Mansouri Great Mosque
Grand Mansouri Mosque المسجد المنصوري الكبير | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Islam |
Location | |
Location | Tripoli, Lebanon |
Geographic coordinates | 34°26′4.2″N 35°50′33.0″E / 34.434500°N 35.842500°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Mosque |
Style | Norman and Mamluk |
Completed | 1298 |
Specifications | |
Dome(s) | 1 |
Minaret(s) | 2 |
The Mansouri Great Mosque or Grand Mansouri Mosque (Arabic: المسجد المنصوري الكبير) is a mosque in Tripoli, Lebanon, also known as the Great Mosque of Tripoli. It was built in the Mamluk period, from 1294 to 1298.[1][2][3] This was the first building to be erected in Mamluki Tripoli. [4]
History
[edit]The Grand Mansouri Mosque is one of the most important parts of historic Mamluk Tripoli. It was begun by Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil in 1294 AD, five years after his father, Sultan Al-Mansur Qalawun, defeated the Crusaders and conquered the city in 1289.[5]: 18 [6] Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad, another son of Qalawun, added the vaulted corridors around the courtyard in 1314, giving the mosque its current shape.[5]: 18
The Grand Mansouri Mosque was built on the ruins of an earlier Crusader church. The current minaret tower was probably part of the Church of St. Mary, possibly with Lombard elements. The mosque's main entrance also appears to incorporate a former Crusader church gate. The rest of the mosque, however, is a Muslim creation dating from after the Mamluk conquest of the city.[5]: 23–25
Six madrasas were built around the mosque during the Mamluk period: al-Khayriyya Hasan (circa 1309 or after), al-Qartawiyya (founded circa 1326), al-Shamsiyya (1349), al-Nasiriyya (1354–60), and al-Nuriyya (14th century), and an unidentified "Mashhad" Madrasa.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
The mosque also served as a community center for the city's population. This role would continue to the present day.[citation needed]
Architecture
[edit]The mosque has a square shape and an area of 3224 sq meter. It is not heavily ornate compared to other Mamluk-era mosques in the city, like the Taynal Mosque. It is characterized by its simple, clear design. The center has a square pavilion under which is a water basin for ablution (wudu).
Relics
[edit]To the right of the prayer hall is a small space called "The Room of the Holy Sepulcher". This room allegedly includes a hair of Muhammad in a box made out of pure gold.
References
[edit]- ^ Dictionary of Islamic Architecture By Andrew Petersen, Routledge,2002. p.1294
- ^ Saliba, R., Jeblawi, S., and Ajami, G., Tripoli the Old City: Monument Survey - Mosques and Madrasas; A Sourcebook of Maps and Architectural Drawings, American University of Beirut Publications, Beirut, Lebanon, 1995.
- ^ "Mansouri, Tripoli - Lebanon (Beryte.com)". Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
- ^ Great Mosque of Tripoli Archived 2009-01-06 at the Wayback Machine. Archnet Digital Library.
- ^ a b c Salam-Liebich, Hayat (1983). The Architecture of the Mamluk City of Tripoli. Cambridge, MA: Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture.
- ^ Mahamid, Hatim (2009). "Mosques as higher educational institutions in Mamluk Syria". Journal of Islamic Studies. 20 (2): 188–212. doi:10.1093/jis/etp002.
- ^ Mahamid, Hatim (2009). "Mosques as higher educational institutions in Mamluk Syria". Journal of Islamic Studies. 20 (2): 188–212. doi:10.1093/jis/etp002.
- ^ Mohamad, Danah (2020). Review of the Development and Change of Tripoli Bazaar in Lebanon (PDF). Bursa Uludağ University (Master's thesis). p. 81.
- ^ "Qantara - Madrasa al-Qartâwîyya". www.qantara-med.org. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
- ^ "Madrasa al-Nasiriyya". Archnet. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
- ^ "Madrasa Khayriyya Hasan". Archnet. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
- ^ "Madrasa al-Nuriyya". Archnet. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
- ^ "Anonymous Mashhad". Archnet. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
External links
[edit]- page for the Mosque at the Tripoli tourist site Archived 2019-01-24 at the Wayback Machine, based on NINA JIDEJIAN, Tripoli Through the Ages, Dar El-Mashreq Publishers, Beirut
- Take a 3D virtual tour inside the Mosque Done by Props Solutions 2019, a Matterport Service partner in Lebanon and the region.