The al-Muallak Mosque (Arabic: المسجد المعلق, romanized: Masjid Al-Muallaq; Hebrew: מסגד אל-מועלק, romanized: Misgad Al-Muallak) also known as the Mosque of Zahir al-Umar (Arabic: مسجد ظاهر العمر) is a mosque in Acre, Israel.
| Al-Muallaq Mosque | |
|---|---|
 The mosque, in 2009 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Acre, Northern, Israel |
  Location of the mosque in Northern Israel | |
| Geographic coordinates | 32°55′15″N 35°04′08″E / 32.920849°N 35.068963°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Islamic architecture |
| Style | Ottoman |
| Completed | 1758 (as a mosque) |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
History
editThe mosque was built in 1758 by the Arab ruler of Acre, Zahir al-Umar. It was built in a courtyard on the site of a structure commissioned by the Crusaders and which later became the gate to the Genoaese quarter of the city. Up until 1746, the structure was used as a synagogue by Acre's Jewish residents,[1] called the Ramchal Synagogue.[2] The Jews still owned the building when Zahir chose to transform it into a mosque, but compensated them with a different building located in Acre's Jewish quarter.[1] Leftover features of the synagogue include the niche for the Holy Ark and inscriptions in Hebrew.[3]
Architecture
editThe mosque is positioned along the edge of Acre's Old City market, situated between Khan al-Umdan and Khan al-Ifranj, and is risen over the street.[1] From the outside, the main indicators of the mosque are its low-lying dome and the round base of its former minaret.[3] The mosque's entrance is located beneath the original minaret's base.[3] This minaret was demolished by the municipality of Acre in 1950, citing a public safety risk.[3] The body of the mosque is mainly constituted by a large, square-shaped prayer hall,[1][3] A triple-domed portico precedes the prayer hall's entrance.[3] Beside the prayer hall is a smaller room that is currently used as a library.[1] A stairway beneath a covered entryway leads into the courtyard.[3]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c d e Sharon, Moshe (1997). Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae (CIAP). Vol. 1. BRILL. p. 38. ISBN 9789004108332 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Acre: Religious and prayer sites". A Guide to Israel. Archived from the original on 2009-06-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Muallaq Mosque". ArchNet. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
External links
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Media related to Al Moaleq mosque, Akko at Wikimedia Commons