Name of Monument:

Maqam of the Prophet Samuel

Location:

Located in the northwest of Jerusalem on the top of the Mountain of the Prophet Samuel (jabal and village of Nabi Samuel) overlooking the city of Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Date of Monument:

Hegira 551 / AD 1157

Period / Dynasty:

The maqam dates back to the Crusader period, it was expanded during the Mamluk period, and renovated in the Ottoman period

Patron(s):

Baldwin II (r. AH 512–25 / AD 1118–31).

Description:

A maqam or sanctuary that is associated with the prophet and judge, Samuel, who lived in the 11th century BC. It is believed that the mortal remains of the prophet were laid to rest here in the village where he was born in AH 569 / AD 1173. The village was mentioned in the journals of the traveller al-Maqdisi (died at the end of the AH 4th / AD 10th century) under the name of Dair Samuel. The historian, al-Hanbali (d. AH 928 / AD 1521) also noted that the village was the site of the Prophet Samuel's grave. Modern archaeological excavations have revealed that this village expanded and flourished during the Crusader period.
The origins of the building began with an underground cave (or crypt) on top of which a Crusader church was erected in AH 551 / AD 1157. This was after Baldwin II allowed the Premonstratensian Order to use the site. The church was damaged following the Battle of Hattin in AH 583 / AD 1187, and the Muslims transformed what remained of the building into a maqam during the Ayyubid period. The present mosque was an addition to the maqam during the Mamluk period. The mosque was renovated and the minaret was added to it during the Ottoman period (AH 1143 / AD 1730) under the auspices of Sheikh Muhammad al-Khalili. The site was renovated by the Islamic High Council in AH 1340 / AD 1922.
The maqam is a large complex that consists of two levels comprising the crypt and a large mosque with a series of rooms. It is possible to enter the crypt by the principle portal on the eastern side of the building. The portal leads to a large vestibule (7 m sq), which opens directly into the mosque and, via a staircase, down to the crypt. The rectangular crypt (11 m x 4 m) is covered by a barrel vault. One of the two tombs of the Prophet Samuel is located in the western section of the maqam. Following Israeli Occupation of the site in 1967 this section of the crypt was designated for Jewish worshipers only.
The mosque is composed of two prayer halls, in addition to a minaret and a number of rooms. The first hall is an iwan designed on a square plan and measuring approximately 8.5 m x 7.20 m. The iwan, located to the south of the vestibule entrance, is at the same level as the vestibule and is covered by a fan-shaped vault. There is a simple mihrab on the south wall. The principle prayer hall is located to the west of the vestibule; it measures approximately 21.5 m x 11.5 m. It is composed of three rectangular spaces which extend from the north to the south. In the middle of the central space is another tomb of the Prophet Samuel. To the south of the tomb, there is another mihrab.This area is designated for Muslims. In the southeast corner of the vestibule there is a long staircase that ascends to the entrance of the minaret and the roof of the mosque. The minaret is 13.5 m high from the roof, offering splendid panoramic views of Jerusalem and the surrounding villages.

One of the commemorative maqamat (sanctuaries) spread throughout Palestine, it is located on the summit of the highest mountain in the region of Jerusalem. It was built by the Crusaders as a church and Salah al-Din Ayyubi (Saladin) transformed it into a mosque and maqam. The Ottomans added a minaret to it. The building is a cavern, on top of which is a large prayer hall and a number of rooms that were used for services and for visitors to the maqam. It used to receive Sufis but it is now controlled by Muslims and Jews.

How Monument was dated:

The building was dated by an inscription at the entrance, through study of historical sources and by a comparison of its architectural design with those of similar buildings.

Selected bibliography:

Al-Hanbali, Mujir al-Din, (d. 927 / 1520), Al-Uns al-Jalil fi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil [The Magnificent Ambiance in the History of Jerusalem and Hebron], Amman, 1973.
Al-Maqdisi, Shams al-Din Abu Abd Allah Muhammad bin Ahmad (died end of the 4th / 10th century), Ahsan al-Taqasim fi Ma'arifat al-Aqalim [The State of the Art in the Knowledge of Regions], Leiden, 1906.

Citation of this web page:

Yusuf al-Natsheh "Maqam of the Prophet Samuel" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pa;Mon01;19;en

Prepared by: Yusuf Al-NatshehYusuf al-Natsheh

Yusuf Said Natsheh is a Palestinian and since 1997 he has been Director of the Department of Islamic Archaeology in al-Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem. He is a lecturer at al-Quds University. He was educated in Jerusalem and Cairo and in 1997 obtained his Ph.D. from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Dr Natsheh is a council member of many Palestinian societies for architectural heritage and a consultant for various projects on Jerusalem. He has written books and more than 40 articles about Jerusalem's architectural heritage including the architectural survey of Ottoman architecture in R. Hillenbrand and S. Auld (eds) Ottoman Jerusalem: The Living City 1517–1917 (London: Altajir World of Islam Trust, 2000). He has contributed to many international and national conferences. He supervised the restoration project, sponsored by the Arab League, on Mamluk monuments in and around al-Haram al-Sharif, and was Palestinian expert for the UNESCO mission to Jerusalem in 2004.
Copyedited by: Majd Musa
Translation by: Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).
Translation copyedited by: Mandi GomezMandi Gomez

Amanda Gomez is a freelance copy-editor and proofreader working in London. She studied Art History and Literature at Essex University (1986–89) and received her MA (Area Studies Africa: Art, Literature, African Thought) from SOAS in 1990. She worked as an editorial assistant for the independent publisher Bellew Publishing (1991–94) and studied at Bookhouse and the London College of Printing on day release. She was publications officer at the Museum of London until 2000 and then took a role at Art Books International, where she worked on projects for independent publishers and arts institutions that included MWNF’s English-language editions of the books series Islamic Art in the Mediterranean. She was part of the editorial team for further MWNF iterations: Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean Virtual Museum and the illustrated volume Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean.

True to its ethos of connecting people through the arts, MWNF has provided Amanda with valuable opportunities for discovery and learning, increased her editorial experience, and connected her with publishers and institutions all over the world. More recently, the projects she has worked on include MWNF’s Sharing History Virtual Museum and Exhibition series, Vitra Design Museum’s Victor Papanek and Objects of Desire, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s online publication 2 or 3 Tigers and its volume Race, Nation, Class.

MWNF Working Number: PA 19