As the burial place of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the home of three of the oldest mosques in the world, the historic city of Medina is one of the holiest in Islam. In fact, Medina is considered by Muslims as second on the sacred list, closely following Mecca, which is also located in Saudi Arabia, some 215 miles south. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Muslims come here on their Hajj—or annual pilgrimage—to worship beneath the green dome of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the mosque where Prophet Muhammad is buried. Based on the city’s religious significance, it is forbidden for non-Muslims to visit—at all. But for Muslims, visiting Medina is a holy rite of passage—a true trip of a lifetime.