Al-Asifyah Mosque
The Mosque-Madrasa of Al-Asifyah (Arabic: مدرسة الآصفية) is a complex of mosque and madrasa located near the riverbank of Tigris, in Baghdad, Iraq. The mosque and its associated complex including school buildings, old courts and other former government buildings, and a palace are contained within a 7.57-hectare (18.7-acre) site alongside the banks of the Tigris that forms part of a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1]
Mosque-Madrasa of Al-Asifyah | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Both Sunni Islam and Shia Islam |
Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque and madrasa |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | Tigris riverbank, Baghdad, Iraq |
Architecture | |
Style | |
Creator | Dawud Pasha of Baghdad |
Date established | 1825 |
Specifications | |
Capacity | 500 worshipers |
Interior area | 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) |
Dome(s) | 2 |
Minaret(s) | 2 |
Shrine(s) | 1 (dedicated to Al-Kulayni) |
The mosque complex also includes a small shrine, which is believed to entomb the remains of Al-Kulayni.[2]
History
The complex originally consisted of a mosque, tekyeh and khan, and was called Mawla Khana Tekeyyiah. Later the building that belonged to the original complex was eroded and had to be demolished. The complex was then taken over by one of the students of the tekyeh who belonged to the Sufi tariqa, until the building was renovated by Muhammad Jalabi Khatib Al-Diwani in 1596. It then became the facility of Mustansiriya Madrasah. The building was renovated again by the Wali of Baghdad Wazir Dawud Pasha in 1825.[1] During the time, two madrasas were built for elementary and secondary levels, attached with preaching area and a minaret. He also reformed the mosque with larger prayer space, and erected two minarets to the south of the mosque made of stone and decorated with Qashani tiles. The buildings were engraved with the poetry by Sheikh Saleh Al-Tamimi.[3]
Burials
• Muhammad ibn Ya'qub Ishaq Al-Kulayni, a notable Shi'ite Muslim scholar.
Gallery
- A depiction by a foreign traveler of the Tigres River as well as the al-Kat’a Bridge and the Madrasa from an American Magazine, 1834.
- The Mosque in 1930 overlooking the al-Kat'a Bridge.
References
- "Historical Features of the Tigris River in Baghdad Rusafa, which extends from the school Al-Mustansiriya to the Abbasid Palace". Tentative Lists: World Heritage Site. UNESCO. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
- "Lessons from the Lives of our Ulema – Part 9". www.islamic-laws.com. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- Al-Darubi, Abdul Gani (1958). البغداديون أخبارهم ومجالسهم - مطبعة الرابطة (in Arabic). Baghdad. p. 275.