Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah, Saudi Arabia
This post was updated on October 17, 2025 to improve accuracy and add architectural details.
In 622 CE, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) purchased land from two orphaned brothers, Sahl and Suhayl, and within seven months built a simple mosque: mud-brick walls on stone foundations, a palm-trunk roof, and three doorways measuring roughly 30 by 35 meters. That modest structure has grown into Islam's second holiest site, now accommodating up to one million worshippers and enclosing the Prophet's burial place. The mosque's fifteen-century evolution documents the architectural contributions of successive Islamic dynasties.
Who Built Masjid al-Nabawi and Why?
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself initiated construction upon establishing Madinah as the Muslim community's center. According to historical accounts, his camel Qaswa stopped at this location after walking through the settlement. Though the orphaned landowners offered the plot as a gift, Muhammad insisted on purchasing it fairly, with Abu Ayyub al-Ansari providing the payment.
The original structure served multiple civic functions beyond prayer: community center, administrative hub, educational institution, and judicial court. A raised platform called the minbar (a pulpit used for sermons) became one of its defining features. The northern section included al-Suffah, a covered area where companions without housing could reside and study.
Initially, worshippers faced Jerusalem during prayer. Approximately eighteen months after construction, following Quranic revelation, the qibla (prayer direction) shifted southward toward Makkah, fundamentally reorienting the mosque's layout.
What Makes Masjid al-Nabawi's Architecture Distinctive?
The mosque's current appearance represents fourteen centuries of architectural contributions, with Ottoman-era structures forming the oldest surviving sections. The iconic Green Dome marks the Prophet's tomb location in the southeastern corner. This dome originated as a wooden cupola built in 1279 CE during Mamluk Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun's reign. Initially unpainted, it received white and blue coatings before Sultan Mahmud II had it painted green in 1837.
The mosque features ten minarets rising 104 meters high. Their distinctive design combines square bases, octagonal middle sections, and cylindrical upper portions. Only the Bab as-Salam minaret retains Ottoman construction with its characteristic conical top.
The complex now encompasses over 1.7 million square feet, dramatically expanded from its original 1,050 square meters. The Ottoman prayer hall, topped with approximately 170 domes, remains distinguishable from the gleaming white marble Saudi extensions through its colorful decorations and numerous columns.
How Did Early Caliphs Transform the Original Mosque?
The mosque's first expansion occurred during the Prophet's lifetime following the Battle of Khaybar in 629 CE. The structure grew to roughly 50 by 50 meters with increased roof height and three rows of columns along the western wall.
Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) demolished surrounding houses (preserving only the Prophet's wives' (RA) dwellings) to enable expansion around 639 CE. The enclosure reached approximately 57 by 66 meters, using sun-dried mud bricks and introducing pebbled flooring.
Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (RA) undertook complete reconstruction in 649 CE, creating a rectangular mosque measuring approximately 81 by 63 meters. Stone walls laid in mortar replaced mud brick, while stone columns with iron clamps superseded palm trunks.
What Architectural Innovations Did the Umayyads Introduce?
Between 707 and 710 CE, Umayyad Caliph al-Walid I orchestrated the mosque's most transformative early expansion, measuring approximately 84 by 100 meters upon completion. The project incorporated the Prophet's tomb within the mosque structure, shaping all subsequent expansions.
Al-Walid's builders introduced elements that became hallmarks of Islamic mosque design. They constructed four minarets at the mosque's corners, the first towers specifically built for the call to prayer at this site, standing roughly 8 meters tall. The builders installed the mosque's first permanent mihrab, a concave prayer niche indicating the qibla direction, influenced by Byzantine architectural precedents and adorned with marble, mosaics, and gold leaf.
Coptic and Greek artisans created elaborate mosaic decorations similar to those in Damascus's Umayyad Mosque and Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock. Stone foundations supported a teak roof resting on stone columns, representing substantial material upgrades.
Abbasid Caliph al-Mahdi expanded the mosque northward between 778 and 781 CE, adding approximately twenty doors (eight each on the eastern and western walls, four on the northern wall).
How Did Mamluks and Ottomans Shape the Mosque?
In 1481 CE, lightning struck the mosque, igniting a fire that destroyed significant portions including the wooden dome over the Prophet's tomb. Sultan Ashraf Qaytbay responded with an extensive rebuilding campaign reconstructing the eastern, western, and qibla walls. He replaced much of the dome's wooden structure with brick and covered it with lead plates. This decision inadvertently protected the dome from destruction two centuries later when Wahhabi forces found it too resilient to demolish.
Ottoman control from 1517 until World War I brought substantial architectural investments. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566) rebuilt the eastern and western walls and constructed the northeastern minaret known as al-Suleymaniyya. He installed a new mihrab called al-Ahnaf and placed a steel-covered dome over the Prophet's tomb.
The most comprehensive Ottoman renovation occurred under Sultan Abdulmajid I between 1849 and 1861. This thirteen-year project remodeled virtually the entire mosque while preserving the Prophet's tomb, the three mihrabs, the minbar, and the Suleymaniyya minaret. The prayer hall doubled in width, covered with numerous small domes. Ottoman artisans decorated interiors with Quranic verses and lines from Kasidat al-Burda. The qibla wall received glazed tile covering featuring Quranic calligraphy, while floors were paved with marble and red stone. In 1909, Masjid al-Nabawi became the Arabian Peninsula's first building to receive electric lighting.
How Have Saudi Expansions Modernized the Mosque?
King Abdulaziz Al Saud initiated the first major Saudi expansion in 1951, transforming capacity and infrastructure. Workers demolished structures surrounding the Ottoman prayer hall to create new wings extending eastward and westward with concrete columns supporting pointed arches. The Suleymaniyya and Majidiyya minarets were replaced with two minarets in Mamluk revival style, and two additional minarets rose at the northeastern and northwestern corners.
King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz ordered further expansion in 1973, constructing temporary shelters westward. By 1981, new prayer areas surrounded the older mosque on multiple sides, expanding capacity fivefold.
The 1990s renovation introduced the ten current minarets and extensive technological systems. Twenty-seven retractable domes on the flat roof slide along metal tracks, creating adjustable shade and light wells. Massive umbrella-like canopies in the courtyards fold open for daytime shade and retract at night. Advanced sound systems ensure the adhan (call to prayer) and Quranic recitations reach clearly throughout the complex. Sophisticated climate control maintains comfortable temperatures despite Madinah's desert heat.
What Is Riyad al-Jannah's Spiritual Significance?
Within the Ottoman prayer hall lies Riyad al-Jannah (the Garden of Paradise), the area between the Prophet's minbar and his tomb. Covered with distinctive green carpeting, this space holds special status in Islamic tradition. A hadith attributes to the Prophet (SAW) the statement that this area represents a garden from Paradise itself. Muslims make particular effort to pray voluntary prayers here, and the space becomes densely crowded during pilgrimage seasons.
The Prophet's tomb itself occupies a small chamber approximately 10 by 12 feet in what was originally Aisha's (RA) house. Multiple walls and a decorative covering enclose the chamber, surrounded by an ornate golden grill called the Muwajaha Sharifa. The actual grave sites remain invisible from any vantage point.
How Does Masjid al-Nabawi Serve Contemporary Pilgrims?
While not formally part of Hajj pilgrimage rituals, Masjid al-Nabawi holds profound importance for Muslims worldwide. The Prophet's hadith stating that prayer in his mosque equals one thousand prayers elsewhere (second only to Masjid al-Haram in Makkah) motivates millions of annual visits. Most pilgrims performing Hajj also travel to Madinah, typically before or after formal pilgrimage rituals.
The mosque complex functions as a comprehensive facility serving religious, educational, and social purposes, providing ablution facilities, rest areas, and accommodations. The Islamic University of Madinah, housed within the complex, continues the mosque's fifteen-century tradition as a center for Islamic scholarship.
What Is Masjid al-Nabawi's Enduring Legacy?
Masjid al-Nabawi's transformation from simple palm-trunk structure to sophisticated modern complex documents Islamic civilization's architectural evolution. Each expansion phase (Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluk, Ottoman, and Saudi) left distinctive architectural signatures while respecting the mosque's sacred core.
The mosque's significance extends beyond physical grandeur. It represents Islam's formative period, housing the burial site of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and serving as the location where fundamental Islamic practices were established. For contemporary Muslims, visiting provides tangible connection to prophetic history while experiencing cutting-edge architectural achievements. The Ottoman prayer hall, though surrounded by vast modern extensions, remains the spiritual heart of the complex, demonstrating how sacred architecture adapts to changing requirements while maintaining historical continuity.
Glossary:
Mihrab: A concave niche in a mosque's qibla wall indicating the direction of prayer toward Makkah
Minbar: An elevated platform or pulpit in a mosque from which sermons are delivered
Qibla: The direction Muslims face during prayer, toward the Kaaba in Makkah
Adhan: The Islamic call to prayer proclaimed five times daily
