Al-Qaiqan Mosque
Appearance
Al-Qaiqan Mosque جامع القيقان | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Islam |
Region | Levant |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | |
Architecture | |
Type | Mosque |
Completed | 12th century |
Materials | Stone |
Al-Qaiqan Mosque (Arabic: جامع القيقان) -meening the "Mosque of the Crows"- is one of the oldest surviving mosques in Aleppo, Syria. It is located in the western part of the Ancient City of Aleppo, within the historic walls of the city, to the north of the Gate of Antioch.
History
During the ancient times, the building had served as a Hittite pagan temple. It was turned into a mosque during the 12th century. Old carved stones with Hittite inscription were used in the construction of the mosque. Two old basalt columns could be seen at the main entrance of the building. On the southern wall of the mosque, a stone block with an Anatolian hieroglyphs inscription could be found.[1]
The mosque was enlarged in 1965 and entirely renovated in 1996.