Mosque Name: Qiblatain Mosque
Country: Saudi Arabia
City: Medina
Year of construction (AH): 5 AH
Year of construction (AD): 626 AD
GPS: 24°29’2.72”N 39°34’43.17”E
ArchNet: http://archnet.org/sites/580
Gibson Classification: Unknown
Rebuilt facing Mecca: 88 AH & 1987
For a Link to the Qibla Tool Click Here
Description:
Masjid al-Qiblatain (Mosque of the Two Qiblas) is a mosque in Medina that is historically important for Muslims, as it is remembered as the place where a companion leading the prayer was told of the change of qibla. He supposedly did a 180 degree turn and he is said to have been commanded to change the direction of prayer (qibla) from Jerusalem to Mecca. Thus this mosque uniquely contained two prayer niches (mihrabs). This is an important mosque for our study as the original structure was built around 626 AD and further renovations maintained the original two qiblas. In 1987 the mosque was completely renovated, removing the old prayer niche that faced north, but maintaining the one facing Mecca. The mosque has undergone several major reconstructions, the latest being in 1987. Nothing remains of the original mosque, but ’Abdel Wahed el Wakil, an architect, made drawings of the earlier structures before the mosque was torn down and replaced with the new building. When the old mosque was torn down, the foundation stones of the earlier mosque revealed that the original building faced north towards both Petra and Jerusalem which were in almost the same direction. The drawings by ’Abdel Wahed el Wakil were never published.
It is easy to see how the people in Medina assumed that the old mosques faced Jerusalem. But all of the other mosques of the first one hundred years of Islam faced Petra, so we must assume that this mosque originally faced Petra also.
The modern Qiblatain Mosque
Page Discussion
Membership is required to comment. Membership is free of charge and available to everyone over the age of 16. Just click SignUp, or make a comment below. You will need a user name and a password. The system will automatically send a code to your email address. It should arrive in a few minutes. Enter the code, and you are finished.
Members who post adverts or use inappropriate language or make disrespectful comments will have their membership removed and be barred from the site. By becoming a member you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy, Cookies & Ad Policies. Remember that we will never, under any circumstances, sell or give your email address or private information to anyone unless required by law. Please keep your comments on topic. Thanks!