Regaip Kandili Special Umrah Journey in the Footsteps of the Prophet with Siyer Historian Ömer Ahu 9 Nights / 10 Days with Turkish Airlines

Meeting with our valued guests at Istanbul Airport departure terminal in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at 09:30. After baggage and ticket procedures, we depart for Medina at 12:50 with Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK 108. Upon arrival in Medina at 16:30 local time, passport and baggage procedures will be completed, and we will transfer to our hotel by private vehicle.

After checking into Maden Taiba Hotel Madina and a short rest, we proceed to the Prophet's Mosque (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) accompanied by our teacher Ömer Ahu. Here, the story of how the Prophet's Mosque became the religious, social, and administrative center of the Medina Islamic community after the Hijra will be told; afterwards, we will perform our salutation visit to our Prophet (PBUH). Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Prophet's Mosque, and after breakfast, free time will be allocated for worship and personal visits. We will perform our Friday prayer at the Prophet's Mosque. After the Asr prayer, accompanied by our teacher Ömer Ahu, we will begin a special historical tour where we will explore the old Medina city fabric around the Prophet's Mosque on foot. We will see the Musalla area, Menaha Bazaar, Ahcaru’z-Zeyt, Zevra, the area associated with the grave of Malik b. Sinan, Darün Nabiga, the area pointed out by narrations as the location of the grave of the Prophet's father Abdullah, Budaa Well, Shamiya region, Mescid-i Sebak, Beyruha Well, and the home of Abu Talha (May Allah be pleased with him). Through this route, the neighborhoods, markets, date groves, wells, and companion settlements of the Medina of the Age of Bliss (Asr-ı Saadet) will be explained. Continuing the program, we will see Jannat al-Baqi, the Hejaz Railway Medina Station, and the Ambariya region; the city memory of Medina, extending from the Age of Bliss to the Ottoman period, will be evaluated. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Prophet's Mosque, and after an early breakfast, we will meet in the hotel lobby at 07:00 to depart for the Siyer and Islamic history sites around Medina.

In the direction of Uhud, we will first see the Mescid-i Şeyhayn, also known as the Mosque of Armor (Mescidü’d- Dır‘), and then the Mescid-i Müsterah in the settlement of Banu Haritha. From here, we will move to the Uhud field, where the Battle of Uhud will be explained through the topography of Mount Uhud, Ayneyn (the Archers' Hill), the Uhud Martyrs' Cemetery, and the battlefield. We will see the area where Hz. Hamza (May Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, the area locally known as the Second Uhud Martyrs' Cemetery, and the Bi’rü’l-Melik Well. If transportation conditions permit, Mescid-i Fesih, Şi‘b-i Cirrar, and the Mihras region will also be included in the program; the historical geography of Uhud, which is not well-known in classic visits, will be emphasized.

Afterwards, we will move to the Quba Mosque (Mescid-i Kıbleteyn) and the Trench (Khandaq) region. The Battle of the Trench, Mount Sal‘, the trench line, and the northwestern defense system of Medina will be explained; the Mescid-i Fetih and the Mesacid-i Seb‘a region will be seen. Our program will continue with the Quba and Usbe regions. At the Quba Mosque, the Medina phase of the Hijra will be explained; in the same historical basin, we will see the Banu Waqif Mosque and its settlement, Bostanü’l-Müstazıll, Bi’r-i Azak, Banu Unayf Mosque, the Usbe region, Mescidü’t-Tevbe, and the Hecim Well. Thus, the early period settlements, historical wells, and gardens around Quba will be evaluated together. After the visits, we will return to our hotel, and free time will be allocated for worship at the Prophet's Mosque for the remainder of the day. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Prophet's Mosque, and after breakfast, we will prepare our luggage and depart from Medina. Our transition from Medina to Mecca will be by High-Speed Train. Information will be provided about the Mescid-i Şecere, Muarras Mosque and its location, and the Aqiq Valley. After entering Ihram and making the intention for Umrah, we will depart for Mecca with talbiyahs. On the way, the Beyda Plain and Zatü’l-Ceyş will be explained; the incident that led to the loss of Hz. Aisha's (May Allah be pleased with her) necklace and the revelation of the ruling on tayammum will be recalled. Thus, the departure from Medina will not be just a transfer; it will be a journey following the geography of Hajj, Umrah, and expeditions of the Age of Bliss through Dhu'l-Hulayfah, Aqiq, Muarras, Beyda, and Zatü’l-Ceyş.

Upon our arrival in Mecca, we will check into the Anjum Makkah Hotel. After a short rest, we will go to the Masjid al-Haram accompanied by our teacher Ömer Ahu to have our first meeting with the Kaaba; we will perform our tawaf and sa'i to complete our Umrah. There will be no historical tour today. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Kaaba, and after breakfast, we will begin a special Siyer program accompanied by our teacher Ömer Ahu, where we will explore the old Mecca city fabric around the Masjid al-Haram on foot.

The neighborhood layout of the Quraysh around the Haram will be explained through Cebel-i Kabe, Shubaika, Jabal Omar, the settlement of the Banu Taym, the area associated with the house of Hz. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), Hezvere Bazaar, the settlement of Banu Makhzum, and the area associated with the house of Umm Hani. Afterwards, we will focus on Dar al-Arqam, the house of Abdullah b. Jud'an, the site associated with the Hilf al-Fudul meeting, the area associated with the house of Hz. Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her), Shi‘b-i Abi Talib, Safa and Marwa, and Dar al-Nadwa. The first Islamic invitation, the years of boycott, and the life in Mecca before the Hijra will be read together with the locations.

Continuing the program, we will see the point known as the Ascension (Mi'raj) Column, the geography of Abu Qubays, Kuaykıan, Ahshabayn, and Ajyad, and the Shi‘b-i Banu Hashim region associated with the house where our Prophet (PBUH) was born. In locations that have disappeared today or whose locations are controversial, classic Mecca sources and old city topography will be taken as a basis rather than definitive judgments. After the visits, free time will be allocated for tawaf and worship. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Kaaba, and after an early breakfast, we will depart for the outer surroundings of Mecca by our bus. First, Mount Thawr will be seen panoramically; the Cave of Thawr, where our Prophet (PBUH) and Hz. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) stayed for three nights, and the Hijra in 1 AH / 622 AD will be explained. Then we will move to Arafat; the Farewell Hajj of 10 AH / 632 AD, the Arafat waqfah, and the waqfah location of our Prophet (PBUH) will be evaluated through Jabal al-Rahmah, Mescidü’s- Sahrat, Namirah Mosque, and Wadi Urana. Mescidü’s-Sahrat is the historical area at the foot of Jabal al-Rahmah associated with the Arafat waqfah of our Prophet (PBUH). Later, we will move to Muzdalifah; the Muzdalifah phase of the Farewell Hajj will be explained through Mash'ar al-Haram and Quzah. Our program will continue with Mina. The Jamarat, Masjid al-Khayf, and Masjid al-Bay'ah will be seen; the importance of the Pledges of Aqaba in the Hijra and the establishment of the Medina Islamic community will be explained. Masjid al-Khayf is one of the important mosques in the Mina field where our Prophet (PBUH) stayed during the Farewell Hajj. In the same region, information will be provided about the historical sites of the Mescid-i Kebş and Mescidü’l-Mürselat, which are no longer standing today; the Mecerrü’l-Kebş region associated with the sacrifice incident of Hz. Ibrahim and Hz. Ismail will be shown. On the route, the surviving traces of the Ayn Zubaidah water channels will be seen; the great water system established by Zubaidah Hanım for the water needs of Mecca and the Hajj stages will be explained. In the final part of the program, Mount Nur and the Cave of Hira will be seen panoramically; the period of contemplation of our Prophet (PBUH) before prophethood and the arrival of the first revelation in 610 AD will be explained. After the visits, we will return to our hotel, and the remainder of the day will be allocated for worship.

 Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Kaaba, and after breakfast, we will depart for the Hudaybiyyah and Ji'ranah visits accompanied by our teacher Ömer Ahu. First, we will go to Hudaybiyyah, west of Mecca, in the modern-day Shumaysi region. Here, the Hudaybiyyah process of 6 AH / 628 AD, the sending of Hz. Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) as an envoy to Mecca, the Pledge of Ridwan, and the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah will be explained. The historical well, the Haram boundary, and the geographical basis of the event via the old Mecca-Jeddah road will be evaluated. Hudaybiyyah is located in the region known today as Shumaysi.

Afterwards, we will move to Ji'ranah. Here, the developments after the Battle of Hunayn of 8 AH / 630 AD, the expedition to Awtas and Taif, the Hawazin captives, and the distribution of spoils will be explained; the Umrah performed by our Prophet (PBUH) by entering Ihram from Ji'ranah will be recalled. The Ji'ranah Mosque and the historical well surroundings will also be seen. Thus, the Siyer process extending from Hudaybiyyah to the Conquest of Mecca, and from Hunayn to Ji'ranah, will be handled holistically within the 6–8 AH / 628–630 AD chronology. After the visits, we will return to Mecca, and free time will be allocated for tawaf and worship for the remainder of the day. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Kaaba. After breakfast, accompanied by our teacher Ömer Ahu, we will begin our program to examine the historical fabric of Mecca in the areas of Zi Tuva, Cervel, and Shamiyah. First, the Zi Tuva Valley and the Zi Tuva Well will be visited; the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) stay here upon his arrival in Mecca and the dispatch of the army from this location during the Conquest of Mecca in 8 AH / 630 AD will be recounted. This feature of Zi Tuva is also recorded in the official historical inventory of Mecca. In the same region, the site of the Dome Mosque, the tomb attributed to Mahmud b. Ibrahim b. Edhem, and the area known as the Shefir Mansion will be seen; local narrations will be evaluated by distinguishing them from historically verified information. The program will continue with a visit to the Cervel and Shamiyah regions; information will be provided about the historical site of the Cervel Barracks, built during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II, and its function in the services of the Haramayn. The area where the Agricultural School was established in the later period in Cervel will also be visited, touching upon the history of education and urbanization in Mecca. The Cervel Agricultural School is recorded among the educational initiatives during the period of Sharif Hussein.

Following the visits, free time will be allocated for tawaf, worship, and personal needs. Dinner and overnight stay are at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Kaaba. After breakfast, free time will be allocated for tawaf, recitation of the Holy Quran, and personal worship. We will perform our Friday prayer at Masjid al-Haram. We will not leave the city during the daytime today; Friday will be spent centered around the Haram al-Sharif. After the Isha prayer, a special night tour will be conducted, accompanied by our teacher Ömer Ahu, focusing on the historical regions of Mecca that are less frequently visited in classic tour programs. First, the Jannat al-Mu'alla Cemetery and the Jinn Mosque will be seen; the early Islamic history of Mecca and the ancient cemetery memory, especially regarding Hz. Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her), will be recounted. Then, the route of Wadi Ibrahim, Batha, Ebtah, Muhassib, Hayf-i Beni Kinane, and Masjid al-Ijabah will be followed; the place of these regions in the Siyar, Hajj, and the ancient urban geography of Mecca will be evaluated. Continuing the program, the Conquest of Mecca in 8 AH / 630 AD will be narrated via the Ezahir Hill and the route of the Conquest of Mecca. Along the same route, the area shown as the Ottoman Murakabe Fortress, the point known as the Nuk Mosque, and the Sakkaf/Beyaziyye Palace will be seen; the layers of the city, extending from the Age of Bliss to the Ottoman and recent history of Mecca, will be evaluated together. Following the night program, as we will be departing from the holy lands the next day, we will perform our Farewell Tawaf at an appropriate time under the guidance of our teacher Ömer Ahu. Overnight stay is at our hotel.

Morning prayer will be performed at the Kaaba. After breakfast, the first part of the day will be allocated for worship and personal preparations.

At the time to be announced by our teacher Ömer Ahu and our guide, our luggage will be prepared and hotel check-out procedures will be completed. We will meet in the hotel lobby at the designated time to bid farewell to Makkah al-Mukarramah and depart for Jeddah International Airport in our private vehicle. After ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we will depart for Istanbul at 16:55 with Turkish Airlines flight TK 093. Our program will be completed upon our arrival at Istanbul New Airport at 20:50. Thus, our special Umrah journey, where we followed the traces of our Prophet (PBUH) in the urban fabric of Mecca and Medina, on the migration routes, in the battlefields, in the homes of the Companions, in historical mosques, wells, valleys, and the Ottoman Haramayn heritage, will come to an end. A special Umrah journey where we will experience history not just by listening, but by seeing, walking, and understanding it in its own place, following in the footsteps of our Prophet...