Al-Muallaq Mosque
| Al-Muallaq Mosque | |
|---|---|
المسجد المعلق מסגד אל-מועלק | |
 The mosque in 2009 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Acre, Northern |
| Country | 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 |
| Founder | Zahir al-Umar |
| Completed | 1758 CE (as a mosque) |
| Minaret(s) | One: (partially demolished in 1950) |
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, located in Acre, in the northern district of Israel.
History
[edit]Up until 1746, the structure was used as a synagogue, called the Ramchal Synagogue,[1] by Acre's Jewish residents.[2]
Zahir al-Umar, an Arab ruler of Acre, rebuilt the former synagogue as a mosque in 1758. 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. The Jews owned the building when Zahir chose to transform it into a mosque, but he compensated them by building a synagogue, located in Acre's Jewish quarter.[2] Leftover features of the former synagogue include the niche for the Holy Ark and inscriptions in Hebrew.[3]
Architecture
[edit]The 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.[2] 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 base of the original minaret.[3] The 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,[2][3] A triple-domed portico precedes the prayer hall's entrance.[3] Beside the prayer hall is a smaller room that was used as a library.[2] A stairway beneath a covered entryway leads into the courtyard.[3]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "Acre: Religious and prayer sites". A Guide to Israel. Archived from the original on June 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Sharon, Moshe (1997). Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae (CIAP). Vol. 1. BRILL. p. 38. ISBN 9789004108332 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Muallaq Mosque". ArchNet. n.d. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Al Moaleq mosque, Akko at Wikimedia Commons
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