The History of the Grave of the Prophet ﷺ

The Grave in the Third Saudi State

In the year 1343 Al-Hijri, the defeated Najdis returned to prominence. They managed to defeat several local tribal armies in a series of mini-wars. The Ottomans (who were weakened from fighting in the First World War) and their allies were forced out of Madinah and Makkah. Ibn Saud became the ruler of the Arabian towns, where he merged Makkah, Madinah, and whatever remained of the Hijaz into one single county. This was the ultimate formation of Saudi Arabia.

Ibn Saud further expanded the Mosque of the Prophet ﷺ, adding a new columned prayer hall. The Ottoman minarets were demolished and were replaced with two new minarets which were inspired by the Mamluk style. Virtually every Ottoman element was erased except for the large green dome. As for the blessed graves, it is unknown what they looked like after the new restorations by Ibn Saud and subsequent rulers. It can be assumed that the graves have been levelled and are now simple mounds of soil underneath an inner domed roof.

A new, green and yellow metal grille was constructed around the tomb chamber, this place is now known as the Rawdah. The grille was locked; only certain officials and people could enter it, such as the Muslim eunuchs who hailed from Ethiopia. Behind the grille, a large curtain covered the brick wall surrounding the blessed graves. The grille also covered the house of Fatimah al-Zahra. Within the house, a Mamluk-era mihrab exists in the back wall, as well as a tomb-like structure which is said to be the bed of Fatimah.