Perched upon a dark volcanic basalt ridge of the Harrat al-Wabarah lava field on the northwestern edge of Medina, overlooking the historic dry riverbed of Wadi al-Aqiq, Masjid al-Qiblatayn (known in English as the Mosque of the Two Qiblas) gleams in brilliant white against the rugged Hejazi landscape. Alongside the Prophet's Mosque (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) at the heart of the city and Quba Mosque to the south, it stands as one of the three oldest and most spiritually resonant sanctuaries in Medina, directly tied to the defining moment that established the independent ritual orientation of early Islam. Its Arabic title, Masjid al-Qiblatayn, commemorates an extraordinary historical event in the second year of the Hijri calendar (early 624 CE): right in the middle of a congregational prayer service, divine revelation in the Quran commanded the worshippers to pivot 180 degrees from the direction of Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) in the north toward the Sacred Kaaba at Masjid al-Haram in Mecca in the south.
For more than fourteen centuries, Masjid al-Qiblatayn has occupied a singular place in Islamic architectural and liturgical memory. Whereas every other mosque on earth is organized around a single directional axis pointing toward Mecca, this ancient sanctuary of the Banu Salamah clan uniquely preserved the physical memory of two sacred axes linking the Abrahamic monotheistic traditions under one roof through two opposing directional prayer niches (Mihrabs) set into its northern and southern walls. Today, following its celebrated architectural reconstruction completed in 1987 by the master Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, the mosque continues to express the symbolism of the two Qiblas through two domes aligned along its north-to-south axis: a lofty main dome illuminated by clerestory windows over the southern Mecca-facing Mihrab, and a slightly lower blind dome marking the historical northern prayer direction toward Jerusalem.
IThe Revelation of Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144, the 180-Degree Mid-Prayer Pivot of 624 CE, and the Balanced Middle Community
In Islamic devotion, Masjid al-Qiblatayn is a house of worship dedicated to Almighty God (Allah) that embodies the theology of sacred directionality (Qibla). When the neighborhood prayer house of the Banu Salamah clan was first built in 623 CE (2 AH), and throughout the first sixteen or seventeen months following the Prophet Muhammad's migration (Hijrah) from Mecca to Medina, the entire Muslim community performed the five obligatory daily prayers (Salah) facing northward toward the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis or Al-Quds). This initial orientation toward Jerusalem underscored the unbroken spiritual continuity between the message of Islam and the lineage of biblical prophets descending from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Yet deep within the hearts of the Prophet Muhammad and the Meccan emigrants (Muhajirun), the primordial sanctuary of the Kaaba in Mecca, which the Quran affirms was raised by the patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim) and his eldest son Ishmael (Isma'il) as the very first house of pure monotheistic worship appointed for humankind, remained their cherished spiritual cradle. For months in Medina, the Prophet frequently turned his gaze upward toward the heavens in silent longing and prayer, awaiting a divine decree that would reunite the community with the original Abrahamic Qibla.
That silent supplication was answered in mid-Rajab or mid-Sha'ban of the second year of the Hijrah (early 624 CE, roughly two months before the Battle of Badr) through the revelation of Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2, Verse 144 of the Quran: We have certainly seen the turning of your face, O Muhammad, toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a direction of prayer (Qibla) with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram). And wherever you believers may be, turn your faces toward it.
Spanning verses 142 through 150 of Surah Al-Baqarah, the Quranic discourse elevates the change of the Qibla (Tahwil al-Qiblah) into a profound statement of cosmology and communal identity. Verse 142 proclaims: To Allah belong both the East and the West; He guides whom He wills to a straight path. Because the Divine Presence transcends all physical directions, the appointment of a specific earthly focal point tests spiritual obedience and unites believers across the globe into a single concentric community (Ummah). Immediately preceding verse 144, verse 143 articulates the classic Quranic definition of the Muslim community: And thus We have made you a justly balanced, middle community (Ummatan Wasatan), so that you may be witnesses over humankind, and the Messenger may be a witness over you.
According to the canonical Hadith collections of Sunni Islam, including Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadiths 399 and 4486) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 526), as well as the classical commentaries of Al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, and the Medinan historian Al-Samhudi (in his 1488 work Wafa al-Wafa bi Akhbar Dar al-Mustafa), two complementary historical accounts preserve how the pivot unfolded at the mosque of Banu Salamah. In the first account preserved in local Medinan histories, the Prophet Muhammad visited Umm Bishr bint al-Bara ibn Ma'rur in the quarter of Banu Salamah; when the time for the noon (Dhuhr) or afternoon (Asr) prayer arrived, he stood to lead the congregation in the neighborhood mosque. After he had completed the first two cycles (raka'atan) facing northward toward Jerusalem, Archangel Jibril descended with Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144.
In the second transmission recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Al-Bara ibn Azib and Abdullah ibn Umar, immediately after the verse was revealed to the Prophet in Medina, a Companion passed by the settlement of Banu Salamah while the congregation was engaged in prayer facing Jerusalem, having completed two cycles or bowing in ruku'. Standing at the doorway, the messenger proclaimed aloud: I bear witness before Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah facing toward Mecca! Without breaking the ongoing prayer, the prayer leader (Imam) walked from the northern wall through the parted ranks to the southern wall, while the rows of men and women pivoted 180 degrees in place to face south toward Mecca and complete the remaining two cycles of the prayer. From that moment onward, the sanctuary became known across the world as Masjid al-Qiblatayn.
Beyond liturgy, the Quranic command And wherever you may be, turn your faces toward it associated with Masjid al-Qiblatayn directly catalyzed the birth of mathematical Qibla geography and spherical trigonometry during the Golden Age of Islamic civilization. To calculate the exact great-circle azimuth pointing toward Mecca from distant lands across Iberia, West Africa, Central Asia, India, and Southeast Asia, Muslim astronomers and mathematicians such as Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Battani, Ibn Yunus, and Al-Biruni formulated advanced theorems in spherical geometry, perfected brass astrolabes, and compiled precision coordinate tables. Every mosque erected thereafter, from the seventh-century Jawatha Mosque in the Al-Ahsa Oasis (628 CE) to the twentieth-century Al-Fatah Mosque in Kigali, aligns its prayer hall along the global sacred axis inaugurated during that mid-prayer pivot at Masjid al-Qiblatayn.
IIFourteen Centuries from the Palm-Trunk Sanctuary of Banu Salamah Through Umayyad, Mamluk, and Ottoman Rebuilds to 1987
Standing atop its basalt bluff above Wadi al-Aqiq in northwestern Medina, Masjid al-Qiblatayn has been continually cared for, restored, and expanded by Umayyad Caliphs, Mamluk Sultans, Ottoman Emperors, and Saudi monarchs over fourteen hundred years.
- 623 CE (2 AH)Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'b founds the neighborhood mosque of Banu SalamahBuilt of local black Harrat al-Wabarah basalt stones, sun-dried mud bricks (labin), date-palm trunk columns, and woven palm-frond roofing, the original prayer hall is oriented northward toward Jerusalem.
- Early 624 CE (Rajab or Sha'ban, 2 AH)The 180-degree mid-prayer pivot from Jerusalem to MeccaUpon the revelation of Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144, worshippers inside the mosque turn 180 degrees from the northern wall to the southern wall facing the Sacred Kaaba in Mecca, giving the sanctuary its immortal name Masjid al-Qiblatayn.
- 706 to 712 CE (87 to 93 AH)Umayyad Governor Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz reconstructs the sanctuary in stoneActing under Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I, Medinan Governor Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (later the eighth Umayyad Caliph) rebuilds Masjid al-Qiblatayn in dressed stone masonry, lime mortar, and carved teak beams as part of his program to monumentally preserve all prophetic prayer sites.
- 1488 CE (893 AH)Mamluk Vizier Shahin al-Jamali and Sultan Qaitbay restore the vaulted roofAfter centuries of desert weathering damaged the roof structure, the chief magistrate Shahin al-Jamali, under the patronage of Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay, executes a complete structural restoration and re-vaulting of the mosque.
- 1543 CE (950 AH)Ottoman Emperor Suleiman the Magnificent enlarges and rebuilds the mosqueSultan Suleiman the Magnificent orders a grand reconstruction of Masjid al-Qiblatayn on a larger footprint, preserving both the functional southern Mihrab and the commemorative northern Mihrab along with an inscribed stone foundation plaque dated 950 AH.
- 1931 CE (1350 AH)King Abdulaziz Al Saud renovates the minaret, stone staircases, and ablution courtsKing Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud commissions a thorough restoration of the 425-square-meter sanctuary, erecting a new minaret, stone steps ascending the basalt ridge, and expanded Wudu facilities.
- 1987 CE (1408 AH)Architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil completes the 3,920-square-meter Twin-Dome sanctuaryUnder King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Egyptian master architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil reconstructs Masjid al-Qiblatayn on a nearly tenfold larger scale (3,920 sq m for up to 4,000 worshippers) featuring two axial domes and twin white minarets.
- 2020s to the presentQiblatayn Cultural and Historical Center Master Plan along Wadi al-AqiqThe Al-Madinah Region Development Authority launches a comprehensive urban and ecological master plan expanding pedestrian plazas around the mosque, rehabilitating Wadi al-Aqiq, and creating multilingual visitor exhibitions.
From the two physical Mihrabs of the Ottoman era to Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil's symbolic Twin Domes (1987). Throughout the Mamluk and Ottoman eras right up to the late twentieth century, travelers and scholars entering the prayer hall of Masjid al-Qiblatayn documented a remarkable interior arrangement: in addition to the main southern Mihrab niche facing Mecca where the Imam led daily prayers, the northern wall retained a recessed second Mihrab facing Jerusalem as a tangible historical monument to the first sixteen months of Medinan worship.
By the 1980s, however, as annual international pilgrimage numbers surged into the millions, first-time visitors unfamiliar with the site's history occasionally stood before the recessed northern niche to pray in the wrong direction. During the 1987 reconstruction, religious scholars and architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil devised an architectural solution that preserved liturgical clarity while honoring historical memory: the recessed floor-level niche in the northern wall was smoothed flat so no worshipper would mistakenly face north in prayer, while high up on the central axis of the northern wall a framed traditional prayer rug (Sajjadah) woven with a Mihrab arch motif was suspended above head height. Simultaneously, along the exterior roofline on the central north-to-south axis, El-Wakil raised two prominent domes: a lofty sunlit dome over the southern Mecca Mihrab and a slightly lower blind dome toward the north commemorating the Jerusalem axis.
IIITwin Axial Domes in Dialogue, Two Tapering White Minarets, and Parallel Barrel Vaults Atop the Basalt Ridge
Completed in 1987, the complex of Masjid al-Qiblatayn spans 3,920 square meters atop a prominent dark basalt outcrop of Harrat al-Wabarah overlooking Khalid ibn al-Walid Road and the valley of Wadi al-Aqiq. Together with Quba Mosque (1986), it stands as the crowning Medinan achievement of Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil in reviving traditional load-bearing brick, stone, and white gypsum-plaster Islamic architecture.
The defining architectural gesture of Masjid al-Qiblatayn is the pair of large domes aligned in tandem along the central north-to-south axis. The main southern dome, rising 24 meters above the Mecca-facing Mihrab with a diameter of nearly 8 meters, rests upon an octagonal drum pierced by stained-glass clerestory windows that flood the prayer floor with natural light. Immediately behind it to the north (aligned toward Jerusalem) stands a second dome of similar diameter set slightly lower and constructed as a solid blind dome without drum windows, visually narrating the transition from the abrogated Qibla to the eternal Qibla.
Inside the symmetrical rectangular prayer hall, the southern wall centers on the ornate primary Mihrab lined with carved marble geometric panels and framed by classical Arabic calligraphy inscribing Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144, beside a finely carved wooden Minbar pulpit. Directly opposite on the upper northern wall hangs a framed traditional prayer carpet (Sajjadah) depicting a Mihrab arch, allowing visitors to identify the historic Jerusalem axis immediately.
Flanking the sanctuary rise two slender, gleaming white minarets that anchor the northwestern skyline of Medina. Each minaret rises from a sturdy square stone base into a gently tapering cylindrical shaft, articulated by twin circular balconies resting on sculpted muqarnas corbels and crowned by a pointed finial and gilded bronze crescent.
In contrast to the 62 hemispherical domes of Quba Mosque, the orthogonal prayer hall of Masjid al-Qiblatayn is roofed by five continuous parallel barrel vaults running east to west, intersected at right angles by the central north-to-south cross vault carrying the twin domes. Built of load-bearing brick coated in brilliant white plaster, the vaults reflect solar heat and create a serene, rhythmic interior.
Adapting to the natural slope of the volcanic basalt ridge above Wadi al-Aqiq, the entire mosque sits atop a high monumental plinth. The lower ground level houses administrative offices and spacious, separate men's and women's ablution (Wudu) halls, while broad stone staircases and accessible ramps ascend to the palm-planted upper courtyard plaza and main sanctuary.
Above the northern bays of the main hall rises a dedicated mezzanine balcony for female worshippers, enclosed by handcrafted turned-wood lattice screens (Mashrabiya) that ensure privacy while allowing cool breezes and Quranic recitation to circulate freely. Rows of traditional brass chandeliers suspended from the brick vaults bathe the carpeted hall in warm light.
| Architectural Element or Symbol | Technical Specifications & Location | Liturgical Function and Historical Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Southern Dome (Mecca Dome) | Nearly 8 m diameter, 24 m height; octagonal drum pierced by clerestory windows | Rises directly over the southern Mihrab, illuminating the eternal Qibla toward the Kaaba in Mecca |
| Secondary Northern Dome (Jerusalem Blind Dome) | Aligned north of the main dome; lower drum without windows (blind dome) | Architectural memorial to the first Qibla toward Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) prior to 624 CE |
| Main Prayer Hall & Barrel Vaults | 3,920 sq m total area; roofed by 5 parallel east-to-west brick barrel vaults | Accommodates 2,000 to 4,000 worshippers; features the suspended commemorative rug on the north wall |
| Twin White Minarets & Upper Courtyard | Two tapering cylindrical minarets on square bases; elevated courtyard planted with palms | Creates a luminous white landmark atop the black basalt ridge of Harrat al-Wabarah |
| Lower Plinth Wudu Halls & Women's Gallery | Ground-level ablution complex; northern mezzanine with wooden Mashrabiya screens | Serves tens of thousands of daily Ziyarah pilgrims with accessible, dignified facilities |
IVThe Lie of the Land and the Facing
It should be stated clearly that the location of Masjid al-Qiblatayn originated from the seventh-century settlement of the Banu Salamah clan and its axial alignment directly embodies the Quranic revelation changing the Qibla (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144), with no connection to East Asian geomancy (feng shui). The observations below offer a comparative reading of its terrain and orientation through the traditional landform framework of the Hall of Myriad Paths library.
Viewed within the macro-topography of northwestern Medina at coordinates 24.4842 degrees north, 39.5789 degrees east, Masjid al-Qiblatayn commands an elevated black basalt promontory on the eastern margin of the ancient volcanic lava field of Harrat al-Wabarah. The striking visual contrast between the dark, unyielding volcanic bedrock below and the soaring, snow-white gypsum-plastered vaults above evokes the classical landform image of a black stone dais upholding a white jade pavilion, giving the sanctuary commanding presence over the surrounding plain.
In terms of watercourse geometry and meridian alignment, sweeping directly past the western and southwestern foot of the basalt ridge is the broad channel of Wadi al-Aqiq (celebrated in prophetic Hadith as the Blessed Valley), which gathers seasonal waters from the southern mountains and carries them past western Medina toward the northern confluence at Al-Ghaba. Most remarkable of all is the sanctuary's meridian axiality: because the oasis of Medina lies almost directly along the great-circle line connecting Jerusalem to the north and Mecca to the south, the two Qiblas at Masjid al-Qiblatayn form a nearly straight 180-degree north-to-south celestial corridor, turning the building itself into a monumental stone compass bridging the two great sanctuaries of Abrahamic monotheism.
VThe Two-Raka'ah Prayer of Greeting the Mosque, Daily Salah on the Historic Axis, and the Medina Ziyarah Circuit
Masjid al-Qiblatayn remains open twenty-four hours a day throughout the Islamic Hijri calendar, serving both as a vibrant neighborhood congregational mosque for northwestern Medina and as one of the four essential stations on the international pilgrimage visitation circuit (Ziyarah).
| Time of Day or Year | Calendar System | Devotional Practice or Gathering | Spiritual Customs at Masjid al-Qiblatayn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily throughout the year (especially morning and afternoon Ziyarah hours) | Year-round (Hijri and Gregorian) | Two-Raka'ah Prayer of Greeting the Sanctuary (Tahiyyat al-Masjid) | Pilgrims enter the vaulted hall, behold the northern blind dome and suspended rug marking the old Jerusalem axis, and stand facing the southern Mihrab to offer two raka'ahs in gratitude for the guidance of the Quran. |
| Five obligatory prayer times daily (Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha) | Year-round | The Five Daily Congregational Prayers (Salah) | Particularly resonant are the midday (Dhuhr) and afternoon (Asr) prayers, corresponding to the exact historical hours when Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144 was enacted inside this mosque in 624 CE. |
| Every Friday midday (Salat al-Jumu'ah) | Year-round | Friday Congregational Prayer and Khutbah Sermon | Thousands of residents and visitors fill the 3,920-square-meter sanctuary and upper terraces to listen to the Friday sermon and pray beneath the twin axial domes. |
| Mid-Rajab and Mid-Sha'ban annually | Islamic Hijri Calendar | Historical Reflection on the Change of the Qibla (Tahwil al-Qiblah) | Scholars and teachers recount the historical lessons of Surah Al-Baqarah 2:142-150 and the calling of the Muslim Ummah to be a balanced middle community (Ummatan Wasatan). |
| Ninth Lunar Month (Ramadan) and Hajj, Umrah seasons | Islamic Hijri Calendar | Nightly Ramadan Tarawih Prayers and Global Pilgrim Visitations | The white domes and twin minarets are illuminated against the night sky above Wadi al-Aqiq throughout Ramadan and welcome continuous waves of international pilgrimage buses during the Hajj season. |
A deeply moving stop on the Medina Ziyarah circuit for Southeast Asian and Vietnamese pilgrims. For Muslim pilgrimage groups arriving in Medina from Southeast Asia and Vietnam, the half-day historical visitation tour (Ziyarah) invariably links Quba Mosque, Mount Uhud, the Seven Mosques at the Trench (Khandaq), and Masjid al-Qiblatayn. Ascending the broad stone steps onto the basalt terrace and stepping into the cool white-vaulted hall, group spiritual guides recite Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144 while pointing out the contrast between the northern blind dome and the sunlit southern dome, allowing pilgrims to experience firsthand the birthplace of the Qibla direction toward which they bow five times every day across the world.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Khalid ibn al-Walid Road, Harrat al-Wabarah District, Northwestern Medina, Al-Madinah Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Getting there
- Masjid al-Qiblatayn is located in the Al-Qiblatayn district of northwestern Medina, perched on the eastern bank of Wadi al-Aqiq at the intersection of Khalid ibn al-Walid Road and Sultana Road, approximately 5 kilometers northwest of the Prophet's Mosque (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) and 22 kilometers from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED). From central Medina and the hotels surrounding Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, visitors can take the official Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus of Medina (which stops directly in front of Masjid al-Qiblatayn), public Madinah Bus transit routes, or a 10-to-12-minute taxi, Uber, or Careem ride.
- Coordinates
- 24.4842, 39.5789
Masjid al-Qiblatayn is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free of charge for worshippers. The lower ground level built into the basalt plinth provides large, modern, air-conditioned restroom and ablution (Wudu) facilities separated for men and women, along with wheelchair-accessible ramps leading up to the sanctuary level. Inside the prayer hall, men pray on the main carpeted floor while women ascend a dedicated northern staircase to the spacious mezzanine gallery screened by wooden Mashrabiya lattices. Visitors should remember that the framed prayer rug suspended high on the northern wall is purely a historical marker of the abrogated Jerusalem Qibla; all prayers must be performed facing the southern marble Mihrab toward Mecca.
Nearby places in the library
VIIContribute To This Page
Contribute photos, information or video for Masjid al-Qiblatayn, Medina
Master Ưng Khiêm welcomes the community to enrich this page: a photograph taken on site, a historical detail not yet noted, or a short video. Every contribution is read and answered.
No community contribution yet. You could be the first.
?Quick Questions
Why is this sanctuary called Masjid al-Qiblatayn (The Mosque of the Two Qiblas)?
In Arabic, Qiblatayn is the dual form of Qibla (direction of prayer), meaning Two Qiblas. The mosque received this name because in early 624 CE (2 AH), while the congregation was in the middle of performing an obligatory prayer facing northward toward Jerusalem (the first Qibla in Islam), the revelation of Surah Al-Baqarah 2:144 commanded the believers to turn toward the Sacred Kaaba in Mecca (to the south). Without breaking their prayer, the Imam and congregation pivoted 180 degrees in place to complete the prayer facing Mecca.
Which verse of the Quran is directly associated with the event at Masjid al-Qiblatayn?
Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2, Verse 144: We have certainly seen the turning of your face, O Muhammad, toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a direction of prayer (Qibla) with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram). And wherever you believers may be, turn your faces toward it.
What was Masjid al-Qiblatayn called before the change of the Qibla, and when was it founded?
Before the pivot of the Qibla in 624 CE, the sanctuary was known as the Mosque of Banu Salamah (Masjid Bani Salamah). It was founded in 623 CE (2 AH) by Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'b in the residential quarter of the Banu Salamah clan of the Al-Khazraj tribe.
Does Masjid al-Qiblatayn still have two physical Mihrab niches at floor level inside the prayer hall?
During the 1987 architectural reconstruction, the recessed floor-level niche in the northern wall was removed so that first-time pilgrims would not mistakenly stand facing north to pray. Instead, the historic northern Qibla toward Jerusalem is commemorated by a framed traditional prayer rug suspended high on the northern wall and by a windowless blind dome on the northern side of the roof, paired with the sunlit main dome over the southern Mecca-facing Mihrab.
Who designed the current gleaming white architecture of Masjid al-Qiblatayn?
The current 3,920-square-meter mosque was completed in 1987 under King Fahd bin Abdulaziz and designed by the acclaimed Egyptian traditionalist architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil. Built of load-bearing brick coated in white plaster atop a dark basalt plinth, it features five parallel barrel vaults, two tapering cylindrical minarets, and twin axial domes.
How can visitors distinguish the Mecca axis from the Jerusalem axis from outside and inside the mosque?
From the exterior, two large domes stand in line along the north-to-south axis: the taller southern dome (24 meters high) pierced by stained-glass drum windows marks the eternal Qibla toward Mecca, while the slightly lower northern blind dome without windows marks the abrogated Qibla toward Jerusalem. Inside, the carved marble Mihrab and wooden Minbar stand on the southern wall (Mecca), while the commemorative prayer rug hangs high on the northern wall (Jerusalem).