Al-Omari Grand Mosque

Al-Omari Grand Mosque
Arabic: المسجد العمري الكبير
The mosque in 2008
Al-Omari Grand Mosque is located in Beirut
Al-Omari Grand Mosque
Location of the mosque in Beirut
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
StatusActive
Location
LocationCentral District, Beirut
CountryLebanon
Coordinates33°53′51″N 35°30′19″E / 33.8976°N 35.5052°E / 33.8976; 35.5052
Architecture
ArchitectYoussef Haidar (2004)
Type
Style
Established1291 (as an Islamic community)
Groundbreaking1113 (as a church)
Completed
  • 1115 (as a church)
  • 1291 (as a mosque)
Specifications
DomeThree (estimate)
MinaretTwo

The Al-Omari Grand Mosque (Arabic: المسجد العمري الكبير), known as Jami' Al-Kabir, is a Sunni Islam mosque, located in the central district of Beirut, in Lebanon.

The building has been a place of worship including its original use as a Roman temple, and subsequently as a Roman church during the Byzantine era, it was re-built in 635 ACE during the reign of Islam's second caliph, Umar Bin El Khattab and named in his honor,[1] this mosque was eventually conquered and converted into a Crusader church, before Beirut was conquered by Mamluk Egypt and it was re-converted into a mosque.

History

The Al-Omari Grand Mosque was originally a Roman temple, dedicated to the god Jupiter. The Ancient Roman influence is visible in some of the architectural elements, including the building's columns and foundations.[2]

Al-Omari Grand Mosque interior

During the Byzantine era, the building was made into a Roman basilica that featured intricate mosaics and architectural elements of the Byzantine style.[2] In the 7th century CE, the basilica was converted into a mosque.[2] During the Crusader occupation of Beirut, in the 12th century, the mosque was converted into the Church of Saint John.[2] Similar Romanesque churches with triple apses were built in Tyre and Tartus, using recuperated material such as Roman columns and capitals.[3]

In 1291, the Mamluks captured Beirut from the last crusader states (1099–1291), and under Islamic conquest the church was again converted into a mosque. It was renamed Al-Omari Mosque after the second caliph, and became known as "Jami' Al-Kabir", or the Great Mosque. Its Mamluk-style entrance and domes and minarets were added in 1350, reflecting traces of the former church's Byzantine style.[2][4]

Badly damaged during the Lebanese Civil War, the mosque's refurbishment was completed in 2004,[2] under the direction of Youssef Haidar.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Najem, Tom; Amore, Roy C. (June 15, 2021). Historical Dictionary of Lebanon. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 24. ISBN 979-8-7651-7440-1.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Manasse, Jarred (September 16, 2023). "The History And Content Of The Grand Al-Omari Mosque In The City Of Beirut, Lebanon: Unveiling The Legacy Of A Great Mosque". Encounters Travel. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  3. ↑ Enlart, Camille (1904). "La Cathédrale Saint-Jean de Beyrouth". Société Nationale des Antiquaires de France: centenaire 1804-1904 (in French). Paris: Klincksieck. pp. 121–133.
  4. ↑ Al-Wali, Sheikh Mohammad Taha (1973). Tarikh al-masajid wal jawami' al-sharifa fi Bayrout (in Arabic). Beirut: Dar al-Kotob.
  5. ↑ "AlOmari Grand Mosque". Islamic Architectural Heritage. IRCICA. 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2024.

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