Peace be upon you – and welcome to SirahMaps.com, a unique on-line resource dedicated to portraying early Islamic history, geography, and the sīrah (biography) of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) with the use of interactive maps and other audio-visual technology. If you’re new to the site, you may be wondering what you will find here.
Here are just a few of the site’s currently available features that you won’t want to miss:
The Makkah Interactive Map
Our newly developed Interactive Map of Makkah is a historically accurate map that allows you to explore the ancient city of Makkah as it existed during the lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) (570–632 CE).
[Access the free version of the Makkah Map by subscribing to SirahMaps as a Free Member]
The Makkah Interactive Map is not your everyday ordinary map of Makkah, but rather a heavily-researched and precise rendering of the city showing the locations of mountains, valleys, pathways, wells, and other topographic features based on the oldest authentic written sources, including books like Tārīkh Makkah (The History of Makkah), by Abū al-Walīd Aḥmad al-Azraqī (d. 219 or 222 AH / 834 or 837 CE),[1] and Akhbār Makkah fī Qadīm al-Dahr wa-Ḥadīthih (The News of Makkah from the Old Ages until Recent Times), by Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. al-ʿAbbās al-Fākihī (d. 279 AH / 892 CE).
The map can be used for personal study, or in homeschooling or classroom environments to supplement Islamic history lessons and introduce the concept of Islamic geography.
Among the many captivating sites of interest you will see on the map as you explore the city of the Prophet’s birth:
- The Prophet’s Makkan homes, including the home in which the Prophet (ﷺ) was born, and the home in which he lived with his wife, Khadījah bt. Khūwaylid (RA), throughout their long and devoted marriage;
- The cave in which the Prophet (ﷺ) received the first revelations of the Qurʾān;
- 80+ homes (each one labeled with the names of its occupants) in which the Prophet’s neighbors, relatives, Companions, and opponents lived amongst their clans throughout Makkah’s sprawling valley;
- The vibrant marketplaces where Makkah’s residents conducted trade and other business;
- Dār al-Arqam, where Makkah’s early Muslims used to meet in secret to learn about Islām;
- Dār al-Nadwah, where Makkah’s most powerful nobles congregated to make important decisions;
- The valley in which the pagan leaders of Quraysh isolated the Prophet (ﷺ) and his loyal Companions during a vicious boycott and “siege” campaign that lasted for a period of three years;
- Where the Prophet (ﷺ) stood to greet Makkah’s inhabitants as the city was liberated from pagan rule;
- Important Islamic landmarks, such as the Kaʿbah, Maqām Ibrāhīm, and the Well of Zamzam.
PRO Membership
While many of the map’s features are accessible to Free Members, a Pro Membership will allow you to unlock all features of the Makkah Interactive Map, which includes access to all current and future landmarks, along with detailed text descriptions and short biographies of the Prophet’s Companions and other residents of Makkah, voice narrations, and exciting 3D animations to make your experience with the map more enjoyable and memorable. Our tutorials show you how to get started.
Research Articles & Other Exclusive Content
In addition to the map, Pro Members will also gain access to our library of informative research articles and historical analysis posts on our blog, downloadable maps, quizzes, videos, and other exclusive materials, including future maps still under development, such as our Interactive Map of Madīnah.
Like what you see? Subscribe to the site for updates, and kindly consider making a donation to help fund the ongoing development of our work.
Also check out Makkah at the Time of Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH): An Illustrated Reference with Maps of Key Homes, Mountains, and Other Landmarks, a book I wrote to preserve crucial knowledge about Makkah’s history for future generations. This book can be used in combination with the Makkah Interactive Map to teach (and study) the biography of the Prophet (ﷺ), Islamic geography, and other topics of relevance.
[1]. Al-Azraqī is widely regarded as the greatest historian of early Makkah, and was himself both a resident of Makkah as well as a transmitter of authentic (ṣaḥīḥ) ḥadīth.
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