President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov visited the holy city of Medina on Thursday as part of his trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Turkmen President was greeted at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport by Governor Faisal bin Salman Al Saud of Medina Province and other Saudi officials. The Head of Turkmenistan then left for the mosque of Prophet Muhammed, the official Turkmen media reports.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the members of his accompanying delegation performed namaz as a sign of reverence for the Islamic shrine.
The Head of Turkmenistan expressed deep gratitude to the officials of the Saudi Arabia for the reception given to the Turkmen delegation on the sacred land – the birthplace of Islam, and left for Turkmenistan.
Prophet Muhammad lived and preached in Medina after his migration (Hijra) from Mecca in 622 AD. The date has a special significance as the Islamic calendar is based on this date. In the city, the Prophet found his numerous new comrades-in-arms, together with whom, eight years later, he returned victoriously to Mecca. Medina became the capital and served as a cradle of the first Muslim state in the history of mankind, from where Islam spread all over the world.
