Uwais al-Qarni Mosque
| Uwais al-Qarani Mosque | |
|---|---|
مَسْجِد أُوَيْس ٱلْقَرَنِيّ | |
_(38651064386).jpg?lang=en) The mosque in 2006, prior to its 2014 destruction | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shia (Twelver) (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque (former) |
| Status | Destroyed (by Islamic State) |
| Location | |
| Location | Raqqa |
| Country | Syria |
  Location within Syria | |
 | |
| Geographic coordinates | 35°56′31.82″N 39°01′47.49″E / 35.9421722°N 39.0298583°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Completed | 2003 |
| Destroyed | 2014 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | One |
| Minaret | One |
The Uwais al-Qarani Mosque (Arabic: مَسْجِد أُوَيْس ٱلْقَرَنِيّ, romanized: Masjid ʾUways al-Qaranīy) was a Twelver Shi'a mosque in Raqqa, Syria, until it was demolished by the Islamic State on May 31, 2014. As of 2025[update], it is currently awaiting reconstruction.
History
[edit]The former mosque contained the shrines of Ammar ibn Yasir and Owais al-Qarani, who died in the Battle of Siffin in 657 CE, which took place around 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Raqqa. It was adjacent to the Bab al-Baghdad, another major landmark in the city.[1][2]
Construction
[edit]The original tombs were located in the old cemetery at the edge of the city. In 1988, Syrian president Hafez al-Assad and the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini, initiated a project to develop a new mosque around the tombs. The work was completed in 2003 and a commemorative plaque credited President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami with completing the project.[3]
Destruction
[edit]In June 2013, rebel fighters from al-Muntasereen Billah militia were living in the mosque complex.[4] On 26 March 2014, the mosque was blown up by two powerful explosions and completely destroyed by the Islamic State because it was a Shi'a structure. More specifically, it was also built over graves and thus served as a shrine.[5][6][7][8]
See also
[edit]
- Shia Islam in Syria
- List of mosques in Syria
- Destruction of cultural heritage by the Islamic State
- Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia
- Tell Abu Hureyra
References
[edit]- ^ Mohammad, Inam (1978). Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar of Sehwan-Sharif. p. 87.
- ^ Ahmad, Naseem (2003). Religion and politics in Central Asia under Saljûqs. p. 198.
- ^ Kramer, Martin (April 16, 2013). "The Shiite crescent eclipsed" (photos). Flickr. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ Dziadosz, Alexander (June 21, 2013). "Special Report: Deepening ethnic rifts reshape Syria's towns". Reuters. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ "Islamists bomb Shi'ite shrine in eastern Syria: activists". Reuters. March 26, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ "Heritage sites ravaged by Syria's war". Al Jazeera English. December 24, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ Avaneesh Pandey (December 26, 2013). "Al-Nusra Rebels Demolish 13th Century Tomb In Southern Syria Deemed Un-Islamic By Salafists". Ibtimes.com. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ "War ravages Syria heritage sites". Business Insider. Agence France-Presse. December 24, 2014. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Awis al-Qarni Mosque at Wikimedia Commons
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- 21st-century attacks on mosques
- 21st-century mosques in Syria
- Attacks on Shiite mosques
- Buildings and structures demolished in 2014
- Destroyed mosques
- Former mosques in Syria
- Mosque buildings with domes in Syria
- Mosque buildings with minarets in Syria
- Mosque ruins
- Mosques completed in 2003
- Mosques destroyed by ISIL
- Mosques in Raqqa
- Ruins in Syria
- Shia mosques in Syria
- Twelver Shia mosques
- Shia Islam stubs
- Syrian mosque stubs