Uwais al-Qarani Mosque (Arabic: مَسْجِد أُوَيْس ٱلْقَرَنِيّ, romanized: Masjid ʾUways al-Qaranīy) was a Twelver Shi'a mosque in Raqqa, Syria, until it was demolished by the Islamic State on May 31, 2014. It is currently awaiting reconstruction.
| Uwais al-Qarani Mosque مَسْجِد أُوَيْس ٱلْقَرَنِيّ | |
|---|---|
_(38651064386).jpg) | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Twelver Shi'ism |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Location | |
| Location | Raqqa, Syria |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Completed | 2003 |
| Destroyed | 2014 |
History
editDedication
editIt contained the shrines of Ammar ibn Yasir and Owais al-Qarani, who died in the Battle of Siffin in 657, which took place around 40 km (25 miles) west of Raqqa. It was adjacent to the Bab al-Baghdad, another major landmark in the city.[1][2]
Construction
editThe original tombs were located in the old cemetery at the edge of the city. In 1988, Syrian president Hafez al-Assad and the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini, initiated a project to develop a new mosque around the tombs. The work was completed in 2003 and a commemorative plaque credited President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami with completing the project.[3]
Destruction
editIn June 2013, rebel fighters from al-Muntasereen Billah militia were living in the mosque complex.[4] On March 26, 2014, the mosque was blown up by two powerful explosions and completely destroyed by the Islamic State because it was a Shi'a structure. More specifically, it was also built over graves and thus served as a shrine.[5][6][7][8]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar of Sehwan-Sharif - Page 87, Inam Mohammad - 1978
- ^ Religion and politics in Central Asia under Saljûqs - Page 198, Naseem Ahmad - 2003
- ^ "The Shiite crescent eclipsed". Flickr. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ Dziadosz, Alexander (2013-06-21). "Special Report: Deepening ethnic rifts reshape Syria's towns". Reuters. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
- ^ "Islamists bomb Shi'ite shrine in eastern Syria: activists". Reuters. 2014-03-26. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
- ^ "Heritage sites ravaged by Syria's war". Al Jazeera English. 2014-12-24. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
- ^ Avaneesh Pandey (2013-12-26). "Al-Nusra Rebels Demolish 13th Century Tomb In Southern Syria Deemed Un-Islamic By Salafists". Ibtimes.com. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
- ^ Afp (2014-12-24). "War ravages Syria heritage sites". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
 | This article related to Shia Islam is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a mosque or other Islamic place of worship in Syria is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |