Quba Mosque courtyard

The courtyard of Quba Mosque, in the Quba district of south-west Madinah, Saudi Arabia, is the most accessible part of a mosque widely described as the first built in Islam. The present building is a late 20th-century rebuild by the architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, with white domes, four minarets and retractable canopies that shade the open court. The courtyard is level, paved in pale stone and framed by arcades, and it is where most visitors spend their time, whether they pray in the hall beyond or simply take in the architecture. The domes turn gold in the last hour before Maghrib, when the low sun lights the white stone and the heat has eased, which makes late afternoon the best moment for photographs. Photography is not permitted inside the prayer hall, but the courtyard is generally fine for exterior shots. Guides disagree on whether non-Muslims may enter the prayer hall, though the courtyard and surrounding avenue are reported open to everyone, so visitors who are not Muslim should stay in the courtyard unless staff say otherwise. The mosque is open 24 hours and is free. A visit takes 20 to 40 minutes, longer if combined with a prayer. Crowds are heaviest on Saturdays, which are traditionally popular, and around prayer times; after Fajr and weekday mornings are quieter. Visitors should respect prayer times, keep voices low and dress modestly, with long trousers for men and an abaya and headscarf for women. A King Salman expansion project announced in April 2022 plans to enlarge the area, so construction hoardings may affect parts of the courtyard. Quba Boulevard lies to the south, and the Hop-On Hop-Off Red Route stops nearby.