Ashrafiya Mosque
Madrasa and Mosque of Al-Ashrafiya جامع ومدرسة الأشرفية | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Islam |
Region | West Asia |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | Taiz, Yemen |
Geographic coordinates | 13°34′08″N 44°00′32″E / 13.56889°N 44.00889°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Mosque, Madrasa |
Style | Islamic architecture |
Completed | 1275 2004-2015 (restoration) |
Specifications | |
Dome(s) | 9 |
Minaret(s) | 2 |
Materials | stone, gypsum, plaster |
Madrasa and Mosque of Al-Ashrafiya or Al-Ashrafiya Mosque (
Architecture
The material used in the mosque construction is qadad; it's made of a lime plaster treated with slaked lime, oils and water. Since the mosque was built on top of storm drains, every part of the structure built above the foundation is made of red brick.[3] Located in the northern part of the compound, the prayer room is the main space of this mosque. It forms a large rectangular area that spans approximately 25.40 meters east to west and is 7.65 meters wide from north to south.
The center of the mosque is sheltered by a large dome decorated with colorful motifs.[4] The dome's square is neighbored by two separate hallways, each one covered by four smaller domes. In its earliest model, the mosque consisted of a single prayer hall along with eight smaller domes. In its first stage, the mosque had a prayer hall with eight small domes surrounding a much larger central dome.[5] Also on the premises, a square courtyard can be found behind the main mosque building. A royal tomb chamber and several classrooms for the Quranic school surround the courtyard. Consequently, this creates an almost perfect square of the land plot. The south side of the courtyard contains a pair of non-homogenously designed minarets in the corners of the plot. Although they may appear the same to the naked eye from a distant glance, the minarets actually differ in dimensions and symmetry.
The mosque was decorated in stucco and painted ornament of high sophistication. The decorative program of the mosque is often considered a finer example than that of other mosques in the region. In addition, the qibla wall is decorated to match the exact design concept of the courtyard. It has a succession of adjacent arches with supporting columns, or arcades, that superimpose and get increasingly smaller.
Madrasa
Consistent with the Islamic architectural design of the Arabian Peninsula, domed buildings became very prominent with the architectural design of madrasas like the Ashrafiya Mosque. However, the Ashrafiya Mosque varied from other traditional models in that the library and Quranic school were integral to the structure of the mosque complex. The madrasa was mainly built of raw materials such as stone and plaster that had primarily been sourced locally. It is considered one of the most influential centers of education of the
Order of the building of this blessed school by our lord and king Sultan Al-Sayyid by the terms of the honorable king of the country and the religion Ismail bin Abbas bin Ali bin Dawud bin Yusuf God gave his kingdom and victory.
Tomb History in Yemen
In addition to a functional prayer hall and Islamic school, the mosque compound contains a burial yard where kings from the
Impacts of War
Recently, the architectural integrity of this landmark has been compromised by the destruction caused by the
The deputy director-general of tourism in the governorate of Taiz was a witness to this particular incident. He detailed that "On Wednesday, June 17th, 2015, at 4:30, the eastern minaret of the historic Al-Ashrafiya Mosque was suddenly bombed." This incident shook the entire area surrounding the mosque and even shattered the windows of the houses neighboring the mosque. Regarding the structural integrity of the mosque itself, the minaret was visibly damaged by the shell in its middle section leaving a widely visible crack. Concerned citizens and activist groups have long called for intervention to protect this mosque as a historical monument. They have even gone on to directly accuse the Houthis of "intentionally damaging the country’s historical ruins and of not respecting the mosque’s sanctity."[11]
The implications of this war go beyond the worries of that period alone. Tourism, mainly for the purpose of visiting the city’s archaeological sites, has quickly decreased and come to a halt. In turn, there has been a recession for artisans of the region as tourist engagement was their primary source of income. Ultimately, the Al-Ashrafiya Mosque and Madrasa did not only serve as a cultural monument and school as its title suggests, but it also held an important role in the economic sector of the community because of its close ties with tourism.
Restoration and Preservation Status
Along with the destruction caused by war and conflict, the mosque faces degradation caused by many other environmental factors such as seismic movements, geological instability, and rooftop water seepage. Consequently, damage by physical and chemical means as well as anthropogenic degradation have been of significant concern to locals and government officials alike.[12]
In the past decade, the project of restoring the Al-Ashrafiya Mosque and Madrasa has been prioritized and made an example for the purpose of rescue and restoration measures and rehabilitation within the Third International Architectural Conservation Conference and Exhibition in Dubai of 2012. The cooperation and participation of local community members throughout various phases of the project have been instrumental in facilitating a smooth and authentic reconstruction of the mosque to its historical origins.[13]
As part of the final phase of the restoration project, the southern and northern walls, eastern domes, and the basement were restored with plaster resurfacing. In the process of preparing a task force, thirteen technicians were trained on documentation and restoration of gypsum motifs.[13] These sessions were constructed and facilitated by a local expert knowledgeable about the specifics of the Islamic art and architecture field in this particular region. Mural paintings and gypsum decorations at the shrines and the open courtyard were chemically cleaned to more than fifty percent of their original state. Also, the central dome of the mosque, along with the wall of the prayer hall, were mechanically cleaned and consolidated up to sixty-five percent of their original state. In order to update the functionality of the structure, electrical wiring was installed throughout all parts of the premises besides the primary prayer hall. In July 2014, restoration efforts on the mosque were considered complete.
Gallery
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Domes of al-Ashrafiya Mosque.
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Three of the domes of the Ashrafiya Mosque
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Minarat of the Ashrafiya Mosque
See also
References
- ^ Kelly, Mike. My Shadow on the Clouds. Lulu Press. p. 119.
- ^ "جامع الأشرفية". yemen-nic.info. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
- ^ a b "Al-Ashrafiya Mosque: A Historical Madrasa-Mosque in Taiz by Nezar Moqbel". Al-Madaniya Magazine. 2021-03-18. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- .
- ^ Unknown (1295–1296). "Mosque-Madrasa of al-Ashrafiyya".
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(help) - ^ iqna.ir (February 15, 2008). "Al-Ashrafia Mosque: Restoration of an Islamic Era Landmark". en. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ^ Kelly, Mike. My Shadow on the Clouds. Lulu Press. p. 119.
- JSTOR 1523140.
- ^ admin (2018-11-15). "The Degradation of History". Mwatana for Human Rights. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
- ^ "Houthi shelling damages historical mosque in Taiz". Al Arabiya English. 2018-02-26. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ^ "Houthi shelling damages historical mosque in Taiz". Al Arabiya English. 2018-02-26. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
- ^ "Since 2007 - Restoration of the Al-Ashrafiya Mosque in Ta'izz". 2017-07-29. Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
- ^ a b Newsletter, Social Fund for Development, 06 October 2012, p. 3, https://www.sfd-yemen.org/uploads/issues/SFD_Nwesletter_en-6-20130422-060753.pdf. Accessed 15 April 2021.