Masjid al-Qiblatayn

About Masjid al-Qiblatayn

Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia

Masjid al-Qiblatayn, the Mosque of the Two Qiblas, also called Masjid Bani Salima, is a historic mosque on the western edge of Madinah, about five kilometres north-west of the Prophet's Mosque, known for its brilliant white walls, twin domes and twin minarets. It was built by Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'b in the year 2 AH (623 CE) among the homes of the Banu Salima clan of the Ansar. Its name comes from the event recorded in the Quran. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was leading prayer here facing Al-Aqsa in Al-Quds when God's command came to turn the qibla towards the Kaaba in Makkah: "So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque." He turned in the middle of the prayer and the companions turned with him, hence the Mosque of the Two Qiblas. For centuries the mosque kept two mihrabs facing different directions, one of only two mosques in the world known to have done so, and the modern rebuilding preserves a symbolic reminder of the first qibla in its design. The mosque was rebuilt in the Saudi era in a contemporary design drawing on traditional architecture, and it is among the historic mosques most visited by travellers to Madinah.

Where:

Medina, Saudi Arabia