Great Mosque of Nablus - Al-Salahi Mosque

Site description: It is the most important and largest mosque in the historic city of Nablus, and it is still called the Great Salahi Mosque, relative to the leader Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi. The mosque is located at the end of the old town from the eastern side, in the middle of the most important streets of the city, as it is bordered on the south by Al-Nasr Street, and on the north by Al-Khan Street, and they meet at the eastern gate. And from the southern side, it is connected to the Al-Habala neighborhood, the largest neighborhood of the Old City, and from the south side, it is connected to the Caesarea neighborhood.The layout of the mosque takes a rectangular shape, extending from east to west. Its area is 1460 square meters, distributed between the open space and the iwan of the northern entrance. The mosque's cylindrical minaret is built in the middle of the north facade. In the center of the open yard is a polygonal ablution pool, covered with marble slabs and surrounded by stone steps intended for worshipers to sit for ablution.The northern facade of the mosque overlooks the open yard. It includes the entrance, topped with stone decorations and stalactite shapes representing the decoration patterns in the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. Several Arabic inscriptions still appear on the mosque's facade, which overlooks the ablution pool. It consists of three inscriptions in Kufic. The second section represents the prayer hall and takes a rectangular shape with a vast extension from west to east. It was divided into three corridors separated by rows of columns and stone pillars on which the roof of the mosque rests, which is held by intersecting stone arches. The stone pulpit and the niche of the Qibla lie in the middle of the southern facade.The high and wide gate has been designed and decorated in a beautiful style based on interlocking stone arches, stone columns on both ends, and beautiful engineering decorations, and this is perhaps the most important and beautiful elements of building the mosque are represented by the main gate on the eastern facade, where Al-Nasr Street and Al-Khan Street meet. What distinguishes this mosque is the sequence of its history, which includes all the historical periods that passed through the city since its founding in the first century AD, as each of these periods left its mark on this building.During the Roman period, the place of the mosque represented the construction of the Roman basilica of the city of Nablus, and it was massive in a way that far exceeded the area of the current mosque. This was supported by the results of the archaeological excavations in Al-Khan Street opposite the mosque from the north side, where a row of columns appeared, representing an additional lobby that was part of this basilica. Several Corinthian-style stone columns also represent the Roman period; most stones were reused in construction.The building turned into a church during the Byzantine period, but it was destroyed by the earthquake that hit the area. After the Islamic conquest, the place was rehabilitated and used as a mosque. The mosque was converted into a church during the Crusader period, as evidenced by the square stone pillars in the eastern part of the mosque. They represent the Crusader style of construction, and some of the piling stones include letters and marks of the artisans. And during the Ayyubid period, the building was reused as a mosque. Still, it was subjected to a severe earthquake in 1927 AD, destroying large parts of its eastern part, including its beautiful eastern gate. It was reconstructed in that year with the same layout and previous architecture. It is worth noting that, despite the many transformations in the building during the successive ages, it still maintains its basilica layout.