Madinah Region According to Gender and Age groups |url=https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/table_1-4_0.xlsx |website=Saudi Census |access-date=6 February 2020 |archive-date=6 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206181911/https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/table_1-4_0.xlsx |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
As of 2018, the recorded population of Medina province was 2,188,138,<ref name="stats.gov.sa"/> with a growth rate of 2.32%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saudi Census Releases |url=https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/13 |website=Saudi Census |date=17 December 2015 |access-date=6 February 2020 |archive-date=7 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907075332/https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/13 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 [[Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud|Prince Khalid bin Faisal]] stated that the numbers of illegal staying visitors dropped by 29% in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Al-Faisal : The Number of Illegal Staying Visitors have Dropped by 29%(Arabic) |url=https://sabq.org/P4TyhH |website=Sabq Newspaper |date=13 August 2019 |access-date=13 August 2019 |archive-date=15 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815040400/https://sabq.org/P4TyhH |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Religion===
As with most cities in Saudi Arabia, Islam is the religion followed by the majority of the population of Medina.

[[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]] of different schools ([[Hanafi]], [[Maliki]], [[Shafi'i]] and [[Hanbali]]) constitute the majority, while there is a significant [[Shia Islam|Shia]] minority in and around Medina, such as the [[Nakhawila]]. Outside the [[Haram (site)|haram]], there are significant numbers of Non-Muslim migrant workers and expats.

==Culture==
Similar to that of [[Mecca]], Medina exhibits a [[World culture|cross-cultural]] environment, a city where people of many [[Nationality|nationalities]] and [[culture]]s 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Publications of King Fahd Complex (Arabic) |url=https://qurancomplex.gov.sa/kfgqpc/statist/ |access-date=10 February 2020 |website=King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran |archive-date=13 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513044329/https://qurancomplex.gov.sa/kfgqpc/statist/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite web |title=About King Fahd Complex |url=https://qurancomplex.gov.sa/kfgqpc/about/ |access-date=10 February 2020 |website=King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran |archive-date=13 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513041538/https://qurancomplex.gov.sa/kfgqpc/about/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Every visitor is gifted a free copy of the Qur'an at the end of a tour of the facility.<ref name=":6" />

===Museums and arts===
[[Al-Madinah Museum|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Al Madinah Museum |url=http://sauditourism.sa/en/aboutKSA/CultureAndHistory/Museums/Pages/AlmadinahMuseum.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501211056/https://www.sauditourism.sa/en/aboutKSA/CultureAndHistory/Museums/Pages/AlmadinahMuseum.aspx |archive-date=1 May 2019 |access-date=2019-05-21 |website=sauditourism.sa |language=en-us}}</ref> It also includes the [[Hejaz Railway Museum]]. The Dar Al Madinah Museum opened in 2011 and it uncovers the history of Medina specialising in the architectural and urban heritage of the city.<ref>{{cite web |last=Alhamdan |first=Shahd |date=2016-01-23 |title=Museum offers insight into history of Madinah |url=http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/147128 |access-date=2020-05-09 |website=Saudigazette |language=en |archive-date=6 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206012625/https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/147128 |url-status=live}}</ref> There is no archeology or architecture from the time of Mohammed, except what remains of a few stone defensive towers<ref name=RSEQ>Robert Schick, ''Archaeology and the Quran'', [[Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an]]</ref> The Holy Qur'an Exhibition houses rare manuscripts of the Quran, along with other exhibitions that encircle the Masjid an-Nabawi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Holy Quran Exhibition {{!}} Medina, Saudi Arabia Attractions |url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/saudi-arabia/medina/attractions/holy-quran-exhibition/a/poi-sig/1611055/1341228 |access-date=2020-05-09 |website=Lonely Planet |language=en |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804133829/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/saudi-arabia/medina/attractions/holy-quran-exhibition/a/poi-sig/1611055/1341228 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:Medina_Art_Center.jpg|thumb|right|Madinah Arts Center]]

The Madinah Arts Center, founded in 2018 and operated by the MMDA's Cultural Wing, focuses on [[Modern art|modern]] and [[contemporary art]]s. The centre 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 [[curfew]]s, it held more than 13 group and solo art galleries, along with weekly workshops and discussions. The centre is located in King Fahd Park, close to [[Quba Mosque]] on an area of {{convert|8,200|m2|ft2|abbr=off|sp=us}}<ref>{{cite web |title=MMDA Opens Medina Arts Center (Arabic) |url=https://www.alyaum.com/articles/6042035/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A3%D9%8A-/%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9/%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%B2%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%81%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%B1%D8%A9 |access-date=24 February 2020 |website=Al-Yaum Newspaper |date=17 July 2018 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803214431/https://www.alyaum.com/articles/6042035/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A3%D9%8A-/%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9/%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%B2%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%81%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%B1%D8%A9 |url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Madinah Forum of Arabic Calligraphy (Arabic) |url=https://www.al-madina.com/article/571879 |access-date=24 February 2020 |website=Al-Madina Newspaper |date=May 2018}}</ref> 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 centre 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 organised by the [[Ministry of Culture (Saudi Arabia)|Ministry of Culture]] during the years 2020 and 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prince Mohammed bin Salman Center of Arabic Calligraphy (Arabic) |url=https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewstory.php?lang=ar&newsid=2079635 |access-date=27 April 2020 |website=Saudi Press Agency |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803212302/https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewstory.php?lang=ar&newsid=2079635 |url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=16 Sculptors Participate in Madinah Forum of Live Sculpture (Arabic) |url=https://www.spa.gov.sa/1750319 |access-date=24 February 2020 |website=Saudi Press Agency |archive-date=23 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223222321/https://www.spa.gov.sa/1750319 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Louvre - carreaux ottomans 07.jpg|thumb|upright|Panel representing the Mosque of Medina. Found in [[İznik]], [[Turkey]], 18th century. Composite body, silicate coat, transparent glaze, underglaze painted.]]
[[File:Pano1-1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport]]]]
Historically, Medina's economy was dependent on the sale of [[dates (fruit)|dates]] and other agricultural activities. As of 1920, 139 varieties of dates were being grown in the area, along with other [[vegetable]]s.<ref name=Prothero83>{{cite book |last=Prothero |first=G. W. |title=Arabia |year=1920 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |location=London |page=83 |url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11767/view/1/83/ |access-date=9 September 2013 |archive-date=27 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227051942/https://www.wdl.org/en/item/11767/view/1/83/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[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&nbsp;million annual visitors who come to perform [[Hajj]] during the Hajj season, and [[Umrah]] throughout the year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://haj.gov.sa/ar/InternalPageCategories/Details/49 |title=منصة البيانات المفتوحة |access-date=5 February 2020 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205195331/https://haj.gov.sa/ar/InternalPageCategories/Details/49 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Medina has two industrial areas, the larger one was established in 2003 with a total area of 10,000,000 m<sup>2</sup>, and managed by the [[Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones]] (MODON). It is located {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport|Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport]], and {{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Yanbu Commercial Port]], and has 236 factories, which produce petroleum products, building materials, food products, and many other products.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://modon.gov.sa/ar/Cities/IndustrialCities/Pages/IndustrialCity.aspx?CityId=5ab5a824-f7fc-4658-8d09-b8291cf70412 |title=المدينة الصناعية بالمدينة المنورة |publisher=Modon.gov.sa |date= |accessdate=2022-02-12 |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804003535/https://modon.gov.sa/ar/Cities/IndustrialCities/Pages/IndustrialCity.aspx?CityId=5ab5a824-f7fc-4658-8d09-b8291cf70412 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Knowledge Economic City, Medina|Knowledge Economic City (KEC)]] is a Saudi Arabian [[joint stock company]] founded in 2010. It focuses on [[real estate development]] and knowledge-based industries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://madinahkec.com/en/background/ |title=Background |access-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205200832/https://madinahkec.com/en/background/ |archive-date=5 February 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The project is under development and is expected to highly increase the number of jobs in Medina by its completion.<ref>[http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1830/Economic_cities_a_rise.html Economic cities a rise] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924053753/http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1830/Economic_cities_a_rise.html |date=24 September 2009 }}</ref>

==Human resources==

===Education and scholarly activity===

====Primary and secondary education====
The Ministry of Education is the governing body of education in the [[Madinah Province|al-Madinah Province]] and it operates 724 and 773 public schools for boys and girls respectively throughout the province.<ref>{{cite web |title=Number of Schools in Medina (Arabic) |url=https://edu.moe.gov.sa/Madinah/About/Pages/Statistics.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205210834/https://edu.moe.gov.sa/Madinah/About/Pages/Statistics.aspx |archive-date=5 February 2020 |access-date=5 February 2020 |website=Madinah General Administration of Education}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Taibah High School (Arabic) |url=https://www.al-madina.com/article/13791/%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%A1-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84 |access-date=5 February 2020 |website=Al-Madina Newspaper |date=4 June 2010 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205210835/https://www.al-madina.com/article/13791/%25D8%25B7%25D9%258A%25D8%25A8%25D8%25A9-%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25AB%25D8%25A7%25D9%2586%25D9%2588%25D9%258A%25D8%25A9-%25D9%2588%25D8%25B4%25D9%258A%25D8%25A1-%25D9%2585%25D9%2586-%25D9%2588%25D9%2581%25D8%25A7%25D8%25A1-%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25A3%25D8%25AC%25D9%258A%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Higher education and research====
[[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.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Taibah University |url=https://www.taibahu.edu.sa/Pages/en/CustomPage.aspx?ID=47 |website=Taibah University |access-date=5 February 2020 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205210835/https://www.taibahu.edu.sa/Pages/en/CustomPage.aspx%3FID%3D47 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Islamic University of Madinah|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]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20171113050828/http://www.saudinf.com/main/j42.htm University of Madinah]}} Saudi Info.</ref> The university offers [[Bachelor of Arts]] degrees and also [[Master's degree|Master's]] and [[Doctorate]] degrees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.4icu.org/reviews/4170.htm |title=University of Madinah |access-date=5 February 2020 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205210843/https://www.4icu.org/reviews/4170.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Islamic University Starts the Admission for Science Programs for the First Time (Arabic) |url=http://www.alriyadh.com/744376 |website=Al-Riyadh Newspaper |access-date=15 November 2017 |archive-date=16 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016120625/http://www.alriyadh.com/744376 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Al-Madinah College of Technology|Al Madinah College of Technology]], which is governed by [[Technical and Vocational Training Corporation|TVTC]], offers a variety of degree programs including [[electrical engineering]], [[mechanical engineering]], computer sciences and electronic sciences.{{Circular reference|date=August 2020}} Private universities at Medina include [[University of Prince Mugrin|University of Prince Muqrin]], the [[Arab Open University]], and Al Rayyan Colleges.

==Transport==

===Air===
{{Main|Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport}}

[[File:Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport at Noon.jpg|thumb|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tavyatirimciiliskileri.com/en-EN/Documents/Dec_2018.pdf |title=TAV Traffic Results 2018 |access-date=6 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713073305/http://www.tavyatirimciiliskileri.com/en-EN/Documents/Dec_2018.pdf |archive-date=13 July 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name="arabian">{{cite web |url=http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/tav-have-constructed-the-world-s-best-airport.html |title=Arabian Aerospace – TAV have constructed the world's best airport |access-date=6 February 2020 |archive-date=6 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206024526/https://www.arabianaerospace.aero/tav-have-constructed-the-world-s-best-airport.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://enr.construction.com/opinions/blogs/criticalpath.asp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=e5d6bf65-a8cc-4d60-b270-dbc0dd1a999a&plckPostId=Blog:e5d6bf65-a8cc-4d60-b270-dbc0dd1a999aPost:25bc7b33-a207-4924-b584-145500911967&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest |title=ENR Announces Winners of 3rd Annual Global Best Projects Competition |access-date=25 October 2017 |archive-date=28 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928233056/http://enr.construction.com/opinions/blogs/criticalpath.asp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=e5d6bf65-a8cc-4d60-b270-dbc0dd1a999a&plckPostId=Blog%3ae5d6bf65-a8cc-4d60-b270-dbc0dd1a999aPost%3a25bc7b33-a207-4924-b584-145500911967&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest |url-status=live}}</ref> The airport also received the first [[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]] (LEED) Gold certificate in the [[MENA]] region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tibahairports.com/en-EN/pressroom/Pages/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?pid=17 |title=PressReleaseDetail |access-date=25 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630023423/http://www.tibahairports.com/en-EN/pressroom/Pages/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?pid=17 |archive-date=30 June 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The airport receives higher numbers of passengers during the [[Hajj]]. [[File:Medina Buses Salam Road Stop.jpg|thumb|A government-run bus in Medina at Salam Rd. Station]]

===Roads===
In 2015, the [[Al Madinah Region Development Authority|MMDA]] announced Darb as-Sunnah (Sunnah Path) Project, which aims to develop and transform the {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on}} 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Darb Al-Sunnah Project (Arabic) |url=https://www.al-madina.com/article/401608 |access-date=9 September 2015 |website=Al-Madinah Newspaper |date=9 September 2015 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803201415/https://www.al-madina.com/article/401608 |url-status=live}}</ref>

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, Saudi Arabia|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 Region|Al Qassim]] in the east. The city is served by three [[ring road]]s: King Faisal Road, a 5&nbsp;km ring road that surrounds [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi]] and the downtown area, King Abdullah Road, a 27&nbsp;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&nbsp;km of roads.

===Bus and rapid transit===
[[File:Haramain High Speed Railway Station in Medina.jpg|thumb|[[Haramain high-speed railway]] station at Medina]]
The bus transport system in Medina was established in 2012 by the [[Al Madinah Region Development Authority|MMDA]] and is operated by SAPTCO. The newly established bus system includes 10 lines connecting different regions of the city to [[al-Masjid an-Nabawi|Masjid an-Nabawi]] and the downtown area, and serves around 20,000 passengers on a daily basis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Madina Buses Official (Arabic) |url=https://madinabuses.mda.gov.sa |website=Madina Buses Official Website |access-date=21 April 2022 |archive-date=3 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603050406/https://madinabuses.mda.gov.sa/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Medina Buses Serves 20k Passengers Daily (Arabic) |url=https://makkahnewspaper.com/article/1103561/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF/20-%D8%A3%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9 |website=Makkah Newspaper |date=19 May 2019 |access-date=19 May 2019 |archive-date=6 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206010400/https://makkahnewspaper.com/article/1103561/%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25A8%25D9%2584%25D8%25AF/20-%25D8%25A3%25D9%2584-%25D9%2585%25D8%25B3%25D8%25AA%25D9%258A%25D8%25AF-%25D9%258A%25D9%2588%25D9%2585%25D9%258A%25D8%25A7-%25D9%2585%25D9%2586-%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D9%2586%25D9%2582%25D9%2584-%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25AA%25D8%25B1%25D8%25AF%25D8%25AF%25D9%258A-%25D8%25A8%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D9%2585%25D8%25AF%25D9%258A%25D9%2586%25D8%25A9 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, the [[Al Madinah Region Development Authority|MMDA]] launched the Madinah Sightseeing Bus service. [[Open top bus]]es take passengers on sightseeing trips throughout the day with two lines and 11 destinations, including Masjid an-Nabawi, [[Quba Mosque|Quba'a Mosque]] and [[Masjid al-Qiblatayn]] and offers audio tour guidance with eight different languages.<ref>{{cite web |title=City Sightseeing Medina |url=http://csmadinah.com/en/ |website=City Sightseeing Medina Official Website |access-date=6 February 2020 |archive-date=6 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206010401/http://csmadinah.com/en/ |url-status=live}}</ref> By the end of 2019, the [[Al Madinah Region Development Authority|MMDA]] announced its plan to expand the bus network with 15 [[Bus rapid transit|BRT]] lines. The project was set to be done in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=36 Months to Create 15 Bus Lines in Medina (Arabic) |url=https://www.alwatan.com.sa/article/1032422/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/36-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A1-15-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9 |website=Al-Watan Newspaper |date=31 December 2019 |access-date=31 December 2019 |archive-date=31 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231155133/https://www.alwatan.com.sa/article/1032422/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/36-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A1-15-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, the [[Al Madinah Region Development Authority|MMDA]] announced a three-line [[Medina Metro|metro]] project in extension to the public transportation master plan in Medina.<ref>{{cite web |title=MMDA Announces a 3-line Metro Project in Medina(Arabic) |url=https://aawsat.com/home/article/326216/%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B0-3-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%B7-%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88-%D9%88200-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA |website=Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper |access-date=5 February 2020 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205221221/https://aawsat.com/home/article/326216/%25D9%2587%25D9%258A%25D8%25A6%25D8%25A9-%25D8%25AA%25D8%25B7%25D9%2588%25D9%258A%25D8%25B1-%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D9%2585%25D8%25AF%25D9%258A%25D9%2586%25D8%25A9-%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D9%2585%25D9%2586%25D9%2588%25D8%25B1%25D8%25A9-%25D8%25AA%25D8%25B7%25D8%25B1%25D8%25AD-%25D8%25AA%25D9%2586%25D9%2581%25D9%258A%25D8%25B0-3-%25D8%25AE%25D8%25B7%25D9%2588%25D8%25B7-%25D9%2585%25D8%25AA%25D8%25B1%25D9%2588-%25D9%2588200-%25D9%2585%25D8%25AD%25D8%25B7%25D8%25A9-%25D9%2584%25D9%2584%25D8%25AD%25D8%25A7%25D9%2581%25D9%2584%25D8%25A7%25D8%25AA |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Rail===
{{Main|Haramain High Speed Railway}}

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]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Pictures: Saudi Arabia opens high-speed railway to public |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/pictures-saudi-arabia-opens-high-speed-railway-to-public-1.2289006 |access-date=2019-11-09 |website=gulfnews.com |date=12 October 2018 |language=en |archive-date=4 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904120551/https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/pictures-saudi-arabia-opens-high-speed-railway-to-public-1.2289006 |url-status=live}}</ref> It runs along {{convert|444|km|mi|abbr=off|sp=us}} with a speed of 300&nbsp;km/h, and has an annual capacity of 60&nbsp;million passengers.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Haramain High Speed Rail |url=https://sar.hhr.sa/sites/sro/Pages/en-us/AboutUs/OrganizationalInformation/MissionVision.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205221212/https://sar.hhr.sa/sites/sro/Pages/en-us/AboutUs/OrganizationalInformation/MissionVision.aspx |archive-date=5 February 2020 |access-date=5 February 2020 |website=Official Haramain High Speed Rail Website}}</ref>

{{Collapsible list
 | expand = 
 | framestyle = 
 | titlestyle = 
 | title = Services at Medina station
 | liststyle = 
 | hlist = 
 | bullets = 
 | 1 =    {{anchor|station}}
{{adjacent stations|system=Saudi Arabia Railways
|line=Haramain High Speed Railway|right=King Abdullah Economic City}}
}}

== Notable people ==

* [[Aziz Diya]] (1914–1997), writer

==See also==
{{Portal|Saudi Arabia|Islam
}}
*[[Al Madinah Region Development Authority]]
*[[Rua Al Madinah]]
*[[Rakuba]]
*[[Timeline of Medina#Bibliography|Bibliography of the history of Medina]]
*[[Ubla mountains]]
*[[Timeline of Medina]]

==References==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==

*Badr, Abdulbasit A. (2013). ''Madinah, The Enlightened City: History and Landmarks.'' Medina: Al-Madinah Al Munawwarah Research & Studies Center. {{ISBN|978-603-90414-7-4}}
*[[Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri|Mubarakpuri, Safiur Rahman]] (2004). ''The History of Madinah Munawwarah.'' Riyadh: Darussalam Publishers. {{ISBN|978-996-08921-1-5}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Commons category}}
*{{Wikivoyage inline}}
*{{Cite NIE |wstitle=Medina |year=1905 |short=x}}
*[https://artofhajj.com/en/collections/c012 Medina (online exhibition as part of "Hajj: a cultural history")]

{{Characters and names in the Quran}}
{{Saudi cities}}
{{Al Madinah Province}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Medina|Medina]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Holy cities]]
[[Category:Islamic holy places]]
[[Category:Shia holy cities]]
[[Category:Populated places in Medina Province (Saudi Arabia)]]
[[Category:Provincial capitals of Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Capitals of caliphates]]
[[Category:Historic Jewish communities]]
[[Category:Closed cities]]
[[Category:Cities in Saudi Arabia]]