Great Mosque of Samarra

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. 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. 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. 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. See BBC article concerning damage to the mosque. "Islamic architecture in Cairo: an introduction." American University in Cairo Press: 2005. 51-57

The Great Mosque of Samarra is a ninth-century mosque located in Samarra , Iraq . 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, for a time, the largest mosque in the world; its minaret , the Malwiya Tower, is a spiralling cone 52 meters high and 33 meters wide with a spiral ramp. The reign of al-Mutawakkil had a great effect on the appearance of the city, for he seems to have been a lover of architecture, and the one responsible for building the great Mosque of Samarra. In a list of his building projects which appears in several different versions, the new Congregational Mosque and up to twenty palaces are mentioned, totalling between 258 and 294 million dirhams. The new Congregational Mosque, with its spiral minaret, built between 849 (235 AH ) and 851 (235 AH), formed part of an extension of the city to the east, extending into the old hunting park. 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. The art and architecture of the mosque were 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. The mosque itself was destroyed in 1278 (656 AH) after the Hulagu Khan invasion of Iraq. Only the outer wall and its minaret remain. It is the largest mosque in the world. Built entirely of brick within a wall flanked with towers, it has a 55 m high minaret with a spiral ramp that recalls the ziggurats of Mesopotamia ". — Henri Stierlin, Comprendre l'Architecture universelle 2. p347. in or المسجد الجامع في سامراء or مسجد سامراء الكبير See Historic Mosques site . The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Architects and Architecture . "Islamic architecture in Cairo: an introduction." American University in Cairo Press: 2005. 51-57 "مسجد سامرا ؛ برخوردار از مناره ای 53 متری و حلزونی شکل" (in Persian).

The Great Mosque of Samarra ( , , or ) is a mosque from the 9th century CE located in Samarra , Iraq . 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 mosque is located within the 15,058-hectare (37,210-acre) Samarra Archaeological City UNESCO World Heritage Site , listed in 2007.

9th-century mosque in Samarra, Iraq Not to be confused with Samara Mosque or Al-Askari Shrine . Malwiyah Mosque, Samerra , Iraq The Great Mosque of Samarra ( , , or ) is a mosque from the 9th century CE located in Samarra , Iraq . The mosque was commissioned in 848 and completed in 851 by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil who reigned (in Samarra) from 847 until 861. At the time of construction, it was the world's largest mosque. It is known for its 52 metres (171 ft) high minaret encircled by a spiral ramp. The mosque is located within the 15,058-hectare (37,210-acre) Samarra Archaeological City UNESCO World Heritage Site , listed in 2007. 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 : 156– 193 "Unesco names World Heritage sites" .

9th-century former mosque in Samarra, Iraq Not to be confused with Samara Mosque or Al-Askari Shrine . 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. 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. al-Amid, Tahir Muzaffar (1973). The Abbasid Architecture of Samarra in the Reign of both al-Mu'tasim and al-Mutawakkil .