Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine June 2018 | Page 111

Travel | Medina
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1 Arabic calligraphy of
the Prophet’s name adorns
the doors to his mosque.
2 The iconic Green Dome
of al-Masjid an-Nabawi.
3 The decorated gates to
the tomb of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH).
An old man in a white sherwani, carrying a bright
yellow pouch, slowly gets to his feet. As he heads
towards the black iron gates that never close,
he leaves a trail of strong-smelling attar.
why the year the Prophet arrived in Medina
marks the start of the Islamic calendar.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would never
again call Makkah home, dying in Medina in
the year 632 ce.
His remains are in the mausoleum under the
mosque’s iconic Green Dome, alongside his
good friends, such as Caliphs Abu Bakr and
Umar. It is a key site for all visiting pilgrims.
With so many sacred places and monuments,
Medina has always been dear to the heart
of every pilgrim.
“It’s changed a lot in recent years; many of
the historical sites are no more. Some of the
changes are good, some bad. But one thing is
certain: it is much easier to get to the
important sites now,” explains Saeed, as two
brown sparrows play on the cool marble floor
in front of us. I nod in agreement.
The sparrows take off together. Flying low,
they weave confidently in and out of
worshippers, safe in the knowledge no one
will hurt them here. This is a sanctuary.
An old man in a white sherwani, carrying
a bright yellow pouch, slowly gets to his feet.
As he heads towards the black iron gates
that never close, he leaves a trail of strong-
smelling attar. Passing one of the sleepy expat
Bangladeshi cleaners leaning on a broom,
his hand meets with theirs in greeting.
And, I notice, giving him a few Saudi riyals.
5 Senses – Sight
HEJAZ RAILWAY MUSEUM
Admire the beautiful early-19 th -century
Ottoman Hejaz Railway Museum with its
quaint arabesque arcades. This was once
part of a network considered by Sultan
Abdul Hamid II as one of his greatest
achievements, originally connecting
Damascus in Syria with Medina and onwards
to Makkah – allowing safe passage for all
pilgrims. Today the building is home to
several excellent exhibitions.
Nikmati indahnya Museum Kereta
Ottoman Hejaz dengan arkade-arkade
kunonya dari abad ke-19. Stasiun ini pernah
menjadi bagian dari jaringan kereta yang
dianggap sebagai salah satu pencapaian
terbesar Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Awalnya
menghubungkan Damaskus di Suriah
dengan Madinah hingga Mekah dan
menjadi jalur aman bagi para peziarah.
Kini bangunannya menjadi lokasi
pameran yang sangat menarik.