Great Mosque in Samarra. Great Mosque in Samarra (Samarra, Iraq) Great Mosque in Samarra

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Iraq: Mosque in Samarra

Samarra is an ancient city in Iraq, 124 km north of Baghdad, which is home to one of the tallest spiral mosques in the world.

The most famous page of life ancient city connected with the arrival of Muslims in these parts: in 836, due to unrest, the capital of the Caliphate, and with it the entire Islamic world, was moved from Baghdad to Samarra, where it remained until 892, after which it returned to Baghdad. This turn of history changed the face of the city - it turned into a major shopping center in which they were built beautiful palaces and mosques. So, in 847, the Great Mosque with a unique spiral minaret was built here - at that time the largest in the world.

And its minaret, built in 848-852 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakil, is still one of the highest today. Its spiral, 52 meters high, also serves as a staircase leading to the top.

Unlike most minarets, this one, due to its height, was not used as a call to prayer. However, visible enough long distance from Samara, the minaret has always served as a kind of statement of the presence of Islam in the Tigris River valley.

The Great Mosque of Samarra (Samarra, Iraq)

Samarra is an ancient city in Iraq, 124 km north of Baghdad, which is home to one of the tallest spiral mosques in the world.

The most famous page in the life of the ancient city is associated with the arrival of Muslims in these parts: in 836, due to unrest, the Abassid caliph al-Mu'tasim was forced to move the capital of the Caliphate, and with it the entire Islamic world, from Baghdad to Samarra, where it remained until 892, after which she again returned to Baghdad. This turn of history changed the face of the city - it turned into a major trading center, where beautiful palaces and mosques were built.

The mosque began to be built in 848 and completed in 852 already during the reign of his son, Caliph Al-Mutawakkil.

Today, little remains of this majestic structure, but once it shook the imagination with its gigantic size and monumentality. Just imagine a huge courtyard, an imposing prayer hall and a tall minaret behind an impregnable wall with semicircular towers and sixteen entrances - all this in an area of 38,000 square meters, which easily accommodated 80,000 people.

The wall of the mosque and the minaret of Malviya, famous throughout the world for its height and intricate shape, have survived to this day. A cone-shaped structure with a spiral staircase rises on a square pedestal with sides of 33 meters, wrapping around Malvia along its entire 52-meter height - from a wide base to a narrow top - and, it seems, screwing into the very heavens. The mosque consists of 17 rows, the wall and other buildings of the ancient architectural ensemble decorated with glass mosaics in ultramarine tones, fine carvings and skillful stucco work.

The width of the stairs is 2.3 m - such a distance easily allowed al-Mutawakkil to get to the highest turn of the ramp astride a revered white Egyptian donkey. From there, from the top, a marvelous panorama opens up to the surroundings of the city and the valley of the Tigris River. The name of the minaret means "twisted shell", which refers to the spiral staircase that winds along the walls of the minaret.

Depending on the time of day and under the influence of lighting, the walls of the mosque and the minaret are transformed, acquiring either straw, amber, brick, or golden-pink hues.

Alas, the unique building, miraculously preserved to our era, had to suffer pretty much already in the current century. In April 2005, Iraqi insurgents attempting to remove an American observation post on top of the minaret staged an explosion that partially destroyed the top of the tower.

The Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo was built on the model of the Great Mosque in Samarra.

The complex of the Grand Mosque is under the protection of UNESCO, among other antiquities of Samarra, which together form a World Heritage Site.

Had there not been riots in Baghdad that forced the Abassid caliph al-Mu'tasim to think about searching for suitable place for a new capital, this city would never arise and never see the world a striking example of Muslim architecture, known as the Great Mosque of Samarra.

It was decided to build a new capital city at a distance of 124 km north of Baghdad, and over the years the city was intensively built and developed, confirming its capital status. For 56 years - from 836 to 892. Samarra remained the capital of the caliphate, during which time it became a bustling commercial center, the squares of which were decorated fairytale palaces, picturesque parks and hunting grounds.

The father's work was continued by his son, Caliph al-Mutawakkil, who invested a lot of effort and money in the prosperity of Samarra. But the most outstanding architectural jewel, which glorified not only Samarra, but Iraq as a whole, was the Great Mosque - a gigantic building that easily accommodated about 80,000 Muslims who regularly flooded the square of the holy place to perform prayers.

Today, little remains of this majestic building, but once it shook the imagination with its gigantic size and monumentality. Just imagine a huge courtyard, an imposing prayer hall and a tall minaret behind an impregnable wall with semicircular towers and sixteen entrances - all this in an area of 38,000 square meters.

The wall and other buildings of the ancient architectural ensemble are decorated with glass mosaics in ultramarine tones, fine carvings and skillful stucco molding. The creation of the Grand Mosque took almost 4 years - the complex was built from 847 to 852, and at the time the construction of the grandiose complex was completed, it was the largest and most outstanding building among all Islamic buildings.

The wall of the mosque and the minaret of Malviya, famous throughout the world for its height and intricate shape, have survived to this day. On a square pedestal with sides of 33 meters, a cone-shaped structure rises with a spiral staircase wrapping around Malvia along its entire 52-meter height - from a wide base to a narrow top - and, it seems, screwing into the very heavens.

The width of the stairs is 2.3 m - such a distance easily allowed al-Mutawakkil to get to the highest turn of the ramp astride a sacred white Egyptian donkey. From there, from the top, a marvelous panorama opens up to the surroundings of the city and the valley of the Tigris River. The name of the minaret means "twisted shell", which refers to the spiral staircase that winds along the walls of the minaret.

Depending on the time of day and under the influence of lighting, the walls of the mosque and the minaret are transformed, acquiring either straw, amber, brick, or golden-pink hues. An architectural object of rare beauty is under the protection of UNESCO and is included in the register of monuments that make up the World Heritage Site.

Samarra is an ancient city in Iraq, 124 km north of Baghdad, which is home to one of the tallest spiral mosques in the world.

The most famous page in the life of the ancient city is associated with the arrival of Muslims in these parts: in 836, due to unrest, the capital of the Caliphate, and with it the entire Islamic world, was moved from Baghdad to Samarra, where it remained until 892, after which it returned again to Baghdad. This turn of history changed the face of the city - it turned into a major trading center, where beautiful palaces and mosques were built. So, in 847, the Great Mosque with a unique spiral minaret was built here - at that time the largest in the world.

And its minaret, built in 848-852 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakil, is still one of the highest today. Its spiral, 52 meters high, also serves as a staircase leading to the top.

Unlike most minarets, this one, due to its height, was not used as a call to prayer. However, visible at a fairly large distance from Samara, the minaret has always served as a kind of statement of the presence of Islam in the Tigris River valley.

The spiral minaret of Malviya, or Al-Malviya (translated from Arabic malwiya - "twisted", or "snail shell"), in the Iraqi city of Samarra is part of architectural complex The Grand Mosque is one of the largest in the world. The tower was built in the 9th century from burnt bricks, being a unique example of oriental architecture: an ascending spiral, resembling a cone from afar, reaches a height of 52 meters. The steep slope made it impossible to use it intended purpose: unlike most minarets, the call to prayer was not pronounced from it. The width of the base is 33 meters, while the diameter of the highest point does not exceed six meters.

The staircase encircling the minaret begins to twist against the course of the sun from the pedestal, forming a decreasing silhouette of the building. The base of the upper platform is framed by arches with lancet top - and this is the only decorative element decorating the facade; other Arabic motifs are not found either inside or outside the tower.

The minaret of Malvia is a visual dominant of the surrounding landscape; the cone-shaped tower, visible for several tens of kilometers, was intended to remind of the presence of Islam in the Tigris and Euphrates valley.

If you are not planning a trip to Iraq in the near future, you can see the Malwiya Tower in Malaysia, in Taman Tamadun Islam Park, where small copies of the main shrines of Islam are presented. On its territory there are several dozen mosques and minarets. The park is located in the city of Kuala Terengganu in the northeast of the country, on the Malay Peninsula.

How to get there

Samarra is located 132 kilometers northeast of Baghdad. The most convenient way to get to the city is by renting a car; It is better to rent a car with a driver. Baghdad and Samarra are connected by highway No. 1. Travel time is about three hours.