Mosque of Al-Ghamama

Mosque of Al-Ghamama
Arabic: مسجد الغمامة
The mosque in 2013
Religion
Affiliation	Sunni Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Mosque
Status	Active
Location
Location	Medina
Country	Saudi Arabia
Shown within Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates	24°27′56.8″N 39°36′25.1″E
Architecture
Type	Mosque architecture
Groundbreaking	705 CE
Completed	712 CE
Specifications
Dome(s)	Six (maybe more)
Minaret(s)	One

Mosque of Al-Ghamamah (Arabic: مسجد الغمامة) is a Sunni Islam mosque, located in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The mosque is located at 500 m (1,600 ft) west of As-Salam door of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi.

Significance

The mosque is one of the oldest in Medina and is one of the city's historical relics. It is believed to be located in a place where the Islamic prophet Muhammad performed an Eid prayer in the year 631. It is also narrated that Muhammad offered Salat ul-Istasqa when the city of Madina faced a shortage of rain. For a while, this mosque was closed for daily prayers because of its proximity to the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi. Quite recently it reopened for prayer. Five–times prayers are held in the mosque, with an internal sound system to avoid the clash of sounds from the nearby Prophet's Mosque.

Etymology

"Ghamamah" means cloud, and it is named as such as it is narrated that rain clouds covered the city when Muhammad had performed Salat ul-Istasqa here.

History

The mosque was built during the reign of the Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz between AH 86 (704/706) to AH 93 (711/712), and renovated by the Sultan Hasan bin Muhammad bin Qalawan Ash-Shalihi in 1340 CE during the Sharifate of Mecca era. It was renovated again by the Sharif Saifuddin Inal Al-Ala'i in 1622, and at the time of Sultan Abd-ul-Mejid I in 1859 during the Ottoman era, using new tools and the appearance resembles more or less what it is today. After that it was renovated again during the time of the Sultan Abdul Hamid II and by the Saudi government.

Description

The mosque is rectangular shaped, and made of two parts, which are entrance door and prayer room. The entrance door is also rectangular shaped and is 26 m (85 ft) long and is 4 m (13 ft) wide, and has five dome-shaped circles drawn on façade. The prayer room is 30 m (98 ft) long and is 15 m (49 ft) wide, and has six domes in the shape of a circle. The largest dome is at the top of the mihrab.

See also

• Islam in Saudi Arabia
• List of mosques in Saudi Arabia
• List of mosques in Medina

External links

Media related to Mosque of Al-Ghamama at Wikimedia Commons