Sheikh Ali al-Bakka Mosque

Sheikh Ali al-Bakka Mosque
مسجد الشيخ علي بكاء
The mosque in 2017
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque
StatusActive
Location
LocationHebron, West Bank
CountryPalestine
Location of the mosque in the West Bank
Interactive map of Sheikh Ali al-Bakka Mosque
Coordinates31°31′42.3″N 35°06′13.5″E / 31.528417°N 35.103750°E / 31.528417; 35.103750
Architecture
StyleMamluk
FounderHusam ad-Din Turuntay
Completed1282
Minaret1

The Sheikh Ali al-Bakka Mosque, also known as the Shaykh Ali al-Baka Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الشيخ علي بكاء), is a 13th-century mosque in the northwestern section of the Old City of Hebron in the southern West Bank, Palestine. It is situated in the Harat ash-Sheikh (or Sheik Ali al-Bakka) quarter, one of the Old City's quarters, which is named after the mosque.[1]

Overview

The mosque was founded by Husam ad-Din Turuntay in 1282 during the reign of Mamluk sultan al-Mansur Qalawun. Turuntay was the representative of the sultan in Jerusalem. The sanctuary is named after Sheikh Ali al-Bakka, a renowned Sufi religious leader from Iraq who lived in Hebron.[2] The minaret was erected by the viceroy and practical strongman of the sultanate, Sayf al-Din Salar (d. 1310).[3]

The original mosque was mostly demolished, however the minaret still stands and is viewed as an exemplary work of Mamluk architecture. Sitting on a rectangular base, its shaft has a hexagonal shape. The minaret base has an arched corridor which leads to the courtyard. In 1978 a new mosque was built on the site, but preserved the remains of the original mosque.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wilson, ca. 1881, vol. 3, p. 195
  2. ^ a b Dandis, Wala (November 7, 2011). "History of Hebron". Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  3. ^ Sharon 1999, p. 60.

Further reading

Media related to Ali al-Bakka Mosque at Wikimedia Commons