His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday acted as patron at a ceremony organized by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to mark Prophet Mohammad's birth anniversary.

The event took place at the Sahaba (Prophet's Companions) Shrines Complex in the small town of South Mazar, 140km south of Amman.

King Abdullah joined worshippers in performing afternoon prayers at the mosque inside the vast complex before key speakers took turns to address the hundreds of people attending the ceremony.

Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdul Salam Abbadi highlighted King Abdullah's efforts in supporting the role of mosques and imams in the nation's religious life and in promoting the true spirit of Islam as a faith of tolerance, dialogue and positive interaction with other cultures and religions.

In his address, former Egyptian Awqaf Minister Al Ahmadi Abul Nur stressed that accepting others regardless of their faith and other differences is inherent in the Islamic faith.

Following the speeches, the King honored Jordanian and Arab donors who contributed to the construction of mosques in the Kingdom. His Majesty presented them with Al Hussein Medal for Distinguished Performance of the First and Second order.

His Majesty the King also visited the shrine of Jaafar Tayyar, the Prophet's cousin and companion who, according to Islamic historical sources, fell martyr in the Muta battle against the Byzantines in 629AD, along with two other key Muslim leaders.

The three were buried near the battlefield and in recent years the Kingdom has embarked on an ambitious project to renovate about 12 religious shrines that are expected to attract more “religious tourists.”

According to Firas Abu Kheit, awqaf director in South Mazar, 50,000 people visit the shrines complex, which is still under renovation.

During Thursday's visit to the complex, King Abdullah toured an exhibition where blueprints and models of the plan were on display.