Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque

The alleged grave of the Prophet Yunus was discovered by Jalal al-Din Ibrahim al-Khatni during his reconstruction of the site as a congregational mosque in 1365.[1] However, the mosque was also built over a demolished Assyrian Christian church that marked Jonah's grave.[2][3]

In 1924, the minaret was added to the mosque building by a Turkish architect. During Saddam Hussein's rule, the mosque was renovated and expanded.[4]

The mosque had one minaret and a conical ribbed dome. The floors of the mosque were built out of Alabaster and the prayer rooms had arched entrances that were inscribed with Quranic verses.[3]

The alleged tomb of Jonah was located at a corner of the mosque. The sarcophagus believed to be that of Jonah had a wooden zarih built around it.

In addition to Jonah's tomb, a modern shrine which contains the tomb of Shaykh Rashid Lolan is present next to the mosque.[5] This shrine dates back to the 1960s.[5]

On 24 July 2014, the building was blown up by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,[6] damaging several nearby houses. They stated that "the mosque had become a place for apostasy, not prayer."[6]

In March 2017, after ISIL 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.[4]