The Holy city of Medina

Second holiest city in Islam. The prophet Mohammed is buried there (under the green dome, where his home once stood). An ancient city on the spice and incence trade route (classical name: Yathrib). The first capital of Islam, a cosmopolitan melting pot and for long periods a centre for learning. An agricultural centre famous for it's dates and herbs (especially mint).

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/oldphotomosquegreenery.jpg
turn of the century photo showing the roof of prophet's mosque and the palm fields surrounding the city

Today it has a population of 850,000. The centre of the city is being redeveloped as part of prophet's mosque expansion project (1988-1995)

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/expannab.jpg
Expansion of the mosque through the years

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/satphoto.jpg
Sat. photo showing the mosque and the redeveloped city centre

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Skyline photos:

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/nabwi-full_b1.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/nabwi-full_b2.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/21.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/medina.jpeg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/haremoncephe3.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/hadra1.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/haramlookingsouthwest.jpg

other photos:

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/SAU-Medina-webshotshajj20011.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/Madinah15.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/Madinah4.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/Madinah-22.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/construction.jpg

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/quba1.jpg
Quba mosque

Wow, how tall is it?

The minarets are 115m tall.
The mosque covers 400,000 sq. m. and can accomodate up to 1.25 million worshippers (and it does get filled to capacity during the seasons).

Stunning. An incredible mosque, and some suprisingly tall buildings as well. The night shots are amazing with all the spotlights looking down on the sqaure.

the mosque is really impressive,





but the city has no skyline.... I heard of some construction activities in this city (they are building like 25~30 hotels in this city, is this true??)

awesome picture!

nice mosque

7.5/10 ! :)

i do not see any notable modern scraper here but the city does not need one. the skyline it has is stunning! i love it. the architecture is cool. :cheers: i'm tempted to give it a perfect ten.

but it has a potential. i'd give 8.0/10.0 +.5 because it's picturesque etc.

Great Skyline a few features
But no Sky scapers So really no vote

This city capture me not by the modernity but, by its beautiful historial architecture. Very extravagantly build mosques, but buildings and skyscrapers are hard to find, almost none. 6.5/10

Awesome pics !! Suprise

For the city : 8/10

5.5/10 where is the skyline? i give it that for the skyline. however if said rate the city, i'd give it something higher

4.5/10

the mosque is amazing

really amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some photos Baqthier took:

Originally posted by baqthier

Here are some pics I took in February 2003. I have posted them before ;)

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/2/9masjidmadinah1.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9people.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9dscf0118-med.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9md9-med.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9md6-med.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9md8.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9md2-med.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9md1-med.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9dscf0038-med.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9dscf0071-med.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/9dscf0036-med.jpg

i give 5/10.... since there is no skyline at all..

Holy it may be, but theres nothing I can see (except a lovely mosque)....

4/10.

How do you guys define a skyline? Is it just pure height? 'coz then Medina (and every other Saudi city) doesn't stand a chance. The height limit in central Medina is 16 storeys.

To me, a skyline rating is a rating of the general view of the city: How nice is the view from your balcony or an observation deck. An assessment of its aesthetic qualities, so to speak.

I don't know about you guys, but this view is nothing short of majestic to me:

http://personal.ak9819962.com/imgbin/Medina/haremoncephe3.jpg

5.5

The Mosque is nice and all but what else?

5/10

6

4.5/10

7.5/10

5.5/10 - because of the minarets...

Nothing special. I give it a 5.5/10.

Supposedly nothing special, but they present these belief beautifully

7,5/10

Skyscraper rating: 3.5/10

6/10

6/10

6/10

6/10:)

5/10

Nice 7.5/10 ;)

6.5/10

6/10 - nice city and modern buildings, but no clearly defined skyline.

4/10

5.5/10. skyline isnt as good as Jeddah. but holy :D

is there any 'far' photos??

7.5/10

7/10

Cool 6/10

7/10

There's not a single pic- so I can't rate the city

7/10

7/10

7/10

7/10

6/10

6/10

see no pic

i don't see anything.

9/10

:redx:

10/10

6/10

4,5/10

7/10

7/10

3/10

4/10

4.5/10

:redx: :(

10/10

excellent city