Great Mosque of Zabid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Great Mosque of Zabid | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Zabid, Yemen |
 Interactive map of Great Mosque of Zabid | |
| Coordinates | 14°11′45″N 43°18′45″E / 14.19593°N 43.31258°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Islamic, Yemeni |
| Completed | 10th–11th century |
| Minaret | 1 |
The Great Mosque of Zabid is a historic congregational mosque in the old city of Zabid, Yemen.
According to scholar Noha Sadek, the mosque is said to have been built by the Ziyadid ruler al-Husayn ibn Salamah (r. 983–1012), who was also responsible for building the al-Asha'ir Mosque, another famous mosque in the city.[1] Both mosques became centers of Islamic scholarship in the city's heyday.[2] The mosque underwent modification and reconstruction under the Ayyubid dynasty, circa 1200, at which point it acquired most of its present form.[3][4] The brick minaret, one of oldest preserved minarets in Yemen (along with those of the Great Mosque of Sana'a and the mosque of Zafar Dhibin), dates from this period.[3][5] The mosque went through further restoration under the Tahirid dynasty in 1492.[4]
Architecture
The form of the mosque is that of a large hypostyle building with a central courtyard, reminiscent of the classic early Arab mosque plan in Islamic architecture.[3] The minaret has an octagonal shaft[5] and is distinguished by its decorative brickwork.[6]