The Islamic monuments and historical buildings of
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
are of varied ages. They are usually mosques and shrines, but there are also
Hussainiya
A ḥosayniya or hussainiya (Arabic: حسينية ''husayniyya''), also known as an ashurkhana, imambargah, or imambara, is a congregation hall for Twelver Shia Muslim commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Mourning of M ...
hs, fortresses and
madrasahs
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , Plural, pl. , ) is the Arabs, Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. T ...
. Muslims of Mosul are predominantly followers of
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...
, with a minority of
Shia Muslims
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...
.
Mosul Grand Mosque
The largest
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
of
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. It was previously called Saddam Mosque in the name of the Iraqi president
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
. It is situated in the Taqafah district bordering the
Tigris
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
river near the
Nineveh
Nineveh (; akk, ; Biblical Hebrew: '; ar, نَيْنَوَىٰ '; syr, ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ, Nīnwē) was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq. It is located on the eastern ban ...
archeological site. Its construction started during the Saddam Hussein regime, but works were interrupted because of the political instability in the country and it remains incomplete to this day. Reportedly the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
offered to finance the completion of the mosque on condition of the mosque being renamed Zayed Mosque in the name of the UAE Emir
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, زَايِد بِن سُلْطَان آل نَهْيَان, Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati politician, statesman, and philanthropist who served as ...
but the offer was refused.
Great Mosque of Nur al-Din
The Great Mosque was originally built under
Nur al-Din al-Zangi Atabeg of
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
, who occupied Mosul in 1170 after taking control from his brother Saif el Din Ghazi bin Qutb al-Din al Zingi. It may have been a development of a previous Mosque. All that remains from this complex are the
minaret
A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گلدسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
, two
mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
s, an inscribed marble slab, and some
stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
decoration.
The elaborate 52′ (15.5m) brick
minaret
A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گلدسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
that leans like the
Tower of Pisa is called ''Al-Hadba'' (The Humped).
The Great Mosque was destroyed 21 June 2017, in what Iraqi forces claim to be by ISIL.
Mosque of the Prophet Jonah
![NiniveNabiYunisMinaret](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/NiniveNabiYunisMinaret.jpg)
On one of the two most prominent mounds of
Nineveh
Nineveh (; akk, ; Biblical Hebrew: '; ar, نَيْنَوَىٰ '; syr, ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ, Nīnwē) was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq. It is located on the eastern ban ...
's ruins rose the Mosque of the prophet
Jonah
Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th cent ...
, the son of
Amittai
Amittai (; he, אֲמִתַּי, ''ʾÁmītay'', "true"; or "my truth" la, Amathi; ar, مَتّىٰ, Mattā) was the father of the Prophet Jonah. He was also a native of Gath-hepher.
In the Bible
Amittai is only mentioned twice in the Bible, in ...
. When built, the mosque replaced an
Assyrian Church Assyrian Church may refer to:
* Chaldean Catholic Church, an Eastern Christian church founded by and composed of ethnic Assyrians entered into communion with Rome.
* Assyrian Church of the East, an Eastern Christian church.
* Ancient Church of the ...
believed to be the burial place of Jonah and called Jonah's Tomb. Also, Assyrian
King Esarhaddon (681–669 BC) previously built a palace on the site.
This
shrine
A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...
on the site of a Christian church was a short distance away from the built-up walls and gates of Nineveh. In the middle of the mosque stood a
sepulcher
A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immureme ...
, covered with a
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
carpet of silk and silver, and at the four corners, great copper candlesticks with wax tapers, besides several lamps and
ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...
eggshells that hung down from the roof. A
whale
Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and ...
's tooth, appropriate to Jonah's well-known adventure at sea, was said to be preserved there. A saint named Sheikh Rashid Lolan was also buried at the mosque under a domed tomb.
It was one of the most important mosques in Mosul and one of the few historic mosques in the east side of the city.
On 24 July 2014, the building was blown up by the Islamic State,
damaging several nearby houses. They stated "the mosque had become a place for
apostasy
Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that i ...
, not prayer."
[
In March 2017, after ISIS was driven out, a system of tunnels about one kilometre long were found under the mosque. Although all moveable items had been removed there were still Assyrian reliefs, structures and carvings along the walls.]
Green Mosque
The Green Mosque dates back to 12th century AD, and is distinguished for its dome and elaborately wrought mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
. It is also known as the Al-Khidr Mosque. On 26 February 2015 the mosque was destroyed by explosives by ISIL.
Mosque of Jerjis (Saint George)
The Mosque of Jerjis is believed by Muslims to be the burial place of Jerjis (known in Christianity as Saint George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
). It was made of marble with beautiful reliefs and was last renovated in 1393. The explorer Ibn Jubair
Ibn Jubayr (1 September 1145 – 29 November 1217; ar, ابن جبير), also written Ibn Jubair, Ibn Jobair, and Ibn Djubayr, was an Arab geographer, traveller and poet from al-Andalus. His travel chronicle describes the pilgrimage he made to M ...
mentioned it in the 12th century, and it is believed also to contain the tomb of Al-Hur bin Yousif. The court of the Umayyad ruler at the time, is thought to be not far from this mosque.
On 27 July 2014, the Jerjis Mosque was destroyed by Islamic State.
Mausoleum of Yahya Abu al-Qasim
Situated on the right bank of the Tigris
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
, it is known for its conical dome, decorative brickwork and calligraphy engraved in Mosul blue marble of the 13th century.
On 23 July 2014, the Mausoleum of Yahya Abu al-Qasim was destroyed by Islamic State.
Mosque of Imam Bahir
The Imam Al-Bahir Mosque was a historic mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
in the city of Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
, Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. It was also known as Jami-Imam-bahir. The mosque was commissioned by the Zangid
The Zengid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Oghuz Turkic origin, which ruled parts of the Levant and Upper Mesopotamia on behalf of the Seljuk Empire and eventually seized control of Egypt in 1169. In 1174 the Zengid state extended from Tripoli to ...
ruler Badr al-Din Lu'lu'
Badr al-Din Lu'lu' ( ar, بَدْر الدِّين لُؤْلُؤ) (died 1259) (the name Lu'Lu' means 'The Pearl', indicative of his servile origins) was successor to the Zengid emirs of Mosul, where he governed in variety of capacities from 1234 ...
in the same year of his death. It contained the tomb of Imam al-Baher, which was situated next to the prayer hall. The door to the shrine was made by blue marbles, and the ledges made of marble had the Throne Verse
The Throne verse ( ar, آيَةُ ٱلْكُرْسِيِّ, ''Ayat Al-Kursi'') is the 255th verse of the 2nd chapter of the Quran, Al-Baqarah ( Q2:255). The verse speaks about how nothing and nobody is regarded to be comparable to Allah.
This ...
of the Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sin ...
inscribed on it. A mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
existed to the south of the tomb, and it was also made of blue marbles and adorned with the Qur'anic verses. The prayer hall was topped by a green 17 meters dome. In 2014, the mosque was destroyed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ' ...
by explosives.
Mosque and tomb of the Prophet Seth
A mosque and shrine to Seth
Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. A ...
existed in the city but was destroyed on 26 July 2014 by Islamic State.
Shrine of Al-Nabi Danyal (Daniel)
The tomb of Prophet Daniel
Daniel (Aramaic and he, דָּנִיֵּאל, translit=Dānīyyēʾl, lit=God is my Judge; gr, Δανιήλ, translit=Daniḗl, translit-std=ALA-LC; ) is the main character of the Book of Daniel. According to the Hebrew Bible, Daniel was a n ...
in Mahallat al-Ahmadiyya, West Mosul, was destroyed by ISIL. Before destruction, the shrine had a small green dome and underneath the dome, a sarcophagus draped with green cloth.
Mosque of Hema Kado/ Hamu Al-Qadu
Hema Kado Mosque, an Ottoman-era mosque in Mosul's central square, also known as Hamu Al-Qadu Mosque or Mosque of the Pasha and dating from 1881 was destroyed by Islamic State, because it contained the tomb of ‛Ala’ al-Din ibn ‛Abd al-Qadir al-Kaylani that was visited every Thursday and Friday by local Muslims.
Mosque of Al-Muhsin
It was a historic mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
in Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
, Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. It was located in Al-Shifa' neighborhood, near the Bash Tapia Castle and in front of the Mausoleum of Yahya Abu al-Qasim. The mosque was initially built as a madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
known as Madrasa al-Nouri, which was commissioned by the Seljuk Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to:
* Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia
* Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities
* Seljuk (warlord) (di ...
ruler Nour ad-Din ibn Ezzadeen in the late-12th century. It became a mausoleum after refurbishment by the Zangid
The Zengid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Oghuz Turkic origin, which ruled parts of the Levant and Upper Mesopotamia on behalf of the Seljuk Empire and eventually seized control of Egypt in 1169. In 1174 the Zengid state extended from Tripoli to ...
ruler Badr al-Din Lu'lu'
Badr al-Din Lu'lu' ( ar, بَدْر الدِّين لُؤْلُؤ) (died 1259) (the name Lu'Lu' means 'The Pearl', indicative of his servile origins) was successor to the Zengid emirs of Mosul, where he governed in variety of capacities from 1234 ...
. He turned one of the rooms into a shrine and mausoleum of Imam Muhsin, and added a musholla
Jamatkhana (from fa, جماعت خانه , literally "congregational place") is an amalgamation derived from the Arabic word ''jama‘a'' (gathering) and the Persian word ''khana'' (house, place). It is a term used by some Muslim communities ar ...
(prayer space) and a minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
. The mausoleum was destroyed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ' ...
in 2015 after an attempt to loot the mosque.
Shrine of Imam Awn-Al Din
The shrine of Imam Awn-Al Din was built by Badr Al-Din Lulu in the Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The first instance of the title's use was wit ...
Period, 646. The shrine was built in a cemetery, surrounded by graves. The structure survived the 13th Century Mongol Invasion.
However in 25 July 2014, the shrine was damaged with explosives planted by ISIL
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
. Before the destruction, bulldozers were also used as well.
Mosque and tomb of Qadib Al-Ban Mosuli
The tomb of Sheikh Qadib Al-Ban Al Mosuli was originally his house, the Saint was buried in his house. The site was reconstructed by Ahmad Ibn Salih in 1123, and rebuilt again in 1358. The tomb and mosque was of Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The first instance of the title's use was wit ...
origin however it was also rebuilt during Ottoman era.
In 2014 ISIL
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
destroyed the structure with explosives.
Mosque of Shaykh Al-Shatt
The structure was a complex of a mosque and shrine. The shrine was originally a Takiyya
A khanqah ( fa, خانقاه) or khangah ( fa, خانگاه; also transliterated as ''khankah'', ''khaneqa'', ''khanegah'' or ''khaneqah''; also Arabized ''hanegah'', ''hanikah'', ''hanekah'', ''khankan''), also known as a ribat (), is a buildin ...
(Sufi lodge) built in the mosque courtyard by Muhammad Efendi al-Afghani, also known as Shaykh Al-Shatt. Muhammad Efendi al-Afghani was buried in the Takiyya, thus the mosque and shrine were also visited. The tomb was destroyed in 2014 by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
. The mosque however, still stands.
Mosques and hussainiyahs
Historical mosques:
* Great Mosque of Al-Nuri
* Mosque of Hamu Al-Qadu
* Mosque of Imam Al-Baher
* Mosque of Imam Abbas (also known as Hussainiya
A ḥosayniya or hussainiya (Arabic: حسينية ''husayniyya''), also known as an ashurkhana, imambargah, or imambara, is a congregation hall for Twelver Shia Muslim commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Mourning of M ...
h Al-Qubba)
* Mosque of Al-Imam Muhsin
* Mosque and shrine of Sheikh Fathi Al-Mawsili
* Mosque of Imam Ibrahim
* Mosque of Shaykh Qadeeb Al-Ban Al-Mawsili
* Sultan Uways Mosque
* Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque
Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque ( ar, جامع النبي يونس, Jami' Al-Nabi Yunus) was a historic mosque located in Mosul, Iraq. It contained a tomb believed to be that of the Biblical prophet Jonah, known as Jonah in Islam, Yunus by Muslims.
Histo ...
* Al-Nabi Shith Mosque
* Al-Nabi Jirjis Mosque
* Mosque of Muhammad Al-Abariqi
* Al-Shahwan Mosque (also known as the Mosque of Shaykh al-Shatt)
Modern mosques:
* Mosul Grand Mosque
* Hussaniyah Al-Faisaliya
Mausoleums and shrines
Large mausoleums:
* Mausoleum of Imam Yahya ibn al-Qasim
* Mausoleum of Imam Awn Al-Din
* Shrine of Al-Nabi Danyal
* Shrine of Abu al-Hawawin
* Shrine of Isa Dadah Al-Jilani
A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ar ...
* Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque (Sinjar)
Small mausoleums:
* Tomb of the Girl (Tomb of Ibn al-Athir
Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ash-Shaybānī, better known as ʿAlī ʿIzz ad-Dīn Ibn al-Athīr al-Jazarī ( ar, علي عز الدین بن الاثیر الجزري) lived 1160–1233) was an Arab or Kurdish historian a ...
)
Miscellaneous
Medieval buildings:
* Bash Tapia Castle
Madrasahs:
* Imam Abdaal Madrasa
See also
* Churches and monasteries of Mosul
Notes
External links
* Illustrated report on the Mosque of the Prophet Jonah / Nabi Yunis and its destruction.
{{Mosques in Iraq
Islam in Mosul
Buildings and structures destroyed by ISIL