Mosque in Kufa, Najaf, Iraq
The Al-Hamra Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الحمراء) also known as the Yunus Ibn Matta Mosque is a Twelver Shi'ite place of worship located in Kufa, Najaf Governorate, Iraq.[1][2][3][4] It is one of the oldest places of worship in Kufa. The complex also contains a shrine dedicated to the biblical Jonah.[1][2][5]
History
The mosque was first built during the time of the Rashidun Caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib. It was named after the Hamra tribe who had allied themselves with Ali and his family, the Ahlulbayt.[2][1] In the year 1086, a Sunni institution for the Hanafi school of thought was established at the site.[5]
Modern era
The mihrab of the mosque dates back to 1895.[3] In the year 1924, the first minaret was added to the mosque, funded by donations from Hajj Abdul Karim, a wealthy businessman who lived in Kufa.[3] The architect involved in this renovation was a local resident of Kufa, Jawad al-Baghdadi.[3]
In 1991, the mosque was demolished during Ba'athist Iraq.[4] After the regime of Saddam Hussein was over, plans were made to rebuild the mosque in 2003 with the efforts of Ayatollah Sistani.[6] The mosque and its adjoining shrine were finally rebuilt in 2018, and a huge ceremony was held to celebrate its reopening.[2][1][6]
Shrine of Yunus (Jonah)
Attached to the mosque is the shrine of Jonah, known in Islam as the Prophet Yunus.[7][8] Shi'ite narrations state that Jonah's body lay here during his death, and stayed here until it was carried over to Mosul, where the Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque once stood before its demolition in 2014 by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Also, there is a narration from Ali that states Jonah was buried in the shrine.[9][10][5]
Gallery
In popular culture
The mosque was featured in the 2022 Iraqi novel, The Stork Of The Prophet Yunus by Mahmoud Jassim Othman Al Nuaimi.[11][12]
See also
References
