“Peace and blessings be upon thee, oh sweet and beautiful Madani.”
14 historical photos of Madina al-Munawarra, the Radiant City of the Prophet Muhammad (eternal peace and blessings upon him) as photographed between 1890 and 1916. The earliest images can be identified by the city’s Ottoman walls, which were later destroyed as the city expanded. Photos 11 and 12 capture Jannat al-Baqi, the graveyard located close to the mosque of the Prophet, containing the graves of numerous Companions. The edifices that can be seen over the graves of some notable Companions were also later destroyed.
1. View of Madina in 1890 with the city’s Ottoman walls still in tact.
2. View of the city. Exact date unknown, though the Ottoman walls suggest late nineteenth century or early twentieth.
3. View of the city, 1907.
4. Masjid al-Nabawi, the Mosque of the Prophet, 1908.
5. Masjid al-Nabawi, the Mosque of the Prophet, 1908.
6. Old minaret of the holy mosque, built 1483 and green dome over the tomb of the Prophet built 1840. Photo taken in 1910.
7. 1302 km from Damascus, 619 m above sea level. View of the city from Mount Salʻ in the northwest, 1913.
8. Procession of the Maḥmal through Al-Manākha square, 1914.
9. Gate (Bāb al-salām) of the holy mosque at the southwest corner, 1916.
10. Central station in front of the west gate, 1916.
11. Jannat al-Baqīʾcemetery. Right: al-Qubat al-al-ʻAbbāsiya, 1916. The edifices marking the graves are no longer standing. It is thought that the Indian architectural traits were due to the influence of Indian merchants who lived in the region at the time. 
12. Jannat al-Baqīʻ cemetery. Center: al-Ummahāt, 1916.
13. Inside Masjid al-Nabawwi, near the blessed Rawda of the Prophet (peace be upon him), 1916.
14. Courtyard (southeast corner) of the Holy Mosque with the Garden of Fāṭima, 1916.
