Medina was originally known as Yathrib, but later the city's name was changed to Al Madenah al Munawwarah ("the enlightened city" or "the radiant city"), while the short form Medina simply means "city". Medina is the second holiest city of Islam, after Mecca (Makkah).
Its importance as a religious site derives from the presence there of the shrine of Muhammad by Masjid al-Nabawi (or the Mosque of the Prophet) containing Muhammad's tomb, famously known as Qubbat al-Nabi, Prophet's Dome or Green Dome, which was built on a site adjacent to Muhammad's home. His home later became part of the mosque when it was expanded by the Umayyad caliph al-Waleed ibn AbdelMalek. The first mosque of Islam is also located in Medinah and is known as Masjid Quba,