Historical Mosques to Visit Beyond Makkah and Madinah

The ancient mosques of Saudi Arabia are not only valuable because of their religious value, but they are also precious from an architectural viewpoint. Curious to know what other mosques you can explore in Saudi Arabia, beyond Makkah and Medina? Read on to know more.

We might all know that Makkah and Medina are the heart of the spiritual legacy of Saudi Arabia, but its Islamic heritage goes beyond these holy cities. Upon visiting Saudi Arabia, you will stumble upon several mosques that have a long historical significance. When you look at a beautiful mosque with exquisite architectural details, you may appreciate it, but knowing its historical details adds more meaning to it.

When you go exploring the mosques of the coastal city of Jeddah, or through the ancient trade routes in AlUla, they tell stories of forgotten times and untold architectural excellence. In this guide, we highlight some historical mosques in Saudi Arabia for you to plan your journey accordingly.

Why Explore Historical Mosques Outside the Holy Cities?

Going beyond the holy cities of Makkah and Medina to explore historical mosques will provide you with an opportunity to experience the regional Islamic architecture. Moreover, you can truly notice the architectural details of mosques when the place is not crowded. It is another reason to go beyond the holy cities to explore regional mosques.

Besides, you can feel more connected with the spiritual sense of the people and the country when you explore other mosques outside the mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia. You can also plan for a faith-based itinerary when you explore mosques beyond the holy cities.

Now, let’s look at some of the historical mosques in Saudi Arabia that you can explore.

Notable Historical Mosques to Visit in Saudi Arabia

Being the centre and birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia has several mosques around the country. These are the living testament of early Islamic architectural excellence. Mosques like Al Shafei Mosque, Al Rajhi Mosque, and others are the perfect monuments to understand the Islamic culture.

Al Shafei Mosque - Jeddah

Beyond the Makkah mosque in Saudi Arabia there are several mosques in Saudi Arabia. One of the oldest of them is Al Shafei Mosque in Jeddah. The iconic mosque of Jeddah is considered to be more than 1400 years old. It boasts a traditional rectangular patter design with an open courtyard.

To enhance the look and elegance of the mosque, the minaret has been added later. In the local Muslim community, it is a place of prayer, social gathering and worship. Once you step inside of the mosque, you get to see the intricate details of design. Even though much of the original structure of the mosque has gone through restoration over time, the essence of its historic elegance still remains.

Visiting the iconic mosque brings a feeling serenity inside you. The whitewashed inside walls of the mosque makes you forget of all troubles outside and motivates you to be a part of the spiritual experience of the place.

Al Rajhi Mosque - Riyadh

Now is the time to talk about the largest mosque in Riyadh. The structure and the interior decoration of the mosque serves exactly to the meaning of the name Al-Rajhi Grand Mosque. The mosque was built by the donation of Al Rajhi family and it really gives the feeling of looking at a grand mosque.

It is a place of worship and social events like Eid and other social gathering. Besides, exploring the architectural details of the mosque, you can also be a part of a guided tour of the mosque. You will come to know interesting information about Islam and go inside the mosque to explore different internal sections. Coming here is not all about the mosque itself, you also get to learn about Islam and its significance in modern lifestyle.

Watch live performance of prayer and enrich your experience about Islamic culture while exploring the mosque. Go beyond the mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia and keep Al Rajhi Mosque in your itinerary.

Umar ibn Al-Khattab Mosque - AlUla

Omar ibn Al-Khattab Mosque is located in a historical location. It is believed that where the mosque is built was once the site where the Prophet performed Eid prayer. At the same place Omar ibn Al-Khattab was also present and the mosque was named after him.

After 850 AH the mosque was constructed and in 1411 AH, the mosque was renovated during the reign of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. Besides located on a historic location where the Prophet performed Eid prayers, it is also 133 meters from the Prophet's Mosque Courtyard.

When you visit the mosque, you will see that it consists of a prayer hall in square shape, built with basalt stones. From the inside of the mosque, it is painted with a coating of lime. You can see a large dome covering the entire mosque area. Going inside and looking up to the interior cavity you will see coloured and decorated strips of Qur’anic verse.

It also has a 15 meter long minaret and a balcony at the top, giving the mosque its identity outside the mosques in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Now, let’s take a look at the historical mosques by region.

Table 1: Historical Mosques Across Saudi Arabia

Architectural Styles You’ll Encounter

You might see some common features when going beyond the mosques in Medina, Saudi Arabia. For example:

• Simple prayer halls with open courtyards
• Minarets influenced by regional styles

While some of them might have gone through renovations but still manages to keep the historical elegance of the mosques.

Visitor Etiquette & Dress Code

Planning a tour already? Learn about the common etiquettes before entering into the mosques.

• Wear modest clothes, men should cover their heads and women should cover heat and shoulders.
• Enter the mosque after removing your shoes outside.
• Ask if non-Muslim visitors have any restriction on entering the mosque
• Do not take photos of the mosque or use camera inside the mosque without taking permission upfront

Best Time to Visit Historical Mosques

Now let’s see when you should visit the mosques.

Plan Your Mosque Visits in Saudi Arabia with These Tips

Take a quick look at the following tips before you plan a trip to the country:

• Apply for a Saudi Arabia visa to legally visit the country and explore
• Group historical mosques based on the region and consider the travel time from one mosque to another
• Check the local prayer time before visiting the mosque, it can differ from your local timing
• Respect the rules and regulations of the mosque before visiting
• It would be best if you avoid visiting during the summer and during the festival time. Exploring mosques in the days of summer will be tiresome and festive time won’t give you the opportunity to explore the mosque’s architectural details.

Plan Your Trip to Saudi Arabia

Plan your trip to Saudi Arabia and explore historically significant mosques beyond mosques in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Know the history, and explore the architectural details of the mosques. Also, don’t forget to apply for the Saudi Arabia visa to enter the country legally. However, you will not need a visa, if you are a GCC national. Carry a valid ID or passport to visit the country.

Additional Read: Everything You Need to Know About Saudi eVisa Umrah: Requirements and Tourist Laws.

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