Mansourah Mosque
Former mosque in Tlemcen, Algeria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mansourah Mosque (Arabic: مسجد المنصورة; French: Mosquée de Mansourah) is a former mosque, in a ruinous state, located in the city of Mansourah, in the province of Tlemcen, in northwestern Algeria. The remaining structure is a national monument of Algeria and is situated within the Tlemcen National Park.
(in partial ruins)
| Mansourah Mosque | |
|---|---|
مسجد المنصورة | |
Remnants of the minaret, in 2024 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque (former) |
| Status | Abandoned (in partial ruins) |
| Location | |
| Location | Mansoura, Tlemcen National Park, Tlemcen |
| Country | Algeria |
  Location of the former mosque in northern Algeria | |
 Interactive map of Mansourah Mosque | |
| Coordinates | 34°52′15″N 1°20′19″W |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Islamic architecture |
| Founder |
|
| Completed |
|
| Specifications | |
| Minaret | 1 |
| Minaret height | 38 m (125 ft) |
History
The mosque was completed in 701 AH (1301/1302 CE), during the Marinid era; and comprises part of the Mansourah Castle. Excavations revealed that the mosque built by the Sultan Abu Yaqub, and that the decoration of the main gate was completed under the patronage of Abu al-Hassan in 735 AH (1334/1335CE).[1]
Inside the complex there are 13 doors which surrounded by the wall, and a sahn with a fountain in the middle. The sahn is surrounded by three corridors, of which employ similar tilework with the prayer hall. The prayer hall is connected directly to the sahn and contains tilework similar to the qibla wall, and is similar to the design on the 13th-century Baybars Mosque in Samarra.[2][3] The main entrance to the mosque leads to the iconic square-shaped 38-metre-tall (125 ft) minaret, that was inspired by the minarets built by the previous dynasties in North Africa and Iberia.[3] Only three sides of the minaret remain.[1]
Short sections of the former mosque's walls, and onyx columns are preserved in the National Museum of Art and History in Tlemcen and in the National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art in Algiers.[1]
Gallery
Entrance of the mosque
Minaret seen from the interior of the mosque
Close-up of the minaret
Mosque wall
Outer castle wall- Interior of the former mosque
