Mosque Name: Shamakhi Friday Mosque
Country: Azerbaijan
City: Abarkuh
Year of construction (AH): 125
Year of construction (AD): 743
GPS: 40.626828° 48.643781°
ArchNet:
Gibson Classification: Unknown
Rebuilt facing Mecca: 1123 AD
For a Link to the Qibla Tool Click Here
Description:
Construction date of the mosque- 743-744 relies on research of a geological commission coming from Tiflis, which was led by prince Shahgulu Qajar. This date was defined with Arabic ligature on the facade of the Juma Mosque, stating the year 126 according to Islamic calendar as the establishment year.[1] Just in this period the construction of new religious buildings – mosques – was begun in the territory of Azerbaijan. Historical appearance of ancient Islamic architectural monuments was related to Arabs’ governance and spreading of Islam in the territory of Azerbaijan. Juma Mosque of Shamakhi is considered the first mosque in the Caucasus after cathedral Juma Mosque of Derbent, which was constructed in 734.
The construction date of the mosque is dated from the governance period of Caliphate’s vicar in the Caucasus and Dagestan, Arabic commander Maslam ibn Abd-al Melik, brother of Umayyad caliph Valil I (705-715), by whom Shamakhi was chosen as the residence. In these years Arab governors, strengthening towers of this ancient city with the rich cultural heritage, began the construction of new structures in its territory. Arabs attached the great importance to Shamakhi, which is visible from the great architectural appearance of Juma Mosque.
According to information of Imadeddin Isfahani - a chronicler of Seljuq’s epoch, beginning from 1123, rulers resorted to sultan Mahmud (1118-1131), for defense from forays of Georgians. The chronicle says that “*the assailants demolished the mosque, knocked down the minaret, plundered in the city*” at that time in Shamakhi. The first construction of present Juma Mosque was begun at the end of the 12th century. A second re-construction of the mosque was made in the 17th century, during the reign of Safavid Dynasty. A third reconstruction of the mosque was made in 1860 by province architect Hajibababeyov after the great damage of the building by the earthquake in 1859. This reconstruction was made on the basis of draft images of Russian artist Grigory Gagarin. A fourth reconstruction was begun after the strongest earthquake in 1902, which was demolished and damaged a lot of buildings of Shamakhi.
Gibson classified the Qibla of this mosque as Unknown, since nothing remains of the original structure.
A modern mosque stands on the site of the ancient mosque.
Page Discussion
Membership is required to comment. Membership is free of charge and available to everyone over the age of 16. Just click SignUp, or make a comment below. You will need a user name and a password. The system will automatically send a code to your email address. It should arrive in a few minutes. Enter the code, and you are finished.
Members who post adverts or use inappropriate language or make disrespectful comments will have their membership removed and be barred from the site. By becoming a member you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy, Cookies & Ad Policies. Remember that we will never, under any circumstances, sell or give your email address or private information to anyone unless required by law. Please keep your comments on topic. Thanks!