Great Mosque of Aleppo
Encyclopedia
The Great Mosque of Aleppo (Arabic: جامع حلب الكبير Jāmi‘ Halab al-Kabīr) or the Ummayad Mosque of Aleppo (Masjid al-Umayya bi Halab) is the largest and oldest mosque
in the city of Aleppo
in northern Syria
. The present mosque dates form the 13th century Mamluk period, only the Seljuk minaret of 1090 is older. It is located in its Old City.
The mosque is said to entomb the remains of Zechariah
, father of John the Baptist
.
from the Hellenistic period, which later became the garden for the Cathedral of Saint Helena, during the Christian era rule of Syria.
The mosque, begun about 715, was built on confiscated land that was the Cathedral cemetery. The construction of the earliest mosque on the site was commenced by the Ummayad caliph al-Walid I in 715 and was finished by his successor Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
in 717.
In the second half of the 11th century, the Mirdasids
controlled Aleppo and built a single-domed fountain in mosque's courtyard. The detached 45-meter high minaret of the Great Mosque was restored by the Abul Hasan Muhammad of the Seljuk
s in 1090. The mosque was restored and expanded by the Zengid sultan Nur al-Din in 1169 after a great fire that had destroyed the earlier Ummayad structure; Later, the Mamluk
s made further alterations. Carved Kufic
inscriptions decorate the entire minaret along with alternate with bands of stylized ornaments in patterns and muqarnas
.
In 1260, the entire mosque was razed by the Mongols.
The courtyard and minaret of the mosque were renovated in 2003.
The main prayer hall of the mosque holds the primary elements of the mosque: the shrine of Zechariah
, a 15th century minbar
, and an elaborately carved mihrab
. This large prayer hall originally had a basic straight rooftop with a central dome
, but was replaced by the Mamluk
s with an intricate cross-vaulted system with arches and a small dome over the arcades.
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in the city of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
in northern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The present mosque dates form the 13th century Mamluk period, only the Seljuk minaret of 1090 is older. It is located in its Old City.
The mosque is said to entomb the remains of Zechariah
Zechariah (priest)
In the Bible, Zechariah , is the father of John the Baptist, a priest of the sons of Aaron, a prophet in , and the husband of Elisabeth who is the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus.In the Qur'an, Zechariah plays a similar role as the father of John the Baptist and ranks him as a prophet alongside...
, father of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
.
History
The site of the Great Mosque once was the former AgoraAgora
The Agora was an open "place of assembly" in ancient Greek city-states. Early in Greek history , free-born male land-owners who were citizens would gather in the Agora for military duty or to hear statements of the ruling king or council. Later, the Agora also served as a marketplace where...
from the Hellenistic period, which later became the garden for the Cathedral of Saint Helena, during the Christian era rule of Syria.
The mosque, begun about 715, was built on confiscated land that was the Cathedral cemetery. The construction of the earliest mosque on the site was commenced by the Ummayad caliph al-Walid I in 715 and was finished by his successor Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 715 until 717. His father was Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, and he was a younger brother of the previous caliph, al-Walid I.-Early years:...
in 717.
In the second half of the 11th century, the Mirdasids
Mirdasids
The Mirdasid dynasty was a dynasty that controlled the Amirate of Aleppo more or less continuously from 1024 until 1080.-General Description:...
controlled Aleppo and built a single-domed fountain in mosque's courtyard. The detached 45-meter high minaret of the Great Mosque was restored by the Abul Hasan Muhammad of the Seljuk
Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuq ; were a Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries...
s in 1090. The mosque was restored and expanded by the Zengid sultan Nur al-Din in 1169 after a great fire that had destroyed the earlier Ummayad structure; Later, the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s made further alterations. Carved 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...
inscriptions decorate the entire minaret along with alternate with bands of stylized ornaments in patterns and muqarnas
Muqarnas
Muqarnas is a type of corbel used as a decorative device in traditional Islamic architecture. The term is similar to mocárabe, but mocárabe only refers to designs with formations resembling stalactites, by the use of elements known as alveole.Muqarnas takes the form of small pointed niches,...
.
In 1260, the entire mosque was razed by the Mongols.
The courtyard and minaret of the mosque were renovated in 2003.
Architecture
The Great Mosque is built around a vast courtyard that connects to different areas of the mosque, positioned behind the colonnaded arcade. The courtyard is well-known for its black and white stone pavement that forms complex geometric patterns. The courtyard holds the two ablutions fountains.The main prayer hall of the mosque holds the primary elements of the mosque: the shrine of Zechariah
Zechariah (priest)
In the Bible, Zechariah , is the father of John the Baptist, a priest of the sons of Aaron, a prophet in , and the husband of Elisabeth who is the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus.In the Qur'an, Zechariah plays a similar role as the father of John the Baptist and ranks him as a prophet alongside...
, a 15th century minbar
Minbar
A minbar is a pulpit in the mosque where the imam stands to deliver sermons or in the Hussainia where the speaker sits and lectures the congregation...
, and an elaborately carved mihrab
Mihrab
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...
. This large prayer hall originally had a basic straight rooftop with a central dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
, but was replaced by the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s with an intricate cross-vaulted system with arches and a small dome over the arcades.