Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque

Not to be confused with Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque (Oman).

Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
جامع محمد الأمين
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Branch/tradition	Sunni
Location
Location	Beirut, Lebanon
Shown within Beirut
Geographic coordinates	33°53′41.89″N 35°30′22.93″E
Architecture
Type	mosque
Date established	2008

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

In the 19th century, a zawiya (prayer corner) 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. It was inaugurated in 2008.

Construction

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.

During the construction of the mosque on this corner of Martyrs' Square, archaeologists uncovered a section of the east-west main Roman street (Decumanus Maximus), with paving and columns. 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. It was inaugurated in 2008.

The design is similar to the Ottoman Turk's architecture. The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque contains multiple domes, all of which are made from light blue tiles.

Interior and exterior design

The interior of the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, showing the inside of the domes.

The ceiling interior

The interior details have patterned ceilings and a dome circle. The ornament that seems to be a chandelier dangles in front of the mihrab.

History

In the 19th century, a zawiya (prayer corner) 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.

Following a donation by the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, the foundation stone for the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque was laid in November 2002.

The beginning moments of the construction of the Mohammad Al-Amin mosque.

The prime minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated on February 14, 2005, and his body is buried next to the mosque, within the Martyr Square of Beirut. The mosque was used for the ceremony of the funeral of Hariri.

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.

Significance of the zawiya with the Ottoman Empire

There is the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque that was believed to be named after Muhammad. The Ottoman empire's Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid had Shaykh Muhammad Abu Nasr Al-Yafi originally name the mosque "Zawiya Abu Nasr" and was then later on carrying the name in reference to Muhammad. The zawiya was given to the sultan for the people of Beirut that were Muslims.

See also

• Decumanus Maximus
• Sunni Islam in Lebanon

References

Aerial view showing the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque. The St. George Maronite Cathedral and Beirut skyline are in the background.

• Vloeberghs, Ward (2008) "The Genesis of a Mosque: Negotiating Sacred Space in Downtown Beirut", European University Institute Working Papers 17, Robert Shuman Center for Advanced Studies, Florence.
• Hallaq, Hassan (1987) Al-tarikh alijtima'i wa al-siyasi wa al-iqtisadi fi Bayrut, [Social, Political and Economic History of Beirut], Dar al-Jami'at, Beirut.
• Hallaq, Hassan (1987) Bayrut al-mahrousa fil'ahd al-'uthmâni, [Beirut during the Ottoman Period], Dar al-Jami'at Beirut.
• Knudsen, Are (December 2016). "Death of a Statesman - Birth of a Martyr". Anthropology of the Middle East. Vol. 11: 1–17 – via Proquest.

External links

• Mohamad Al Amine Mosque On Google Maps Street View By Paul Saad
• ArchNet info Archived 2006-02-27 at the Wayback Machine