Beirut, Lebanon
Mosque in Beirut
The Emir Assaf Mosque, also called the Bab al-Saraya Mosque, on Weygand Street in downtown Beirut opposite the Municipality building, is one of the oldest surviving mosques in the city. It was inaugurated in 1597 by Emir Mansur Assaf on the old Serail square, on the site of the Byzantine Church of the Holy Saviour. Its surroundings changed a great deal: in the 1880s the Old Serail and its baths gave way to Souk Sursock, and in 1915 the Bab al-Saraya gate was removed to make room for the new Foch-Allenby commercial district. In 1934 ablution rooms were built on the west side, in line with the street to Nejmeh Square. Restoration after the civil war, in the mid-1990s, brought back the original western façade. Its square plan, five-domed roof, ablaq entrance of alternating coloured stone and muqarnas detailing around the windows are characteristic of the Lebanese style, a rare example of early Ottoman-era architecture in Beirut.
It is a working mosque: visit outside prayer times, dress modestly, and women cover their hair. Fifteen minutes is enough. It is a few steps from the Al-Omari Grand Mosque, so combine both with Nejmeh Square and the two St George cathedrals on one downtown walk.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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MuseumBeirut, Lebanon
