Great Mosque of Samarra

Great Mosque of Samarra
جَامِع سَامَرَّاء ٱلْكَبِيْر
The minaret and wall of the former mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam (former)
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusCongregational mosque
(851–1278 CE)
Status
  • Inactive (as a mosque)
  • Partially destroyed (1278 CE);
  • (Outer wall and minaret preserved)
Location
LocationSamarra, Saladin Governorate
CountryIraq
Location of the former mosque in Iraq
Geographic coordinates34°12′21″N 43°52′47″E / 34.20583°N 43.87972°E / 34.20583; 43.87972
Architecture
TypeIslamic
StyleAbbasid
FounderAl-Mutawakkil
Groundbreaking234 AH (848/849 CE)
Completed236 AH (850/851 CE)
Destroyed656 AH (1258/1259 CE)
Specifications
Minaret(s)1
Minaret height52 m (171 ft)
MaterialsBricks; marble; glass; sandstone
Official nameSamarra Archaeological City
CriteriaCultural: ii, iii, iv
Reference276
Inscription2007 (31st Session)
Endangered2007-
Area15,058 ha (37,210 acres)
Buffer zone31,414 ha (77,630 acres)

The Great Mosque of Samarra (Arabic: جَامِع سَامَرَّاء ٱلْكَبِيْر; Arabic: مَسْجِد سَامَرَّاء ٱلْكَبِيْر; Arabic: ٱلْمَسْجِد ٱلْجَامِع فِي سَامَرَّاء, lit.'The Congregational Mosque in Samarra') is a former congregational mosque, now in partial ruins, located in Samarra, in the Saladin Governorate of Iraq. The mosque was commissioned in 848 CE and completed in 851 by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil. At the time of construction, it was the world's largest mosque.[1] It is known for its 52-metre-high (171 ft) minaret encircled by a spiral ramp. The former mosque is located within the 15,058-hectare (37,210-acre) Samarra Archaeological City UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 2007.[2]

  1. ^ al-Amid, Tahir Muzaffar (1973). The Abbasid Architecture of Samarra in the Reign of both al-Mu'tasim and al-Mutawakkil. Baghdad: Al-Ma'aref Press. pp. 156–193.
  2. ^ "Unesco names World Heritage sites". BBC News. June 28, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2010.