Saudi Arabia: Over 5m worshippers pray in Islam’s second holiest site in a week

Cairo: The Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second holiest place in the Saudi city of Medina, received 5.1 million worshippers, according to official figures.

The mosque houses Al Rawda Al Sharifa, where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is located.

Last week’s worshippers in the mosque included 259,459 who prayed in Al Rawda Al Sharifa in line with rules that set separate visit schedules for men and women.

Some 135,065 visitors of different nationalities benefited from multilingual communication services in the mosque while 140,822 fast-breaking meals were distributed in designated sites last week, the General Authority for Care of the Prophet’s Mosque Affairs said.

The state news agency added that it provides an integrated network of seamless services for the worshippers.

The new season of Umrah or minor pilgrimage started in Saudi Arabia last month after the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage that around 1.8 million Muslims attended.

As the summer heat intensified, efforts were redoubled to cool temperatures inside the Prophet’s Mosque and its courtyards during the Hajj season. Some 1.3 million pilgrims visited the mosque since the onset of the Hajj season.

After undertaking Umrah rites in the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site in Mecca, many pilgrims would flock to the Prophet’s Mosque to pray and visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa.

The Prophet’s Mosque received 74.5 million worshippers in the first quarter of this year, Saudi figures said.

The cited period covered the holy month of Ramadan, which ended on April 9, when Umrah usually peaks in Saudi Arabia.

More than 280 million Muslims prayed in the Prophet’s Mosque in 2023, according to official figures.