Al Masjid an Nabawi

Medina, Saudi Arabia

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Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, known as the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, ranks as the second holiest site in Islam after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, originally built by Prophet Muhammad in 622 CE upon his migration from Mecca using simple mud-brick walls on land bought from orphans, measuring about 35 by 30 meters with palm trunks for columns and a shaded suffah platform for the poor.

Expanded multiple times—first by Caliph Uthman with stone pillars, then dramatically by Umayyad Caliph al-Walid I adding minarets and enclosing the Prophet's tomb, through Ottoman green dome additions in the 19th century, and vast modern Saudi extensions since 1950s that now cover over 400,000 square meters with air-conditioned halls, 10 minarets up to 105 meters tall, and 27 sliding domes for natural light and ventilation—it centers on the sacred Rawdah garden between the Prophet's mihrab and tomb housing Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and Umar. 

This expansive white marble complex with intricate calligraphy, geometric patterns, and capacity for a million worshippers draws pilgrims for prayers where one equals 1,000 elsewhere, blending humble origins with architectural grandeur amid ongoing expansions.​