Travel to Medina (… Madinah) is a city in Saudi Arabia, to the north of Mecca.Medina is the second holiest city of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad migrated to Medina from Mecca, and taught there for some years before his triumphant return to Mecca. The city is commonly visited as part of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage. The Prophet built the first state or government in this city. Islamic Political Model i.e (Caliphate or Khilafat), Islamic Economic Model (interest-free, commodity currency i.e. gold and silver coins based system, an alternative to capitalism and socialism) were being implemented for the first time over here.The city of Medinah is also home to the Prophet Muhammad’s final resting place.
The green dome is the destination of millions every year, since 1440 years. It also has multiple holy sites besides the dome, like Jannat Al Baqee, Uhud Mountain, Masjid Ghamama, Masjid Qiblatain, that Muslims visit due to their association with the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. The city full name is “Al Madinah Al Monawarah” which mean the lighting city or the city of light , that name was given to the city after the prophet migrating in 621 a.d.
The old name for the city is “Yathreb”Medina has a hot desert climate, influenced by its altitude (600m or 1960ft). Winters are colder than the holiest city in Islam, Mecca 400km to the south and the average daytime temperature is 18C (64 F). Nighttime lows are around 12C (53 F), while occasional surges of cold air from the north can lower temperatures to 5C (42 F), but long, very cool periods like this are rare. The lowest recorded temperature is 1C (33 F). Summers are shorter than Mecca, but hotter as the average daytime temperature in August is 37C (98 F), while Mecca’s is 36C (97 F).
Afternoon highs can reach 44C (111 F) and the record high is 49C (120 F).For pilgrims, the most common route is to arrive in Jeddah by plane, and get on a special pilgrims’ bus to Mecca and Medina, and come back to fly home in a couple of weeks. However, Medina’s Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport (IATA: MED) fields an increasing number of direct flights from around the Middle East, and the airport is accessible to non-Muslims. Keep in mind that this is a very small airport, and not really designed to cope with the large numbers now passing through it. So expect a crush at the baggage carousels. And expect a free-for-all in the check-in areas, where queuing seems to be (literally) a foreign concept.SCAM ALERT: As you leave the secure area of the Medina airport and into the arrivals hall, if you look like a well-to-do visitor from a wealthier country, you will be approached by a confident and well-spoken man demanding to see your passport. This person is NOT an airport or government official, but is actually working for a local taxi company and you should demand to see ID if anyone asks for your passport. If you do give him your passport, he will then ask you to follow him to a desk where it will be handed over to someone who will pretend to be scrutinising it carefully for a while and then tell you to follow one of his colleagues to the taxi rank where you will certainly be hideously overcharged for your journey into central Medina. There are standard set prices for taxi journeys from the airport into central Medina, as set by the government, and these will be listed on signs in the car park area. Do not be tricked into paying over the odds.The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) runs to and from luxurious buses several times daily from most parts of the country at cheap rates. There are also privately run buses. The SAPTCO terminal is off-limits to non-Muslims.The Haramain High Speed Railway, which links Medina with Jeddah and Mecca, opened in 2018. The Medina station is located outside the city limits, and is open to all.You can use buses from the airport to the city downtown and from their to nearly 10 bus stop around the city, also you can use Uber and Careem ( the Uber competitor in Medial East and North Africa). the u can find Taxi Services in the airport, Malls and Hotels.Since it is visited only by Muslims, for religious purpose, the main thing to see is the Masjid Nabawi or the Prophet’s Mosque where devout Muslims offer prayers. Men are allowed to visit the actual burial site of the Prophet and pay respects throughout the opening hours of the mosque, which used to close for the night at around 10PM but has since become 24/7. Women may visit only after the Fajr or dawn and Duhr or afternoon prayers, when they are taken there in groups according to their countries.In fact most of the things to be done or seen are around this grand mosque which is at the city centre. Adjacent to the mosque is Jannatul Baqi, a huge graveyard, where most family members and companions of the Prophet are buried. Other things to be seen ,a little away from the city,are the plains and mountain of Uhud where the battle took place. There is also the burial ground of the 70 martyrs of this battle including the Prophet’s uncle Hamza who is considered one of the greatest martyrs of all time. Further away is the Masjid Qiblatayen where the Prophet was ordered by Allah to turn his face from Masjid Aqsa in Jerusalem to the Kaaba in Makkah while offering prayers

Airport: MED Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport Cities in Saudi Arabia

Country: Saudi Arabia