Located 400km north of Makkah, Madinah (Medina) is the second holiest city in Islam. After learning of a plot to kill him, Mohamed (PBUH) and his followers left Makkah and entered Yathrib, which welcomed them. He renamed it Al Madinah.

Pilgrims recreate the Hijrah every year by traveling from Makkah to Madinah, where they pray at some of Islam’s most sacred sites. Al Masjid An Nabawi, a mosque built by The Prophet (PBUH) in 622 CE, is an important place of worship.

Travelers and traders have long journeyed to this bustling port city along the Red Sea. A gateway for millions of Hajj and Umrah performers, Jeddah is automatically on the itineraries of pilgrims who arrive by air and sea.

Start your visit in Al Balad to take in centuries-old architecture, buzzing bazaars and historic monuments. To the north, the Corniche area has sandy beaches, charming shops and the striking King Fahd’s Fountain. It is a popular place for families. Just west of the Jeddah airport lies Masjid Al Rahma, known as the Floating Mosque because it appears to rest on the Red Sea at high tide.

Nestled high in Al Sarawat Mountains east of Makkah, Taif (also written as Ta’if) is a verdant city that abounds with green grass, lush trees and blooming flowers. Cool spring rains and dry mild summers help make Taif a top destination for both foreign visitors and Saudis – including the royal family.

This resort town has a number of inviting attractions. Visit Taif’s rose fields, which produce exquisite rose water and rose oil. Parks and nature reserves are ideal for strolling, picnicking and seeing wildlife. Museums exhibit excellent assortments of artifacts. In the nearby Al Hada region, cable cars stop at Al Kar Tourist Village, known for its water parks.

Aziziyah is a bustling residential and commercial neighborhood within walking distance of Al Masjid Al Haram. It is home to a myriad of restaurants, supermarkets, boutiques and banks, along with schools, shopping centers and corporate offices. The district also has hospitals, clinics and pharmacies. Al Masjid Al Haram Road is the main thoroughfare of this upscale area.

This well-known place of worship that sits on the edge of Mina’s tent city is where Mohamed (PBUH) and many other prophets prayed. Once a modest structure surrounded by a low wall, the mosque has been expanded to accommodate 25,000 pilgrims.

The Kaaba has a long history of being covered and adorned. Tradition says it was either the Prophet Ismail (SAW) or a grandfather of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) who first placed the cloth curtain – called the Kiswa – upon the Ancient House.

Over the centuries, the Kaaba’s coverings have been made in a variety of fabrics and colors. Today, this sacred duty falls to a special government-owned factory in Makkah. A multitude of artisans design, dye, weave, print and embroider the Kiswa. Great care is taken in crafting both its outer black silk curtain and inner green silk lining.

Muslims all over the world revere the revelations, teachings and conquests of Mohamed (PBUH). But who was he? The museum strives to paint a fuller picture of his life with the use of high-tech videos, innovative displays, artifacts and models. With contributions from more than 150 scholars, visitors can be assured of the exhibition’s religious, archaeological and scientific accuracy.

Discover the types of tools Mohamed (PBUH) may have used, the kind of house he may have lived in and examples of clothing from the age of The Prophet (PBUH). Learn about his ancestors, wives, children and descendants. Leave the museum with a broader understanding of The Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his time.

On the northwestern edge of Makkah you’ll find a museum dedicated to treasures from two of Islam’s holiest mosques. Discover how Al Masjid Al Haram (Holy Mosque) in Makkah and Al Masjid An Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque) in Madinah have been transformed over the centuries. Behold artifacts that include a teak staircase from the Kaaba, carved in 1825, and the door of an Ottoman pulpit, a relic from the Prophet’s Mosque that dates to 1590.

Jabal Thawr is one of the mountains that surround the valley where Makkah lies. It was within a cave here that The Prophet (PBUH) and his companion Abu Bakr (RA) hid for three days from the Quraish tribe. To protect the two men, Allah (SWT) had a spider spin a web at the cave’s entrance, preventing their enemies from seeing within and finding them. Thawr Cave has since come to symbolize faith and hope.

This impressive mosque on the road to Taif is an important place for Muslims, especially those who are preparing for Hajj or Umrah. The Prophet (PBUH), after the Battle of Hunaian, stopped at Masjid Al Ji’ranah and entered Ihram here before continuing to the holy city. That is why Ji’ranah Mosque is a popular miqat station, especially for residents of Makkah.