Mosques and shrines of Mosul
Encyclopedia
This article concerns the mosques and shrines of Mosul
, Iraq
.
after he freed Mosul in the reign of Caliph umar ibn Al-Khattab. The only part still extant is the remarkably elaborate brickwork 52 m high minaret
that leans like the Tower of Pisa, called Al-Hadba (The Humped).
(the great Tunisian traveller) found a marble fountain there and a mihrab (the niche that indicates the direction of Mecca
) with a Kufic
inscription.
Younis "Biblical Jonah
", the son of Amittai
, from the 8th century BC which is believed to be the burial place of him, and where king Esarhaddon had once built a palace.
This old shrine
standing on the site of a Christian church is a stone's throw from the built-up walls and gates of Nineveh
.
In the middle of the mosque stood a sepulcher, covered with a Persian
carpet
of silk and silver, and at the four corners, great copper candlesticks with wax tapers, besides several lamps and ostrich shells that hung down from the roof. A whale's tooth, appropriate to Jonah's well-known adventure at sea, is said to be preserved there.
It is one of the most important mosques in Mosul and one of the few historic mosques that are found in the east side of the city.
.
, it known for its conical dome, decorative brick-work and calligraphy engraved in Mosul blue marble, 13th century.
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
The Umayyad Mosque
The first ever in the city, built in 640 AD by Utba bin Farqad Al-SalamiUtba bin Farqad Al-Salami
Utba bin Farqad Al-Salami was a General under Muslim Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab. He is primarily known as the leader of the Muslim Army that conquered the city of Mosul from Sassanid Persia in 637....
after he freed Mosul in the reign of Caliph umar ibn Al-Khattab. The only part still extant is the remarkably elaborate brickwork 52 m high minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
that leans like the Tower of Pisa, called Al-Hadba (The Humped).
The Great (Nuriddin) Mosque
Built by Nuriddin Zanki in 1172 AD next door to the Umayyad Mosque. Ibn BattutaIbn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
(the great Tunisian traveller) found a marble fountain there and a mihrab (the niche that indicates the direction of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
) with a Kufic
Kufic
Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa, Iraq, although it was known in Mesopotamia at least 100 years before the foundation of Kufa. At the time of the emergence of...
inscription.
The Mosque of the Prophet Yunus or Younis (Jonah)
On one of the two most prominent mounds of Nineveh ruins, rises the Mosque (an Nestorian-Assyrian Church before) of prophetProphet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Younis "Biblical Jonah
Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
", the son of Amittai
Amittai
- In Islam :Amittai is also mentioned in Islam in Prophet Muhammad's Hadith, in which Muhammad emphasizes upon the belief that all prophets are equal in their importance and greatness:...
, from the 8th century BC which is believed to be the burial place of him, and where king Esarhaddon had once built a palace.
This old shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
standing on the site of a Christian church is a stone's throw from the built-up walls and gates of Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
carpet
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
of silk and silver, and at the four corners, great copper candlesticks with wax tapers, besides several lamps and ostrich shells that hung down from the roof. A whale's tooth, appropriate to Jonah's well-known adventure at sea, is said to be preserved there.
It is one of the most important mosques in Mosul and one of the few historic mosques that are found in the east side of the city.
The Mujahidi Mosque
This dates back to 12th century AD, and is distinguished for its beautiful dome and elaborately wrought mihrabMihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
.
The Mosque of the Prophet Jerjis (Georges)
Believed to be the burial place of the prophet Jerjis. It is built of marble with beautiful reliefs and renovated last in 1393 AD. It was mentioned by the explorer Ibn Jubair in the 12th century AD, and is believed also to embrace the tomb of Al-Hur bin Yousif. The court of the ruler at time of Ummaveet ( Bany ummayya ) is thought to be not far from this mosque.Mashad Yahya Abul Kassem
On the right bank of the TigrisTigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
, it known for its conical dome, decorative brick-work and calligraphy engraved in Mosul blue marble, 13th century.