Mecca, Saudi Arabia Often overlooked because of its proximity to the great shrines of Mecca, the Cave of Hira is nevertheless one of the great if underappreciated holy sites of Saudi Arabia. It was in this tiny cave, barely more than a niche on the side of Jabal An-Nur, that the Prophet spent much of his time during his early adult years; and it was here that he received his … [Read more...]
BATTLEFIELDS OF THE PROPHET
Badr & Medina, Saudi Arabia In addition to his role as spiritual leader of the early Muslim community, the Prophet Muhammad served his followers as their military commander as well. This necessity was forced upon him by the myriad foes that constantly threatened the survival of the Muslims, and much of the latter part of his career was spent fighting to unite the tribes … [Read more...]
AL-QUBA MOSQUE (MASJID AL-QUBA)
Medina, Saudi Arabia The Prophet Muhammad spent most of the later years of his life in Medina, at first as an exile and later as a permanent resident. During this period he erected a mosque in Medina so that he and his followers would have a regular place to pray when not in Mecca. This was the Masjid Al-Quba, and it is considered the first mosque ever built, not counting … [Read more...]
AL-NABAWI MOSQUE (MASJID AL-NABAWI)
Medina, Saudi Arabia Medina, Mohammed’s home in exile and the first seat of the Caliphate under the Rashidun, is the second holiest city in Islam. Located north of Mecca in the western desert of the Arabian Peninsula, Medina has become an all-but-mandatory stopover for Muslims making the overland pilgrimage to or from Mecca. In fact a visit to Medina is usually so closely … [Read more...]
AL-HARAM MOSQUE (MASJID AL-HARAM)
Mecca, Saudi Arabia There is no other way to say it – Mecca is the Mecca of all religious pilgrimage destinations. This one-time small trading post, home to an ancient, tiny shrine of the Abrahamic faith, has reigned supreme as the world’s most visited religious site for well over a thousand years. To visit the Grand Mosque of Mecca and the Holy Kaaba at least once in is one … [Read more...]
CASTLES OF EASTERN ARABIA (NAKHAL FORT, EASTERN FORT, MASMAK CASTLE)
Nakhal, Oman; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia The eastern Arabia Peninsula is a land of great contrasts. On the one hand, it is a land of immense oil resources, vast wealth and modern cities. On the other hand, it is the place where true Arabic and Bedouin culture has been longest preserved. Since the time of Mohammed, this region, protected by the Arabian Sea to the … [Read more...]
LAND OF SHEBA
Several Locations, Ethiopia & Yemen Of all of the foreign lands associated with ancient Israel, none are as mysterious or exotic as fabled Sheba. From its location to its people to the numerous legends tying this realm to the Israelites, the riddles of Sheba have been slowly unraveling in the modern nations of Ethiopia and Yemen. From Axum to Ma’rib, stories persist of … [Read more...]
TOMB OF JOB
Salalah, Oman Of all of the lands and places mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, none lie so far off the beaten path as distant Oman. More than a thousand miles away from the Holy Land, across rugged mountains and nearly impassable deserts, Oman lays claim to a site that could be the oldest of the Abrahamic tradition: the homeland of the Prophet Job. Yet for all of its … [Read more...]