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Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
Arabic: جامع محمد الأمين
	The mosque during the 2019 Lebanese revolution
Religion
Affiliation	Sunni Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Zawiya (19th century–1975); Mosque (since 2008);
Status	Active
Location
Location	Beirut
Country	Lebanon
	Location of the mosque in Beirut
Geographic coordinates	33°53′41.89″N 35°30′22.93″E / 33.8949694°N 35.5063694°E
Architecture
Architect(s)	Azmi Fakhoury
Type	Mosque architecture
Groundbreaking	2002
Completed	2008
Specifications
Capacity	6,400 worshippers
Dome(s)	Five
Minaret(s)	Four
Minaret height	4.65 m (15.3 ft)
Materials	Stone; tiles

The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque (Arabic: جامع محمد الأمين), also referred to as the Blue Mosque, is a Sunni Islam mosque, located in downtown Beirut, Lebanon.

In the 19th century, a zawiya was built on this site. Decades of preparation to obtain sufficient land adjacent to the old Zawiya led finally to the building of the new mosque. The mosque was inaugurated in 2008, and is located adjacent to the Maronite Cathedral of Saint George.

History

In the 19th century, a zawiya, named after Sheikh Abu Nasr al-Yafi, was built on this site. Souk Abu Nasr was located in the same area and was operational with the zawiya until 1975.^[1]^[2]

On August 4, 2020, the mosque was badly damaged by the Beirut explosions. Its chandeliers and windows were shattered, leaving broken glass on the floor.^[3]

Construction and design

Soon after the Lebanon Civil War, following a donation by the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, the foundation for the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque was laid in November 2002. Hariri was assassinated on February 14, 2005, and his body is buried next to the mosque, within the Martyrs' Square of Beirut. The mosque was used for Hariri's funeral ceremony.^[4]

During the construction of the mosque, archaeologists uncovered a section of the east–west main Roman street (Decumanus Maximus), with paving and columns.^[5] After the first stone was laid out for the mosque, the first concrete was poured in 2003. By 2005, the architecture of the mosque had begun to be built and the mosque was inaugurated in 2008.^[6]

Designed by Azmi Fakhoury in a style similar to the architecture of Ottoman Turk, the mosque can accommodate up to 6,400 worshippers.^[7] The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque contains fivee domes, all of which are made from light blue tiles. The interior details have patterned ceilings and a dome circle. The ornament that seems to be a chandelier dangles in front of the mihrab.

Gallery

The ceiling interior
The interior of the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, showing the inside of the domes.
The construction of the Mohammad Al-Amin mosque, in 2004.
Aerial view showing the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque. The St. George Maronite Cathedral and Beirut skyline are in the background.

References

^ Vloeberghs, Ward (January 1, 2016). Architecture, Power and Religion in Lebanon: Rafiq Hariri and the Politics of Sacred Space in Beirut. BRILL. doi:10.1163/9789004307056_006. ISBN 978-90-04-30705-6.
^ Hallaq, Hassan (1987). Bayrut al-mahrousa fil'ahd al-'uthmâni [Beirut during the Ottoman Period] (in Arabic). Beirut: Dar al-Jami'at.
^ "In pictures: Beirut 'like a war zone' after deadly blast". Al-Jazeera. August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
^ Knudsen, Are (December 2016). "Death of a Statesman - Birth of a Martyr". Anthropology of the Middle East. 11: 1–17 – via Proquest.
^ Vloeberghs, Ward (2008). "The Genesis of a Mosque: Negotiating Sacred Space in Downtown Beirut". European University Institute Working Papers 17. Florence: Robert Shuman Center for Advanced Studies.
^ Hallaq, Hassan (1987). Al-tarikh alijtima'i wa al-siyasi wa al-iqtisadi fi Bayrut, [Social, Political and Economic History of Beirut] (in Arabic). Beirut: Dar al-Jami'at.
^ "Mohammed Al Amin Mosque". The Libshop Travel Guide. 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.