The Great Mosque of Maarat al-Numan (Arabic: جَامِع مَعَرَّة ٱلنُّعْمَان ٱلْكَبِير, romanized: Jāmiʿ Maʿarrat an-Nuʿmān al-Kabīr) is a 12th-century Ayyubid-era mosque in the city of Maarat al-Numan, located between Hama and Aleppo in Syria.[1]
| Great Mosque of Maarat al-Numan | |
|---|---|
جَامِع مَعَرَّة ٱلنُّعْمَان ٱلْكَبِير | |
 The ablution area of the former mosque in 2010 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam (former) |
| Mosque (12th century–c. 2016) | |
| Status | Inactive (ruinous state) |
| Location | |
| Location | Maarat al-Numan, Idlib Governorate |
| Country | Syria |
  Location of the former mosque in Syria | |
 Interactive map of Great Mosque of Maarat al-Numan | |
| Coordinates | 35°38′59″N 36°40′40″E / 35.64972°N 36.67778°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Hassan Ben Mukri al-Sarman |
| Type | Islamic architecture |
| Style | Ayyubid |
| Completed | 12th century CE |
| Destroyed | c. 2016 |
| Minaret | 1 |
Architecture
editRebuilt in the first half of the twelfth century, the mosque is located on the site of an earlier church and, before that, likely a pagan temple. The mosque is centered on a large rectangular sahn with a long, shallow prayer hall with six domes that cover the central bays before the mihrab. The architectural features are reminiscent of the layout of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.[2] A water tank covered by a canopy resting on ten columns with antique Corinthian capitals stood at the centre of the sahn.[1]
The mosque's square minaret is similar to the former minaret of the Great Mosque of Aleppo.[2] An inscription on the minaret attributes the work to Qahir ibn 'Ali ibn Qanit (d. 1199 CE).[1]
Destruction
editIn June 2016 air-raids targeting the Idlib Governorate caused severe structural damage to the mosque. Several stone archways collapsed, and wall surfaces were marred by shrapnel. Additionally, a modern metal awning, added to provide shade in the courtyard, was destroyed.[3] While the mosque has suffered damages from previous bombings, this was the first time that it was directly hit.
Gallery
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Minaret of the former mosque, in 2010
See also
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References
edit- 1 2 3 "Jami' al-Kabir (Ma'arrat al-Nu'man)". ArchNet.org. n.d. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
- 1 2 Herzfeld, Ernst (1943). "Damascus: Studies in Architecture - II". Ars Islamica. 10: 13–70, 36–39.
- ↑ "The Great Mosque and Minaret: Marrat al-Numan: Idlib Governorate" (PDF). Satellite-based Damage Asessment to Historial Sites in Syria. UNITAR. 2014. p. 109. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
Further reading
edit- Rihawi, Abdul Qader (1979). Arabic Islamic Architecture: Its Characteristics and Traces in Syria. Publications of the Ministry of Culture and National Leadership.
External links
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Media related to Great Mosque of Maarat al-Numan at Wikimedia Commons
- Karkus, Emad (December 20, 2015). "Damaged mosques in Syria's Maarat al-Numan city" (Images). Middle East Eye. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
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