Columns marking the boundaries of the Real Mosque of the Prophet

The Prophet Muhammad built the Prophet's Mosque shortly after his migration to Medina in 622-623 AD. The first mosque was a simple structure of approximately 1,000-1,200 m², made of mud walls. Its pillars were made of palm trunks, and its roof was made of palm branches. The boundaries of this first mosque were approximately as follows by the measurements of that time: a length of about 35 meters and a width of about 30 meters. Over time, the Prophet's Mosque has been expanded several times. Each new expansion increased the size of the mosque by a multiple of the previous one. Today, the Prophet's Mosque has become a giant structure exceeding 98,000 m², accommodating hundreds of thousands of people at the same time. Within this giant structure, the boundaries of the first mosque built by the Prophet have become invisible. Some Ottoman and later practitioners, aware of this, have resorted to various methods to mark the original boundaries of the mosque. The column heads or stone markers shown on the map serve this purpose: Visitors can feel that they are within the original area where the Prophet himself prayed and in the area known as the "Garden of Paradise" (Ravza-i Mutahhara) when they remain within these boundary points. [Source: "Mescid-i Nebevî", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/mescid-i-nebevi]