Abu'l-Fida Mosque

About

Set along the banks of the Orontes in the city of Hama, the Abu'l-Fida Mosque (Jāmiʿ Abū'l-Fidāʾ) is a layered work of medieval Syrian Islamic architecture, combining a mausoleum and a congregational mosque within one walled enclosure.

The mausoleum at the heart of the complex was raised in 1327 CE by al-Mu'ayyid Isma'il during the Ayyubid era, built of pale limestone and crowned by a domed brick roof. Its attached minaret was constructed in contrasting bands of limestone and black basalt, and both structures still stand close to their original form.

The mosque itself, lying to the south of the central sahn (courtyard), is largely Mamluk-era work. Its haram faces the river, and the windows of the south façade are framed by carved pillars depicting intertwined serpents, a detail that has earned the building the affectionate local name Jāmiʿ al-Hayyāt, the Mosque of the Serpents.

Two of the original four gates of the complex survive; the northern one, dating to the Ayyubid period, opens into the courtyard and the resting place of al-Mu'ayyid.

History

The mausoleum at the heart of the complex was raised in 1326 or 1327 CE by the Ayyubid prince al-Mu'ayyid Isma'il, built of pale limestone beneath a domed brick roof and set beside a minaret banded in limestone and black basalt. The adjoining congregational mosque to the south is Mamluk-era work, its prayer hall facing the river. Two of the complex's original four gates survive, including an Ayyubid-period northern gate leading to al-Mu'ayyid's tomb.

Significance

Hama's residents know the building as Jami' al-Hayyat, the Mosque of the Serpents, for the intertwined-serpent pillars carved into its window frames. It remains a working Friday mosque and stands as one of the clearest surviving points of contact between Ayyubid and Mamluk religious patronage in Syria.

Architecture

Ayyubid-Mamluk Syrian religious architecture; ablaq (banded) limestone and basalt masonry