The Seven Mosques

About this place

A group of small historic mosques at the foot of Mount Sala in Medina, linked to the Battle of the Trench (al-Ahzab). Tradition says each is named after one of the Muslims who held that spot while defending the city, and Mount Sala was the scene of the battle. There are in fact six mosques. They are called seven either because some believe there were once seven, or because visitors add Masjid al-Qiblatayn to their tour. The largest is the Al-Fath Mosque on the mountain's western side, where the Prophet is said to have prayed during the siege; it was built under Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz and renovated in 1154. The others are the Salman al-Farisi Mosque, named after the companion whose name is tied to the digging of the trench; the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque; the Umar ibn al-Khattab Mosque on higher ground; the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque on a small hill; and the Fatimah al-Zahra Mosque, the smallest at four metres by three, built in the Ottoman period. Most are small buildings of black stone. The visit is free; the mosques sit close together amid a garden and paths, and you can walk between them in about half an hour. Many visitors combine them with nearby Masjid al-Qiblatayn on one tour.