Prophet's Mosque

The construction of the Prophet's Mosque began shortly after the Prophet Muhammad's migration to Medina in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in the first year of Hijra (622/623 AD). The land where the mosque would be built was near the place where the Prophet's camel knelt during the migration and belonged to two orphans named Sahl and Suhayl. The Prophet offered to buy this land; although the orphans wanted to donate it for the mosque, the Prophet purchased it by paying the price. In the initial construction, the mosque was built on an area of approximately 1,000 m² using mud bricks. Its walls were made of raw stone, its columns from palm trunks, and its roof from palm branches. The mosque initially had three doors: Bab al-Rahma (the Door of Mercy) in the west, Bab al-Jibril (the Door of Gabriel) in the east, and Bab al-Janubi (the Southern Door) in the south. After the qibla was changed from Jerusalem to the Kaaba (2 AH / 624 AD), the southern door was closed and a new door was opened in the northern wall. During the time of the Prophet, there was a section next to the mosque known as "Suffa," which served as a shelter for poor companions. This section is considered the nucleus of the first Islamic educational institution. The mosque was first expanded during the time of the Prophet in the 7th year of Hijra after the conquest of Khaybar. During the time of Umar (17 AH / 638 AD), the mosque underwent its first major expansion; it was widened by 5 meters from the qibla side, 10 meters from the west, and 15 meters from the north, reaching a width of 60 meters and a length of 70 meters. During the time of Uthman (29-30 AH / 649-650 AD), surrounding houses were purchased for a more comprehensive expansion, and stone was used in the structure. The Umayyad Caliph Walid ibn Abd al-Malik expanded the mosque to approximately 7,500 m² between 88-91 AH (706-709 AD) under the supervision of the governor of Medina, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz; during this period, the first minaret, a niche-shaped mihrab, and a balcony were added. The Cell of Happiness was also included in this expansion. The mosque was expanded many times by various caliphs during the Abbasid period and underwent significant repairs and additions during the Mamluk period. During the Ottoman period, the most comprehensive repairs and renovations of the Prophet's Mosque were carried out during the reign of Sultan Abdulmecid Khan (1851-1861). During this period, the mosque was completely rebuilt, resulting in a structure in the neo-Umayyad style. In the Saudi Arabian period, the area of the mosque reached 98,326 m² with major expansions carried out in 1955 and 1984, achieving a capacity for 650,000 people to pray at the same time, including surrounding courtyards. The number of minarets was set at ten, and retractable sunshades were built over the mosque. [Source: "Prophet's Mosque", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/mescid-i-nebevi; Presidency of Religious Affairs, https://www.diyanethaber.com.tr/asr-i-saadetten-gunumuze-mescid-i-nebevi]