Mount Uhud and the Battle of Uhud

Mount Uhud rises about 1,077 m on the northern edge of Madinah. The Battle of Uhud was fought in the valley before it on 19 March 625 CE (3 Shawwal 3 AH) between a Makkan force led by Abu Sufyan and the Muslims of Madinah led by the Prophet Muhammad. The Muslims at first held the upper hand, but when some of the archers stationed on the small hill opposite left their post, the Makkan cavalry under Khalid ibn al-Walid attacked from behind. Many Muslims, including the Prophet's uncle Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, were killed, and the Prophet was wounded; the Makkans then withdrew. The Martyrs' Cemetery at the foot of the mountain holds about seventy of the dead. A modern mosque, Sayyid ash-Shuhada, stands nearby. Visitors can walk the open ground and climb Archers' Hill at any hour, though daylight is best; the cemetery is viewed from its fence. The area is outside the central sacred precinct and is commonly described as open to visitors of all faiths.