The prayer hall
Quba Mosque
A large, bright hall of white marble and arches. Pray two rak'ahs of greeting the mosque, as the Prophet ﷺ encouraged.
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Madinah, Saudi Arabia
Quba Mosque
The first mosque built in Islam, founded by the Prophet ﷺ on his arrival at Madinah in 622 CE. Praying two rak'ahs here carries, according to hadith, the reward of an Umrah.
Favourite places
Quba Road walk
Between Quba and the Prophet's Mosque
The route between the two mosques, walked by pilgrims for centuries, with shops and date sellers along the way.
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Streets around the mosque
Stalls and shops selling Ajwa and other Madinah dates, as well as fruit, bread and gifts.
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Local food
Ajwa dates
Madinah, Saudi Arabia
Madinah's most famous dates: small, dark and soft, with a gentle sweetness. Ajwa is grown in and around Madinah and is linked with the Prophet ﷺ in well-known hadith, so pilgrims buy it as a blessed gift to take home. Madinah's date shops also sell Sukkari, Safawi, Mabroom, Anbara and many other varieties.Read more
Mutabbaq
Madinah, Saudi Arabia
A thin, crisp folded pastry stuffed with minced meat, egg and leek (or sweet banana and cheese), cooked on a hot griddle. A favourite street snack in the Hejaz, especially in the evenings.
Ful and tamees
Madinah, Saudi Arabia
Slow-cooked fava beans with olive oil, cumin and lemon, scooped up with tamees — a large, round flatbread baked in a clay oven. The classic breakfast after Fajr prayer.
Where to eat
Quba Road eateries
Along Quba Road, between the centre and Quba Mosque
Local restaurants, bakeries and juice shops along the road to Quba — good for mandi, kabsa, mutabbaq and fresh juice.
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Streets around the Prophet's Mosque
Hotel buffets, food courts and simple restaurants serving Saudi, Turkish, South Asian, Indonesian and Middle Eastern food for pilgrims from every country. Busiest straight after each prayer.
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Where to stay
Central Area — south and west side
Madinah, Saudi Arabia
Hotels and serviced apartments on the southern and western edges of the central area, close to the mosque, the Dates Market and the road to Quba.
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Madinah, Saudi Arabia
Newer hotels and apartments further out, quieter and roomier, with a car or taxi ride to the centre. A practical choice for families with a car, and for non-Muslim visitors.
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Culture
Quba is a living neighbourhood mosque as well as a place of pilgrimage. Dress modestly: men in long trousers and sleeved tops; women in loose clothing covering arms and legs, with a headscarf (an abaya is customary). Take your shoes off before the prayer halls, keep your voice low, and do not walk directly in front of someone who is praying. Photography of people at prayer is discouraged.
History
On the Hijrah from Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ stopped at the village of Quba, on the southern edge of Madinah, and stayed there for several days. With his companions he laid the foundations of a mosque — the first built in Islam — before moving on to the city centre. The Qur'an refers to "a mosque founded on piety from the first day" (9:108), understood by many scholars as Quba.
The Prophet ﷺ used to visit Quba every Saturday, riding or walking, and said that whoever purifies himself at home and then prays in Quba Mosque receives a reward like that of an Umrah. The mosque has been rebuilt many times; the present white building with its domes and four minarets dates from a major rebuilding in the 1980s, and it has been enlarged again since.
Tour plans
Morning at Quba
Half dayStep 1: Wudu at the hotel
Purify yourself before leaving, as in the hadith.
Step 2: Walk or ride to Quba
Set out after sunrise along Quba Road.
Step 3: Pray two rak'ahs
Pray in the mosque and spend some quiet time there.
Step 4: Dates and breakfast
Buy dates around the mosque and return to the centre.
Map
Travel information
Best time to visit
Early morning or after Asr, any day; many visitors follow the Sunnah of visiting on Saturday. Avoid midday in summer.
How to get there
Quba Mosque is about 3 km south of the Prophet's Mosque. Take a taxi or ride-hailing app (about 10 minutes), join a ziyarah tour, or walk along Quba Road in the cool of the morning or evening.
Getting around
The mosque, its courtyard and the surrounding shops are all within a short walk. There is parking around the mosque, and taxis wait outside.
Travel tips
- Make wudu (ablution) at your hotel before setting out, following the hadith.
- Women have their own entrance and prayer area.
- The area is busy with ziyarah buses mid-morning; come early for a calmer visit.
- Shops, cafés and many services close briefly for each of the five daily prayers — usually for 20–30 minutes. Plan errands around them, and check the day's prayer times on a phone app.
