Arabic Al-Madīnah ancient Yathrib.
City (pop., 1992: 608,295), western Saudi Arabia, north of Mecca .
It developed from an oasis settled by Jews с AD 135. In 622 the Prophet Muhammad fled from Mecca to Medina (see Hijrah ). It served as capital of the Islamic state until 661. Held by the Ottoman Empire (1517–1804), it then was seized by the Ibn Saūd . A sacred city of {{link=Islam">Islam , it is second only to Mecca as a place of Muslim pilgrimage; among its many mosques is the Prophet's Mosque, containing the tomb of Muhammad.