Ziyarat Places in Makkah and Madinah: A Guide for Pakistani Pilgrims

Quick answer: the best-known ziyarat places in Makkah are Jabal al-Nour (Ghar Hira), Jabal Thawr, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat with Jabal al-Rahmah, Masjid Aisha at At-Tan'im, Jannat al-Mualla and Masjid al-Jinn. In Madinah they are Riyad ul Jannah inside Masjid an-Nabawi (by Nusuk permit), Masjid Quba, Masjid al-Qiblatain, Mount Uhud and the martyrs' cemetery, Jannat al-Baqi and the Seven Mosques near the Trench.

Almost every pilgrim who goes for Umrah from Pakistan asks the same thing before leaving: Makkah Madinah ki ziyarat mein kaun kaun si jagah dekhni hain? This guide answers that in plain language. It lists the places pilgrims visit most, where they are, what happened there and the few practical rules that apply in 2026 — such as the Nusuk permit for the Rawdah and the fixed visiting times at Al-Baqi. Facts come from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and other official sources, linked at the end.

One point first: ziyarat is not one of the rites of Umrah. Your Umrah is complete with its own rites in Makkah; ziyarat simply means visiting places connected with the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his family and Companions. For questions about what to do or say at any place, please ask a qualified scholar — this page only covers locations, history and practical arrangements.

Makkah Ziyarat Places

A Makkah ziyarat tour usually takes a morning, because the sites are spread out around the city. Here is what you will see.

1. Jabal al-Nour and Ghar Hira (Cave of Hira)

Jabal al-Nour, the "Mountain of Light", is where the Prophet ﷺ used to worship in seclusion before revelation began. In the Cave of Hira near its summit, the Angel Jibreel brought the first verses of the Quran. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah places the cave north of the Grand Mosque, about 4.8 km away, on a mountain roughly 634 metres high, and notes that visiting the cave is not one of the rites of Hajj. It also cautions that the climb is difficult, especially for the sick and the elderly.

At the foot of the mountain, the Hira Cultural District now has the Revelation Exhibition, a Holy Quran museum, a visitor centre and the marked path up to the cave. When we checked on 25 October 2026 the district listed its hours as Saturday–Wednesday 7:30 am–11:30 pm, Thursday 7:30 am–1:00 am and Friday 3:30 pm–1:00 am, with the cave path itself open 24 hours. Timings can change, so confirm on the day.

2. Jabal Thawr (Mount Thawr)

Jabal Thawr lies about 5 km south of Masjid al-Haram. Its cave is where the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA) sheltered for three nights at the start of the Hijrah to Madinah — the event the Quran refers to as "the second of the two, when they were in the cave" (At-Tawbah 9:40). Like Hira, the climb is long and rocky; most visitors on a ziyarat tour see the mountain from below.

3. Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat

These three valleys east of Makkah are the Hajj sites (the Mashair). Outside the days of Hajj they are quiet, so an Umrah visit is a chance to see where the rites take place:

• Mina — the valley of the white tent camps and the Jamarat bridge. Masjid al-Khayf is in Mina.
• Muzdalifah — the open plain between Mina and Arafat where Hajj pilgrims spend the night after Arafat.
• Arafat — the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah gives it as about 23 km from the Grand Mosque, 10 km from Mina and 6 km from Muzdalifah. The standing at Arafat on 9 Dhul-Hijjah is the central pillar of Hajj. Jabal al-Rahmah, the "Mount of Mercy", is the rocky hill in the plain, marked by a 7-metre pillar. Masjid Nimrah is also at Arafat.

4. Masjid Aisha (At-Tan'im)

Masjid Aisha, also called At-Tan'im Mosque, is about 7.5 km north of Masjid al-Haram on the road towards Madinah. It is named after Sayyidah Aisha (RA). Many pilgrims who are already staying in Makkah go there to put on ihram for an additional Umrah. If you plan to do this, ask your group guide about transport and a scholar about the rulings that apply to you.

5. Jannat al-Mualla

Jannat al-Mualla (Al-Ma'la) is Makkah's oldest cemetery, on the slope of Al-Hajun north of Masjid al-Haram. It dates from before Islam. Among those buried there are Sayyidah Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (RA), the first wife of the Prophet ﷺ, Asma bint Abi Bakr (RA) and Al-Qasim, the Prophet's son. Graves are simple and not individually marked.

6. Masjid al-Jinn

Masjid al-Jinn stands in Al-Hajun, east of Al-Ma'la cemetery and roughly 900 metres north of the Grand Mosque. It is linked by tradition with the night a group of jinn listened to the Prophet ﷺ reciting the Quran, the event described in Surah Al-Jinn. It is a short drive, or a walk for those who are fit, from the Haram.

Madinah Ziyarat Places

Most Madinah sites are within a few kilometres of Masjid an-Nabawi, so a Madinah ziyarat tour is easier on elderly family members. For Pakistani groups it is usually a highlight of the trip.

1. Riyad ul Jannah (Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah)

The Rawdah is the area inside Masjid an-Nabawi between the Prophet's house (now his blessed grave) and his minbar, described in a hadith as "a garden from the gardens of Paradise". Entry is by a free permit booked for a specific date and time slot on the Nusuk app or website, through the Ministry's Rawdah permit e-service. Men and women have separate times. In October 2026 the Ministry said a new Rawdah permit can be issued only 365 days after the previous one, subject to eligibility and available slots, and it also runs an "Immediate Track" for people already near the mosque (report). Book as soon as your Madinah dates are confirmed, and keep the permit on your phone.

2. Masjid Quba

Masjid Quba, about 3 km south of Masjid an-Nabawi, is the first mosque built in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ laid its foundation on arrival from Makkah during the Hijrah. The Ministry's Madinah guide quotes the hadith: "Whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to Quba Mosque and offers a prayer in it, will have the reward of an Umrah." A pedestrian walkway, the Quba Boulevard, now links the area with Masjid an-Nabawi, and the Saudi Press Agency reports a major expansion of the mosque under way.

3. Masjid al-Qiblatain

Masjid al-Qiblatain, the "Mosque of the Two Qiblahs", is about 4 km from Masjid an-Nabawi in the old Banu Salamah area. It is where the command to change the qiblah from Jerusalem to the Kaaba came during prayer (Al-Baqarah 2:144), after the Muslims had prayed towards Bait al-Maqdis for more than a year after the Hijrah.

4. Mount Uhud and the Martyrs of Uhud

Jabal Uhud is about 4–5 km north of Masjid an-Nabawi. The Battle of Uhud took place at its foot in 3 AH. Opposite the mountain is the small Archers' Hill (Jabal al-Rumat), and nearby is the cemetery of the martyrs of Uhud, where about seventy Companions are buried — among them Sayyiduna Hamzah ibn Abdul-Muttalib (RA), the Prophet's uncle, and Abdullah ibn Jahsh (RA).

5. Jannat al-Baqi

Al-Baqi, southeast of Masjid an-Nabawi, is the main cemetery of Madinah. Many Companions, members of the Prophet's family and the Mothers of the Believers are buried there. The Ministry's Madinah guide gives the visiting times for men as after Fajr until 8:00 am, and after Asr for about one hour, plus immediately after an obligatory prayer when there is a funeral. At present women generally do not enter Al-Baqi; many make du'a from outside the boundary. Timings can change, so check at the gate on the day.

6. The Seven Mosques and the Trench (Al-Khandaq)

At the foot of Mount Sila' in the Al-Fath district is the site of the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Ahzab, 5 AH), when the Muslims dug a trench to defend Madinah. The small mosques here are known as the "Seven Mosques", a modern name — according to Visit Madinah five mosques stand on the site today, the largest being Masjid al-Fath, where the Prophet ﷺ made du'a for victory, alongside the Salman al-Farisi mosque named after the Companion who suggested the trench.

Other mosques you may pass

The Ministry's guide also lists Masjid al-Ghamamah, about 500 metres southwest of Masjid an-Nabawi, where Eid and rain prayers were held, Masjid al-Ijabah to the northeast, and the Abu Bakr mosque. Your guide can point these out on the way.

Practical Tips for Your Ziyarat Tour

• Go early. Morning tours avoid the worst of the heat, especially at Uhud and on any climb at Hira or Thawr.
• Pace elderly travellers. The Ministry itself warns that the Hira climb is hard for the sick and elderly. Seeing the mountain from below is enough for many families — see our guide for elderly pilgrims.
• Women travellers: plan the Rawdah around the women's time slot on Nusuk, and note the current Baqi practice above. Our women's Umrah guide covers clothing and packing.
• Carry water, ID and your hotel card, and keep your phone charged for the Nusuk permit.
• Shoes and modest dress. You will take your shoes off at every mosque; a small shoe bag helps.
• Respect the sites. Cemeteries and mosques are places of worship, not photo spots, and signs at each site set out what is allowed.
• First time? Read our first-time Umrah guide before you fly.
• Unsure of the rites? Our step-by-step Umrah guide explains Ihram, Tawaf, Sa'i and Halq in order.

Ziyarat with Diyanat Travels

For pilgrims looking for a ziyarat tour with Umrah from Pakistan, here is what our group packages already include, as set out on our Umrah Transport page:

• Makkah Ziyarat — a guided tour of historic sites in and around Makkah.
• Madinah Ziyarat — a guided tour of Masjid Quba, Uhud and other Madinah landmarks.
• Every group package also includes airport transfers and Makkah–Madinah road transport; the drive between the two cities typically takes around 5–6 hours.
• Our Ziyarat tours in both cities are accompanied by an experienced guide.
• Private vehicles are available on request for families — ask us on WhatsApp for pricing.

To pick hotels close to the Haram before you plan your ziyarat days, see our Makkah hotels and Madinah hotels pages, or compare live dates on Umrah packages 2026 from Pakistan and the city pages for Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Wah Cantt.

Sources

Checked on 25 October 2026. Rules, timings and access can change; always follow the signs and staff at each site.

1. Ministry of Hajj and Umrah — Sites to Visit in Makkah (Mount Al-Noor and the Cave of Hira)
2. Ministry of Hajj and Umrah — Arafah
3. Ministry of Hajj and Umrah — Madinah awareness guide (PDF): Quba, Qiblatain, Al-Baqi, Uhud and visiting times
4. Ministry of Hajj and Umrah — e-service: permit to visit Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah (men and women)
5. Ajel News (Oct 2026), citing the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah — Rawdah permit once every 365 days, Immediate Track
6. Nusuk — official Hajj and Umrah platform (Rawdah booking)
7. Saudi Press Agency — Quba Mosque expansion
8. Hira Cultural District — official site (Revelation Exhibition, path to the Cave of Hira, opening hours)
9. Discover Makkah — Mount and Cave Thawr
10. Discover Makkah — At-Tan'im Mosque (Sayyida Aisha Mosque)
11. Discover Makkah — Mosque of the Jinn (Arabic page)
12. Saudipedia — Al-Ma'alah Cemetery
13. Visit Madinah — The Seven Mosques
14. Visit Madinah — The Trench (Al-Khandaq)
15. Visit Saudi — official tourism site of Saudi Arabia