Al Omari Grand Mosque

Al Omari Grand Mosque

Overview:

• The mosque was named by several names in different times. In the Mamluk era it was called “Fotouh Al-Islam Mosque” and in the Ottoman era it was called “Prophet Yahya Mosque” and it is called today “Al Omari Grand Mosque.” It is customary to say Omari about every ancient mosque as people thought it was built in the days of the Caliph “Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him.

• The Great Omari Mosque is an authentic Arab-Islamic symbol that settled in the minds of Beirutis hundreds of years ago, and it witnessed the start of hundreds of scholars and jurists who were a center for the dissemination of science and knowledge.

Historic overview:

• It was built on the ruins of the old temple during the Crusades in 1110 AD during the reign of "Baldwin" King of Jerusalem in the name of the Church of "Mar John the Baptist".

• The Muslims received it during the era of "Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi" from the Crusaders (583 AH 1187 AD), the Crusaders regained it in 690 AH 1291 AD during the reign of "Prince Sanjar", the vizier of King "Ashraf Khalil", the son of the Sultan "Muhammad bin Qalawun".

• It was rebuilt by the Governor of Beirut, "Zain al-Din Abd al-Rahman al-Ba'ouni" in the year 764 AH, and he used Islamic architecture and engineering in it.

• The current marble minbar was built at the expense of “Ibrahim Al-Ghandour Al-Masry” in 1956 AD, and in 1952, 1954 and 1960 AD its ceilings were renewed and the general restoration and Andalusian inscriptions were carried out by the Directorate of Islamic Endowments General in Beirut with the contribution of the Lebanese Antiquities House.

Architectural Description:

• When we take a closer look at the building of the mosque in its current form, we find that it remains until today, as it was in the distant past, whether in its corridors or dome.

• A basin of water for ablution was also built in the courtyard. A dome above the basin has an inscription in which verses of poetry were written indicating the date of construction, and on the two columns at the western entrance of the mosque there is a Mamluk inscription.

• There is also a similar inscription on a panel installed above its open door on the eastern side of it, and inside the mosque there is a shrine "in the name of the Prophet Yahya", which is an iron cage on its top some Quranic verses and inscriptions are written indicating that this cage is a gift from Ottoman Sultan "Abdul Hamid II.

• Many foreign researchers and travellers have written on this subject. In the year 1847 A.D., one of the foreign travellers, Henry Guise, who was Consul to the French government in Beirut, wrote memoirs including his observations and impressions about this city. The mosques of Beirut at that time had a share of what this French Consul wrote.

• The Grand Mosque is distinguished only by its Christian architecture, and its engineering is similar to the engineering of those buildings that are of its kind, and some of its remains are still standing on the beach between Jaffa and Carmel.

Resources:

yabeyrouth website

beirutfamiliesunion website

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