Al-Asha'ir Mosque
14°11′42.6″N 43°19′0.0″E / 14.195167°N 43.316667°E / 14.195167; 43.316667Architecture Type Mosque Style Islamic, Yemeni Completed 10th–11th century Minaret(s) 1
The Al-Asha'ir Mosque (Arabic: جامع الأشاعر or جامع الأشاعرة), is an ancient mosque in the historic city of Zabid, Yemen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1]
History
The mosque is believed to be the oldest in the city.[2] There is disagreement among sources as to whether the mosque was first built by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, a sahabi or companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (7th century).[3] According to historian Noha Sadek, the current mosque is said to have been built by the Ziyadid ruler al-Husayn ibn Salamah (r. 983–1012), who was also responsible for building the city's main Great Mosque.[4][5] Both of these mosques became centers of Islamic scholarship after their construction.[5]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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
- ^ "Historic Town of Zabid". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ Power, Timothy (2012). The Red Sea from Byzantium to the Caliphate: AD 500-1000. Oxford University Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-977-416-544-3.
- ^ Keall, E. J. (1984). "A Preliminary Report on the Architecture of Zabīd". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. 14: 51–65. ISSN 0308-8421. JSTOR 41223013.
- ^ Sadek, Noha (1998). "The mosques of Zabīd, Yemen: a preliminary report". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. 28: 239–245. ISSN 0308-8421. JSTOR 41223630.
- ^ a b Sadek, Noha (2002). "Zabīd". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XI: W–Z. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 370. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
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