Sidna Salama Mosque
| Sidna Salama Mosque | |
|---|---|
 View of the mosque from outside the walled courtyard in 2017. | |
Interactive map of Sidna Salama Mosque | |
| 32°02′59″N 34°48′20″E / 32.0497843°N 34.8055086°E | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Location | Salama, Jaffa |
| History | |
| Built | 1810 (reconstruction; original date of construction unknown) |
| Site notes | |
Architectural style | Ottoman architecture |
The Sidna Salama Mosque (Arabic: مسجد سيدنا سلامة, lit. Masjid Sayyidinā Salāmah, Hebrew: מסגד סידנא סלמה) is an abandoned mosque formerly located in the centre of the now-defunct village of Salama in Mandatory Palestine, five kilometres east of Kfar Shalem in Tel Aviv, Israel.[1][2][3] Although its date of construction is unknown, the present day mosque was rebuilt in 1810 by Muhammad Abu Nabbut, the governor of Jaffa under Ottoman suzerainty.[4] After the 1948 Arab–Israeli conflict, the village of Salama was depopulated and hence resulted in the abandonment of the mosque.[2][3] The ruined structure is currently locked up on all sides and is not accessible to the public.[1][5][6]
Before 1980, the mosque served as a community centre for locals of Salama.[7] It was also an important religious site for the villagers, who held prayers at the mosque for Salama Abu Hashim, the namesake of the mosque.[8] During the mid-1980s, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality sealed up the mosque completely, preventing the usage of the mosque for prayers.[7]
Etymology
The mosque is named after Salama Abu Hashim ibn al-Mughirah, a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who came from the Banu Makhzum tribe, who is known to locals as Sheikh Salama.[9]
Architecture
The layout of the Sidna Salama Mosque is a rectangular plan comprising a prayer hall, courtyard, ablution area, as well as the shrine of Salama Abu Hashim.[10] To the left of the main entrance of the complex is the entrance to the shrine, while the entrance to the main prayer hall of the mosque is located in the centre.[10] To align with Islamic burial customs that forbid the graves from being located behind the qibla of a mosque, the shrine room is located on the left of the main prayer hall, hence preventing the grave from being in the direction of prayer. A simple mihrab is embedded in the wall, flanked by a minbar made out of concrete.[10]
The shrine of Salama Abu Hashim is a square room, topped by a dome that is heavily influenced by Ottoman architecture. The floor is made from polished stone.[10] Despite being a maqam, it does not have traces of a grave or sanduga unlike most maqams, which are built around the tombs of Muslim holy men and ascetics. A second mihrab is present in the southern wall of the shrine as well.[10]
The structure is in a state of severe dilapidation, with damage being caused to the dome in the early 2000s.[6]
See also
References
- 1 2 Kefer, Solma (27 June 2020). "שלמה? סלמה? שלם? של מי הכפר הזה? סיפורו של כפר שלם בת"א" [Shlomo? Selma? Shalem? Whose village is this? The story of Kfar Shalem in Tel Aviv]. Calcalist (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- 1 2 Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948 (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. pp. 254–256. ISBN 9780887282249.
- 1 2 Fenster, Tovi (22 November 2015). "תכנון עם קהילות: עבר, הווה, עתיד - כפר שלם" [Planning with Communities: Past, Present, Future - Kfar Shalem]. Tel Aviv University (in Hebrew).
- ↑ Asba, N.A. (2025). al-Bawāsil: Ḥikāyat Basālat Ahlī Balda Salama, Qaḍāʾ Yāfā [The Brave Ones: Tales of the Bravery of My People, My Country, Salama, Jaffa District] (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Amman, Jordan: Jordanian National Library. pp. 31–34.
- ↑ "כפר שלם" [Shalem Village]. iNature (in Hebrew). 21 August 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- 1 2 Levy, Gideon (31 August 2012). "Arab villages, bulldozed from our memory". Haaretz. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- 1 2 Yacov, Doron (15 June 2023). "From Salama to Kfar Shalem: How Mizrahim fit into the ongoing Nakba". 972 Magazine. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ Asba, N.A. (2025). al-Bawāsil: Ḥikāyat Basālat Ahlī Balda Salama, Qaḍāʾ Yāfā [The Brave Ones: Tales of the Bravery of My People, My Country, Salama, Jaffa District] (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Amman, Jordan: Jordanian National Library. p. 36.
- ↑ Clemont-Gannaeau, Charles (1896). Archaeological researches in Palestine during the years 1873-1874 (1st ed.). London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. pp. 160–161.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Petersen, Andrew (2001). A Gazetteer of Buildings in Muslim Palestine (Digitzed ed.). Council for British Research in the Levant. pp. 270–273. ISBN 9780197270110.
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