Medina
Pronunciation: /mɛˈdiːnə/
Definition of Medina
- a city in western Saudi Arabia, around an oasis some 320 km (200 miles) north of Mecca; population 1,010,000 (est. 2007). Arabic name al-Madinah.
Medina was the refuge of Muhammad’s infant Muslim community from its removal from Mecca in ad 622 until its return there in 630. It is Muhammad’s burial place and the site of the first Islamic mosque, constructed around his tomb. It is considered by Muslims to be the second most holy city after Mecca, and a visit to the prophet’s tomb at Medina often forms a sequel to the formal pilgrimage to Mecca