| Masjid al-Qiblatain | |
|---|---|
Arabic:مسجد القبلتين | |
 Masjid al-Qiblatayn inMedina,Saudi Arabia | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Medina |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
  Shown within Saudi Arabia | |
| Coordinates | 24°29′02.71″N39°34′44.07″E / 24.4840861°N 39.5789083°E /24.4840861; 39.5789083 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Founder | Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'ab |
| Completed |
|
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,000 worshippers |
| Dome | 2 |
| Minaret | 2 |
TheMasjid al-Qiblatayn[a] (Arabic:مسجد القبلتين,lit. 'Mosque of the Two Qiblas'), also speltMasjid al-Qiblatain,[1] is a historicmosque inMedina,Saudi Arabia, located approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) north-west of theProphet's Mosque.
The mosque is believed by Muslims to be the place where the finalIslamic prophet,Muhammad, received the command to change theQibla (direction of prayer) fromJerusalem toMecca. The mosque was built by Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'ab during the year 2 AH (623 CE)[1] and is one of the few mosques in the world to have contained twomihrabs (niches indicating theqibla) in different directions.
The mosque is among the earliest mosques in Medina and was built by Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'ab al-Ansari in the Islamic year 2 AH,[1] and the name of the mosque goes back to the lifetime of Muhammad, when hiscompanions named it after an event that took place on the 15th ofSha'baan the same year, when Muhammad received revelation fromAllah instructing him to take theKaaba as theqibla during theDhuhr prayer, instead ofBaytul Maqdis, which was theMasjid Al Aqsa inJerusalem.[2] He later announced this to his companions inhis own mosque, after which the news began to spread. Many pilgrims who go to Mecca forHajj often visit Medina, where some visit this mosque because of its historical significance.[1]
Indeed, We see you˺O Prophet˺ turning your face towards heaven. Now We will make you turn towards a˺direction of prayer˺ that will please you. So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque˺in Mecca˺—wherever you are, turn your faces towards it. Those who were given the Scripture certainly know this to be the truth from their Lord. And Allah is never unaware of what they do.–Quran 2:144 (translated byMustafa Khattab)[3]
A hadith fromSahih Bukhari[4] says:
Narrated Ibn Umar:While some people were offering Fajr prayer at Quba' (mosque), some-one came to them and said, "Tonight some Qur'anic Verses have been revealed to the Prophet and he has been ordered to face the Kaaba (during prayers), so you too should turn your faces towards it." At that time their faces were towards Shaam (Jerusalem) so they turned towards the Kaaba (at Mecca).
In 1987, during the reign ofKingFahd, the mosque was completely demolished and rebuilt with a modern architectural design, with enlarged prayer areas and new domes andminarets. During the reconstruction the originalmihrab that facedJerusalem was removed, and the mihrab facingMecca was retained and a small marker mihrab was installed in place of the mihrab facingJerusalem, to recall the earlier orientation, positioned beneath a secondaryfalse dome.[5] The Qiblatayn Mosque is among the earliest mosques that date to the time of Muhammad, along with theQuba Mosque andMasjid an-Nabawi,[5] considering that the Great Mosques ofMecca[6][7][8][9] andJerusalem[10][11] are associated with earlier prophets in Islamic tradition.
In efforts to enhance the visitor experience, Masjid al-Qiblatayn is undergoing expansion to accommodate up to 3,000 worshippers[12]
In October 2025, KingSalman bin Abdulaziz issued a directive to keep the Masjid al-Qiblatayn in Medina open 24 hours a day to facilitate continuous access for worshippers and visitors. The decision was part of a broader initiative to improve services at historic mosques in Saudi Arabia.[13][14]
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Career Views and Perspectives | ||
The main prayer hall adopts rigid orthogonal geometry and symmetry which is accentuated by the use of twinminarets and twindomes. Living accommodations for theImam, theMuezzin and the caretaker are discretely grouped in one block to the west of the main structure. The difference in level at the southeast corner of the site has been exploited to incorporate a sub-basement level which serves as theablutions area for worshippers. To the north, where the ground level is lower, the prayer hall is raised one-storey above ground level. Entry to the prayer hall is from the raised courtyard, also to the north, which can be reached by stairs and ramps from the main directions of approach. The prayer hall consists of a series of arches which support barrel-vaults running parallel to the qibla wall. These vaults are interrupted by two domes which establish an axis in the direction of Mecca.[15]
The main dome to the south is raised on a drum of clerestory windows which allow light to filter into the interior directly above the mihrab. The second,false dome is linked to the first by a small cross-vault to symbolise the transition from one qibla to another. Below it, a replica of the mihrab found in the lower chamber of theDome of the Rock in Jerusalem reminds onlookers of the oldest extant mihrab of Islam. Externally, the architectural vocabulary is inspired by traditional elements and motifs in a deliberate effort to offer an authentic image for the historic site.[15] The mosque is located on the north-west of the city of Medina, on Khalid ibn al-Walid Road. The mosque was initially maintained by CaliphUmar ibn al-Khattāb. The last pre-modern renovation was bySuleiman the Magnificent who reconstructed the mosque.
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