Medina vs Tirana Municipally

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Medina, officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (Arabic: المدينة المنورة‎, romanized: al-Madinat al-Munawwarah, lit. 'The Enlightened City'), commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah, is one of the three holiest cities in Islam and the capital of the Medina Region of Saudi Arabia. The 2020 estimated population of the city is 1,488,782, making it the fourth-most populous city in the country. Located at the core of the Madinah Province in the western reaches of the country, the city is distributed over 589 square kilometers (227 square miles), 293 km2 (117 sq. mi.) of which constitutes the city's urban area, while the rest is occupied by the Hejaz mountain range, empty valleys, agricultural spaces, older dormant volcanoes and the Nafud desert. The city is considered to be the second-holiest of three cities in Islamic tradition, the other two being Mecca and Jerusalem. The Masjid al-Nabawi ('Prophet's Mosque') built by Muhammad in 622 CE, is of exceptional importance in Islam and is the site of burial of the last Islamic prophet. Muslims visit his rawdhah in what is known as Ziyarat at least once in their lifetime, although this is not obligatory. The original name of the city before the advent of Islam was Yathrib and it is referred to by the same name in the Qur'an in Chapter 33, al-Ahzab (The Confederates). It was renamed Madīnat an-Nabī (City of the Prophet or The Prophet's City) after Muhammad's death and later al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (The Enlightened City), before being simplified and shortened to its modern name, Madinah (The City), written in English as Medina. Saudi Arabian road signage uses Madinah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah interchangeably.The city is known to have existed for over 1500 years before Muhammad's migration from Mecca, otherwise known as the Hijrah.

Medina was the capital of a rapidly increasing Muslim caliphate under Muhammad's leadership, serving as its base of operations and as the cradle of Islam, where Muhammad's Ummah (Community), composed of the citizens of Madinah, known as the Ansar and those who immigrated with Muhammad, known as the Muhajirun, collectively known as the Sahaba, gained huge influence. Medina is home to three prominent mosques, namely al-Masjid an-Nabawi, Masjid Quba'a, and Masjid al-Qiblatayn, with the masjid at Quba'a being the oldest in Islam. A larger portion of the Qur'an was revealed in Medina in contrast to the earlier Meccan surahs.Much like most of the Hejaz, Medina has seen numerous exchanges of power within its comparatively short existence. The region is known to have been controlled by Arabian Jewish tribes (up to the 5th century CE), the 'Aws and Khazraj (up to Muhammad's arrival), Muhammad and the Rashidun (622–660 CE), Umayyads (660–749 CE), Abbasids (749–1254 CE), the Mamluks of Egypt (1254–1517 CE), the Ottomans (1517–1805 CE), the First Saudi State (1805–1811 CE), Muhammad Ali Pasha (1811–1840 CE), the Ottomans for a second time (1840–1918), the Hashemite Sharifate of Mecca (1918–1925 CE) and finally is in the hands of the modern-day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1925–present CE).In addition to visiting for Ziyarah, tourists come to visit the other prominent mosques and landmarks in the city that hold religious significance such as Mount Uhud, Al-Baqi' cemetery and the Seven Mosques among others. Recently, after the Saudi conquest, the Saudis carried out a demolition of several tombs and domes in and around the region fearing these might become sites of association of others in worship beside Allah (shirk).

Source: Wikipedia

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Tirana ((listen) Tih-RAH'n@, Albanian pronunciation: [ti’rana]; Gheg Albanian pronunciation: Tirona), is Albania's capital and largest city. It is situated in central Albania, enclosed by mountains and hills. Dajti rises to the east. A slight valley to its northwest overlooks the Adriatic Sea. The city's location on the Plain of Tirana, and its close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea make it a Mediterranean-influenced climate. It has 2,544 hours of sunshine per year and is one of the sunniest and wettest cities in Europe. Since the Iron Age, the area that now corresponds with the city's territory has been continuously inhabited. It was home to Illyrians and was probably the heart of the Illyrian Kingdom, the Taulantii. Classical Antiquity centered it in the hinterland, Epidamnus. It was annexed to Rome by the Illyrian Wars and made an integral part the Roman Empire. The Mosaics from Tirana are a reminder of the rich heritage of that time.

This site was also used as a location for an Early Christian basilica that was constructed in the 5th-6th centuries. The Byzantine Empire, which succeeded the Roman Empire, took control of most of Albania and built Petrele Castle under Justinian I. It was a small city until the Congress of Lushnje declared it Albania's capital in the 20th century. This was after the Albanian Declaration of Independence of 1912. Tirana, a gamma world-city, is the largest economic, financial and political centre in Albania. This is due to its central location and modern air, maritime and rail transportation. It houses the Government of Albania's seat of power, as well as the official residences for the President and Prime Minister of Albania and the Parliament of Albania. It was named the European Youth Capital in 2022.

Source: Wikipedia