Great Mosque of Samarra
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| Great Mosque of Samarra | |
 Malwiya Tower with part of the mosque visible to the right |
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| Location | Samarra, Iraq |
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| Nearest city | Baghdad, Iraq |
| Coordinates | 34°12′26″N 43°52′48″E / 34.20722°N 43.88°ECoordinates: 34°12′26″N 43°52′48″E / 34.20722°N 43.88°E |
| Established | 851 |
The Great Mosque of Samarra is a 9th century mosque which is located in the Iraqi city of Samarra. The mosque was commissioned in 848 and completed in 851 by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil who reigned (in Samarra) from 847 until 861.
The Great Mosque of Samarra was at one time the largest mosque in the world; its minaret, the Malwiya Tower, is a vast spiralling cone (snail shaped) 52 meters high and 33 meters wide with a spiral ramp.[1]
The mosque had 17 aisles, and its walls were panelled with mosaics of dark blue glass. It was part of an extension of Samarra eastwards.
On April 1, 2005, the top of the Malwiya minaret was damaged by a bomb. Insurgents reportedly attacked the tower because U.S. troops had been using it as a lookout position. The blast removed pieces of brick from the top of the minaret along its spiral ramp.[2]
The art and architecture of the mosque was influential; stucco carvings within the mosque in floral and geometric designs represent early Islamic decoration. Additionally, the mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Egypt was based on the Samarra mosque in many regards.[3]
The spiral minaret was featured in the U.S. Department of Defense's archaeology awareness playing cards, which were designed to educate and inform U.S. military personnel about the importance of respecting cultural heritage while they were on active service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
[edit] Popular culture
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009) |
In the computer game Civilization IV, by Firaxis, the Great Mosque of Samarra is one of the many wonders you can build. It is called the Spiral Minaret, however. Also in the computer game, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings the wonder for the Saracen civilization is the Great Mosque of Samarra, or is at least based upon it.
[edit] References and notes
- ^ See Historic Mosques site.
- ^ See BBC article concerning damage to the mosque.
- ^ Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. "Islamic architecture in Cairo: an introduction." American University in Cairo Press: 2005. 51-57
[edit] External links
- The Great Mosque, Samarra, Iraq
- Photo of The Great Mosque
- Photo and information
- Photos, floor plans, and information
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