Great Mosque of Samarra
The Great Mosque of Samarra is a mosque located in the Iraqi city of Samarra and was built in the 9th century. The mosque was commissioned by 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 52 meters high and 33 meters wide with a spiral ramp. [1]
The mosque had 17 aisles and its walls were panelled with mosaics of dark blue glass. It was just part of an extension of Samarra eastwards that built upon part of the walled royal hunting park inherited from the conquered Sassanians.
On April 1, 2005, the top of the Malwiya minaret was damaged by a bomb. Insurgents reportedly attacked the tower because U.S. troops had been using it as a sniper position. The blast left pieces of brick from the top of the minaret along its spiral ramp.[2]
Popular Culture
In the computer game Civilization 4, by Firaxis, the Great Mosque of Samarra is one of the many wonders you can build. It is called the Spiral Minaret, however.
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