The full Arabic name for Medina is Madinat Rasul Allah, meaning ‘City of the Prophet of Allah’, while the short form, ‘Al-Madina’ just means ‘the City’. It is located in the most fertile spot of the Hejaz territory, with a number of streams converging in the area. The city is surrounded by hills and mountains and a large plain extends to the south. The old walls of the city date back to the 12th century and are more than 40 feet high in places. The Egyptian gate, or Bab-al-Salam, is one of four main gates providing entrance to the city, and is particularly noted for its beauty. Suburbs stretch to the south and west outside of the walls, consisting of low-rise houses, gardens and plantations. Eventually, Mohammed led an army of 10,000 men and conquered Mecca on the 10th day of Ramadan in January 630. He became the ruler and Islam was established. Medina is a holy place and most visitors come here on a pilgrimage, either the Hajj or the Umra. It is not a compulsory stop for pilgrims but many like to pay a visit to the tomb of the prophet while they are in Saudi Arabia. There are several other mosques and tombs in the area. The square enclosure was built with palm trunks and mud walls and accessed through three doors. The basic plan has been adopted in the building of other mosques throughout the world. Over the centuries, the mosque has been remodelled and enlarged by the various Islamic rulers. It is now 100 times bigger than the original building and can accommodate more than half a million worshippers. The green Dome of the Prophet is the most striking feature as it rises among the smaller white domes. It is here that the tomb of the prophet Mohammad is located. The small area known as ar-Rawdah an-Nabawiyah extends from the tomb to the pulpit, and this is where pilgrims gather to pray. It is believed that prayers made here are never rejected and one prayer is as good as a thousand made elsewhere. During the Hajj, entrance to ar-Rawdah is not always possible as it can only accommodate a few hundred people. Another interesting site, Baqi is a huge cemetery that is thought to be the largest in the world, and contains the family, grandchildren and more than 20,000 companions of the prophet, as well as many great scholars and residents of Medina. | 
