Nimrah Mosque stands as the largest among the five Holy Sites, located north of the Holy Site of Arafat near Muzdalifah. It is where pilgrims pray Dhuhr (noon prayer) and Asr (afternoon prayer) on the Day of Arafah, by combining and shortening the prayers, following in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him (PBUH). The mosque was built in the eighth century. It is the largest mosque in Makkah al-Mukarramah after the Grand Mosque, the most prominent site in the Holy Site of Arafat.
Religious significance of Nimrah Mosque
This mosque is a significant Islamic landmark, as this is where Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) prayed Dhuhr and Asr, and gave his Farewell Sermon. The mosque opens its doors one day a year, which falls on June 15, for more than four hundred thousand worshipers who pray Dhuhr and Asr.
The origins of Nimrah Mosque's name
The mosque was named after Nimrah Mountain. It is historically known by other names: Masjid Ibrahim al-Khalil and Masjid Uranah after Uranah Valley in which the part including the mosque’s Mihrab (prayer niche) and Minbar (pulpit) are located. Moreover, it was also called Masjid Arafah after Mount Arafat.
Expansion of Nimrah Mosque
The Saudi government has maintained the mosque since the reign of King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. The current structure of the mosque has witnessed its largest expansion at a cost of around SAR237 million, covering an area of 110,000 m. Nimrah Mosque is located north of the Holy Site of Arafat, and its western part extends beyond the borders of the Holy Site in Uranah, one of Makkah al-Mukarramah’s valleys, where the Prophet forbade Muslims from performing Wuquf (standing before Allah) on the Day of Arafat. Nimrah Mosque is about 22 km away from the Grand Mosque and 1.8 km away from the Holy Sites Train Station.
Components of Nimrah Mosque
The mosque lies on a rectangular land with a length of 340 m from east to west and a width of 240 m from north to south. Behind the mosque, a shaded courtyard extends for 8,000 m to accommodate the largest possible number of worshipers. Moreover, the mosque has six minarets each standing at sixty m, making them the highest minarets in the world. It also has three domes, ten main entrances, and sixty-four gates.
The mosque also includes a satellite broadcasting facility to broadcast the sermon, as well as Dhuhr and Asr prayers on the Day of Arafat.
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