Mausoleum of Yahya Abu al-Qasim

Mausoleum of Yahya Abu al-Qasim

Mausoleum of Yahya Abu al-Qasim (Arabic: مرقد الامام يحيى أبو القاسم‎) was a historic shrine in Mosul, Iraq. The shrine was located in Al-Shifa' neighborhood on the riverbank of the Tigris, nearby the Bash Tapia Castle. It was initially constructed on top of the tomb of Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Fatah bin Sayeed al-Kari al-Mosuli in 799. The mausoleum and its walls were decorated with marble engravings and decorations, and topped by the conical dome with muqarnas decorated inside. The mausoleum and the attached mosque were destroyed in 1218 but immediately reconstructed in 1239 during the reign of the Zangid ruler Badr al-Din Lu'lu'. During the reconstruction, inscriptions were installed in the southern part of the building, and the new madrasa was attached to the southern part as well. The madrasa and the shrine no longer exist except the room topped by the conical dome. In 2001, the new mosque was built next to the mausoleum, and the area size reached around 1000 square meters. The architectural design is considered to be based on Seljuk architecture, including the columns, mihrab, and conical dome.^[1]

In 1916, the cultural conservation in Iraq had installed two pillars on the terrace of the western wall which faces the river, as there was a concern of collapsing due to the cracks were seen on the building since 1907. The latest restoration work was conducted during 1997-1999. However, in 2014, the whole mausoleum was destroyed by the explosive device, claimed by soldiers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant as a part of the campaign to purge all the historic mausoleums and shrines in Mosul.^[2][3]

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