Easy Guide to the Best Gate by Location

Masjid Nabawi gates come in two sets: 42 numbered doors into the mosque building and 70 courtyard gates numbered 301 to 370 around the outside. The Rawdah entrance, for men and women at separate times, is on the south side of the old mosque near Makkah Gate 37. For food, head to Gate 340. For taxis and buses, use Gate 333.

That’s the short version. The longer version matters because the Prophet’s Mosque is huge, the crowds after a prayer move fast, and every gate looks a lot like the one next to it. Come out the wrong side, and a five-minute walk to your hotel can turn into twenty.

We run Furni, a karak chai and paratha café, a short walk from Gate 329, so we see the gates every day. This guide covers which gate gets you closest to the places pilgrims actually want to reach and how to stop yourself from getting turned around.

Why do the Masjid Nabawi gates seem to contradict each other?

Gate numbers seem to clash because there are two separate systems. The mosque’s own multilingual visitor map (download a PDF copy) numbers the doors into the building from 1 to 42 and the courtyard gates around the outside from 301 to 370. Many doors also carry historic names, so Door 1 is Bab al-Salam and Door 41 is Bab al-Baqi’.

Both sets run clockwise. Door 1 sits on the west side of the old mosque, and the numbers climb through the north and east before ending on the south side at 42. The courtyard gates do the same, starting at 301 in the Southern Courtyard and working round to 370. That’s why one guide calls Bab al-Baqi’ “gate 41” while another says the Baqi side has “gates 28 to 35”. Both are right: one is a single historic door, the other is the run of doors along the eastern wall.

Two more things the map makes clear. First, the courtyards are colour-coded: green for the south, orange for the west, red for the north, blue for the east and purple for the south-west corner. Second, the numbers 201 to 236 on the courtyard blocks aren’t gates. They mark restroom and underground parking blocks, so don’t arrange to meet anyone at “Gate 229”. If someone gives you a courtyard gate, it’ll always start with a 3.

Which named Masjid Nabawi gates are worth knowing?

Signs inside the courtyards often use a door’s name rather than its number, so it helps to know both. These are the main named doors, with their side of the building taken from the visitor map. Several of the big gates span two or three numbered doors.

Names come from Taqwa Tours’ gate guide and the Madain Project, checked against the door positions on the visitor map.

Which gate is closest to the Rawdah?

The mosque’s visitor map marks one entrance to the Rawdah for both men and women. It sits on the south side of the old mosque, reached from the Southern Courtyard, between Bab Makkah (Door 37) and Bab al-Baqi’ (Door 41). That matches Saudi Gazette’s report on the current visiting rules, which places the Rawdah entrance in the southern courtyards, directly in front of Makkah Gate 37.

You’ll still see older guides sending women to Gate 25, Bab Uthman ibn Affan. Door 25 is on the north side of the building, nowhere near the marked Rawdah entrance. Men and women do share the entrance, but at different times.

Even so, the gate on your Nusuk permit beats anything you read online, including this page. Rules for the Rawdah get updated, and the permit reflects the arrangement for your slot.

A few things are worth knowing before you go (checked October 2026):

• You need a permit. Entry to the Rawdah requires a free permit booked through the Nusuk app. The same report says you can book once every 365 days or use the Instant Track option when you’re physically near the mosque.
• Men and women go separately. They have different time slots and different gates, so a family can’t go in together.
• Give yourself time. There’s a queue and a security check before you even reach the Rawdah. Arriving right on your slot time is risky.

If your family is splitting up for separate slots, agree on a meeting gate before anyone leaves. We’ll come back to that below, because it saves more stress than almost anything else in this guide.

Which gates are nearest the Green Dome and Jannat al-Baqi?

The two gates people mean when they talk about the Green Dome are Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Baqi’. They sit on opposite sides of the oldest part of the mosque, the Ottoman-era prayer hall.

Bab al-Salam (Door 1) is on the western side. It’s the best-known gate of the Prophet’s Mosque, and the Madain Project describes it as the most notable of the three western doors into the old section.

Bab al-Baqi’ (Door 41) is on the eastern side, facing the Jannat al-Baqi graveyard. It’s the closest door to the Prophet’s ﷺ chamber and lines up directly with Bab al-Salam. One of its jobs is to let people leave after giving salam.

If you’re a man going to give a salam or salawaat, look for the separate visitation entrance. The visitor map marks an entrance for men to offer salawaat upon the Prophet ﷺ in the middle of the southern courtyard, apart from the Rawdah entrance.

For Jannat al-Baqi itself, use the Eastern Courtyard. Its gates run from 344 to 364, and the ones in the 350s and low 360s face the graveyard most directly. Remember that after giving salam, you’ll usually come out on this eastern side. Heading back to a hotel in the west? Plan for a longer walk round.

Masjid Nabawi gates for women: where should you enter?

Women have their prayer areas in the northern half of the building, shaded pink on the mosque’s visitor map. You can enter the Women’s Western Section through doors 12 to 17, and the Women’s Eastern Section through doors 23 to 31. Each has a women’s courtyard outside it, on the western and eastern sides.

The map also marks two entrances to the old mosque for women: one on the north side and one on the east. Women’s sections can be rearranged at very busy times, though, so the signs on the day are what count.

There’s also a historical gate you’ll hear about: Bab an-Nisa, the “Gate of Women”. It’s Door 39, in the eastern wall of the old mosque, and dates back to the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab, who set it aside for women. Today it’s a beautiful piece of history, but don’t assume it’s where the women’s prayer area begins.

One practical tip if you’re travelling as a couple or a family: the men’s and women’s areas can be a long way apart. Pick a courtyard gate as your meeting point. “Outside the mosque” covers a lot of ground.

Quick lookup: which among Masjid Nabawi gates is closest to which place?

Most of the places pilgrims look for are reached through the courtyard gates. This table follows the mosque’s visitor map, working clockwise from the Southern Courtyard. Shops, food courts and the transport hub come from a courtyard gate guide reported by the Associated Press of Pakistan in June 2026.

Learn the colours as well as the numbers and you’ll rarely go far wrong. If you’re staying a few days, 333 and the 304/305 pair are worth memorising first.

How do you avoid getting lost around the gates?

Take a photo of your gate number every time you go in. It sounds almost too simple, but the mosque authorities themselves recommend it, according to the same June 2026 report. After Isha, with thousands of people pouring out at once, that photo is your way home.

A few other habits help:

1. Learn your hotel’s gate on day one. Ask at reception which gate they use, then walk the route once in daylight.
2. Agree on a meeting gate before you split up. This matters most for Rawdah visits, where men and women go at different times. Use a courtyard number, like “Gate 329”, rather than a landmark.
3. Expect to leave by a different side. If you’ve given salam and come out near Bab al-Baqi’, you’re on the east. Don’t head off assuming you’re where you started.
4. Watch the crowd at Jumu’ah and in Ramadan. Busy prayers can push you towards whichever exit is moving. Stop, find a gate number, then decide.

We see the results of these actions ourselves. Every so often, a customer finds their way to Furni after leaving by a gate they never meant to use. A photo of the gate number on the way in would have saved them a fair bit of walking.

Which gate is closest to Furni?

Gate 329 is the closest among Masjid Nabawi gates to Furni. It’s on the north side of the mosque, in the Northern Courtyard facing King Fahd Road, so look for the red gate signs. Gate 329 sits between Gate 328, which is by the Quran distribution centre, and Gate 330, the busy shopping exit. From there, we’re about a four-minute walk.

We’re open 24 hours a day and close only during salah. So whether you’ve just finished Fajr or you’re filling the gap between Dhuhr and Asr, there’s a hot karak chai or a fresh paratha burger waiting. Every drink and dish is made with Zamzam water. Have a look at our menu before you come, or read about quick refreshments after Fajr in Madinah.

If this is your first trip, snap a photo of Gate 329 on your way out. It makes the walk back for the next prayer that much easier.

Get directions to Furni from Gate-329

FAQs about Masjid Nabawi gates

How many Masjid Nabawi gates are there?

The mosque’s visitor map shows 112 numbered gates: 42 doors into the building (1 to 42) and 70 courtyard gates (301 to 370). Guides that say “42 gates” are counting only the building doors. For getting around, the count matters much less than knowing the two or three gates you’ll actually use.

Can I enter the Rawdah from any gate?

No. You need a Nusuk permit, and you enter at your booked time. The visitor map marks a single Rawdah entrance for men and women on the south side of the old mosque, near Makkah Gate 37. If your permit lists a different gate, please follow it.

Which gate is best for elderly or disabled visitors?

Gate 333 is a good place to start. It has an electric buggy terminal for elderly and disabled pilgrims, plus pick-up points for taxis and buses. The visitor map also marks wheelchair distribution points, accessible restrooms and lifts to the roof. For the Rawdah, the Saudi Gazette report notes that elderly visitors may enter in a manual wheelchair.

Is Bab al-Salam the same as Gate 1?

Yes. On the visitor map, Door 1 is on the west side of the old mosque, where Bab al-Salam stands. Bab al-Baqi’ is Door 41, directly opposite on the east side.