Al-Muallaq Mosque

al-Muallaq Mosque
View of the mosque from the market
Shown within Israel
Basic information
Location Israel Acre, Israel
Geographic coordinates 32°55′15″N 35°04′08″E / 32.920849°N 35.068963°E / 32.920849; 35.068963Coordinates: 32°55′15″N 35°04′08″E / 32.920849°N 35.068963°E / 32.920849; 35.068963
Affiliation Islam
District North
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural style Ottoman
Completed 1758
Minaret(s) 1

The al-Muallaq Mosque (Arabic: المسجد المعلق‎ Masjid Al-Muallaq, Hebrew: מסגד אל-מועלק‎ Misgad Al-Muallak) also known as the Mosque of Zahir al-Umar (Arabic: مسجد ظاهر العمر‎‎‎‎‎) is a mosque in Acre, Israel.

History

The mosque was built in 1758 by the Arab ruler of Acre, Zahir al-Umar. It was built in a courtyard on the site of a structure commissioned by the Crusaders and which later became the gate to the Genoaese quarter of the city. Up until 1746, the structure was used as a synagogue by Acre's Jewish residents,[1] called the Ramchal Synagogue.[2] The Jews still owned the building when Zahir chose to transform it into a mosque, but compensated them with a different building located in Acre's Jewish quarter.[1] Leftover features of the synagogue include the niche for the Holy Ark and inscriptions in Hebrew.[3]

Architecture

The mosque is positioned along the edge of Acre's Old City market, situated between Khan al-Umdan and Khan al-Ifranj, and is risen over the street.[1] From the outside, the main indicators of the mosque are its low-lying dome and the round base of its former minaret.[3] The mosque's entrance is located beneath the original minaret's base.[3] This minaret was demolished by the municipality of Acre in 1950, citing a public safety risk.[3] The body of the mosque is mainly constituted by a large, square-shaped prayer hall,[1][3] A triple-domed portico precedes the prayer hall's entrance.[3] Beside the prayer hall is a smaller room that is currently used as a library.[1] A stairway beneath a covered entryway leads into the courtyard.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sharon, 1997, p. 38.
  2. ↑ "Acre: Religious and prayer sites". Archived from the original on 2009-06-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Muallaq Mosque". ArchNet. Retrieved 2008-12-31.

Bibliography

  • Sharon, Moshe (1997), Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae (CIAP), 1, BRILL, ISBN 9789004108332
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