Great Mosque of Samarra

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Samarra is the name of Iraqi Town that once has served as the capital of the Abbasids Empire. During the time of Abbasids, the muslims enters the era of prosperity and glory. Many legacy of the empire still remain standing until now.

One of the most notable landmark here is the Great Mosque of Samarra.

The mosque was comissioned in 848 and completed in 852 by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil who reigned (in Samarra) from 847 until 861. The Great Mosque of Samarra was at one time the largest mosque in the world; its minaret, the Malwiya Tower, is a vast spiralling cone (snail shaped) 52 meters high and 33 meters wide with a spiral ramp.

The mosque had 17 aisles, and its walls were panelled with mosaics of dark blue glass. It was part of an extension of Samarra eastwards. The art and architecture of the mosque was influential; stucco carvings within the mosque in floral and geometric designs represent early Islamic decoration.

This mosque itself is predominantly in ruins, with only the outer walls standing. The plan of the mosque is 240 times 160 metres, i.e. more than 38,000 m². The walls are about 10 metres high, 2.65 metres thick and supported by 44 towers. An ambitious restoration process began in the late 1990's, aiming at rebuilding the columns and eventually the roof.

Additionally, the mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Egypt was based on the Samarra mosque in many regards.

Galeria

Here are some pictures of the Great Mosque. I would say that the Minaret design is quiet interesting, A spiral minarets.

The minaret are 52m tall and on top of it are the place to give 'azan' (call for prayer). It is believed by many that the minaret was built about 15 years before the main structure.

The only thing that I curious is can the azan actually be heard from on top of it.....

Conclusions

The Samarra mosque really an outstanding landmark on its era. As a mosque located on the capital city at that time, it is necessary for them to build such an outstanding landmark as the symbols to the empire.

As aspected from the empire that also the symbols to Muslims era of glory...