| Medina, also Medinat-en-Nabi (Arabic for "City of the Prophet") and Medinat al-rasul Allah ("City of the Apostle of God"), city in western Saudi Arabia, located in the Al Hejaz Province. The city houses the remains of the Prophet Muhammad, who went to Medina from Mecca in 622, an event that marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Medina is consequently one of the most sacred shrines of Islam. It is second only to Mecca among the holy places of Muslim pilgrimage. Muhammads tomb is in the Mosque of the Prophet, located in the eastern section of the city. |
