Riyadh - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The King Abdulaziz Foundation launched an interactive documentary map through the Historical Atlas of the Prophet’s Biography project, monitoring the most prominent mosques and historical places where the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed in Medina. The map provides those interested in heritage and visitors with a comprehensive spatial guide that shows the precise geographical distribution of those landmarks within the city’s historic urban scope, allowing the sites to be linked to the events and situations documented in biographical sources. The initiative comes in response to the growing desire of visitors to the city to get to know closely the evidence of Islamic history through the use of modern mapping techniques and geographical data.

​A comprehensive inventory of archaeological sites related to the stations of the Prophet’s biography
​The map includes a wide range of ancient religious landmarks, led by the Al-Fath Mosque on the site of the Trench, the Bani Salamah Mosque known as the Qiblatain Mosque, and the famous Al-Musalla or Al-Ghumama Mosque. The map also covers historical tribal mosques, such as the Bani Haritha Mosque, Bani Haram, Juhayna Mosque, and Bani Zuraiq, in addition to the Al-Saqya and Bani Khudra mosques and other historical sites. This spatial documentation provides reliable scientific and visual material that contributes to preserving the city’s spatial memory, and helps researchers extrapolate the cultural expansion and paths of movement in the first era of Islam accurately and objectively.

​Enriching cultural tourism and the experience of the pilgrims in the city
​This initiative falls within the objectives of the Program for Serving the Guests of God and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, as it contributes directly to enriching the religious and cultural experience of visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque and performers of Umrah. The map opens promising horizons for revitalizing heritage tourism routes, by enabling the visitor to explore the mosques of the Sirah on foot or through specialized guided tours. This cognitive dimension enhances the attractiveness of Medina as a unique tourist and cultural destination, which encourages visitors to explore landmarks outside the central area, and raises the level of guests’ awareness of the depth of the historical legacy extending throughout its various neighborhoods.