GATES OF MEDINA
The monumental entrance to the city of the Prophet ﷺ
The Contemporary Threshold
When you arrive in Medina today, you pass through one of the monumental gates that symbolically mark the entrance to the holy city. These are not the historical gates from the time of the Prophet ﷺ — those have long since disappeared, merged into the modern urban fabric.
The current gates are contemporary constructions erected by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to signal the sacred threshold.
A Symbolic Function
These gates are not religious. They do not bear any hadith. They are not a place of prayer. And yet, they serve a real function: they tell you that you are entering Medina.
When you see the white Shahada fluttering against a green background, when you read the welcoming words inscribed on the stone, something happens in the heart of the believer. It is the moment when you understand that the journey is no longer just a journey. It is a pilgrimage.
The Historical Gates
During the time of the Prophet ﷺ and afterwards, Medina was surrounded by walls pierced with several gates (abwab): Bab al-'Anbariyyah (towards Quba), Bab al-Misri (towards Egypt), Bab al-Shami (towards the Levant), Bab al-Sa'a or Bab al-Salam (main entrance). All these gates have disappeared over the centuries.
Note of Sincerity
The current gates have no historical value from the time of the Prophet ﷺ. They are modern constructions, presented as symbolic entry points into the city, without prophetic sanctity.