Quba Mosque

Quba Mosque is a religious site in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, regarded as the first mosque in Islamic history. Pilgrims and local families come to pray where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) began building soon after reaching the city, and many arrive on foot from the Prophet's Mosque. The usual way to visit is to walk the pedestrian route of about 3 km that links the Prophet's Mosque with Quba, then pray on arrival. The mosque is open throughout the day, there is no need to book, and there is no minimum age. Tradition holds that the Prophet went to Quba on Saturdays, and that he encouraged people to purify themselves at home before praying there, with a reward likened to that of Umrah. The mosque was founded with help from the Emigrants and the Ansar, in the quarter of Bani Amr bin Awf, and the Qur'an describes it as built on righteousness from its earliest day. Over the centuries it has been cared for and enlarged, including by Caliph Othman ibn Affan, Omar bin Abdulaziz and King Fahd bin Abdulaziz. The ongoing King Salman Project is the largest expansion so far, planned to hold 66,000 worshippers while respecting the mosque's historic character.