Historic Sites & Ziyarat Guide

Madinah

• Quba Mosque: the first mosque built in Islam. "Whoever purifies himself at home and then prays in Quba Mosque has the reward of an Umrah" (Ibn Majah). Visiting on Saturday is recommended.
• Mount Uhud & the Martyrs' cemetery: site of the Battle of Uhud and the grave of Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, next to the Archers' Hill.
• Masjid al-Qiblatayn: where the Qibla was changed from Jerusalem to the Kaaba.
• Al-Baqi': Madinah's cemetery, resting place of many Companions and Mothers of the Believers.
• The Seven Mosques & the Trench: site of the Battle of the Confederates.

Makkah

• Jabal al-Nour & Cave Hira: where revelation first descended. The climb is demanding; go early.
• Jabal Thawr: the cave where the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr hid during the Hijrah.
• The holy sites: Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat and Jabal al-Rahmah — visitable outside the Hajj season.
• Al-Mu'alla cemetery: resting place of Khadijah, Mother of the Believers.
• Masjid Aisha at Al-Tan'im: the nearest point outside the Haram boundary, where residents of Makkah enter Ihram for Umrah.

Visiting these places for reflection is permissible; avoid acts of worship not reported in the Sunnah (rubbing walls, taking soil).