Al-Asha'ir Mosque

The Al-Asha'ir Mosque or the Great Mosque of Zabid (Arabic: جامع الأشاعر), is an ancient mosque in the historic city of Zabid, Yemen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1]

Al-Asha'ir Mosque
جامع الأشاعر
Religion
AffiliationIslam
RegionWest Asia
StatusActive
Location
LocationZabid, Yemen
Architecture
TypeMosque
StyleIslamic
Completed629
Specifications
Dome(s)1
Minaret(s)1

The mosque was founded by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, a sahabi or companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, in the year 8 AH or 629 CE. Local tradition claims that the mosque is the fifth-oldest mosque in the history of Islam, making it one of the oldest in the world. The mosque underwent several renovations, but the most important additions were made during the reign of Sultan Al-Mansour Abdul Wahab bin Dawood in the year 1486.

Architecture

The mosque occupies a rectangular area (50.35 x 50.24 m) and contains an open sahn, or courtyard, measuring 11 x 5 square meters. Surrounded by four corridors, the qibla can be accessed through the main gate located on the south side or through the mosque's other doors, which open directly to the qibla hallway. It is worth mentioning that the mihrab is not in the middle of the qibla wall. This is due to the repeated additions to the mosque: for example, a wooden platform inside the wall to the east of the mihrab, a pulpit dating back to the year 1542.

The minaret of the mosque is located above the southern hallway. It has a square base topped by an octagonal body adorned with muqarnas. The minaret is covered by a fortress dome on the top, which is a design common among minarets in Zabid.

The mosque has a wooden chair that was dedicated to the reading of the Prophet's Hadith and is still in the qibla hallway to this day since the date of its creation in the year 927.

The Mosque of Al-Asha'ir also functioned as an Islamic university where students from all over Yemen and the Islamic world lived and studied.

See also

References
  1. 611. UNESCO
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