Name of Monument:Mosque of Nabi Yunus (Prophet Jonah) Location:The building is located in the middle of the old city of Halhul, 5 km north of Hebron (al-Khalil), Halhul, Palestine* Date of Monument:Hegira 623 / AD 1226 Period / Dynasty:Ayyubid Patron(s):The building was sponsored by al-Malik Mu’addam ‘Isa bin al-Malik al-‘Adil al-Ayyubi (r. AH 615–24 / AD 1218–27). The building was renovated subsequently by a number of Mamluk sultans. Description:The building is composed of a mosque and a maqam (tomb). The mosque is a new construction undertaken amidst the rubble of the original Ayyubid mosque. Composed of two stories, the first level includes the remains of the Ayyubid mosque, while the burial area is at the basement (crypt) level of the maqam. The maqam of the Prophet Jonah is accessed from inside the mosque via the ground-floor entrance, thus the visitor can see what remains of the old mosque by passing through the centre of it in the direction of the qibla (south). View Short DescriptionThe building consists of a modern mosque and a maqam (tomb sanctuary) and is located in the city of Halhul, north of Hebron. The maqam was built as part of a series of maqamat whose dissemination was encouraged by Ayyubid sultans and amirs in Palestinian regions. The maqam is square in shape and built on top of a cave. Three of its sides are surrounded by delicate porticoes enabling visitors to view the tomb in its chamber from windows distributed in its walls. The tomb has a wooden frame shrouded in a green kiswa (cloth) resembling those which cover holy tombs. How Monument was dated:The date for the maqam is supported by historical information. Selected bibliography:Al-Hanbali, Mujir al-Din, (d. 927 / 1520), Al-Uns al-Jalil fi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil [The Significant Ambiance in the History of Jerusalem and Hebron], Amman, 1973. Citation of this web page:Yusuf al-Natsheh "Mosque of Nabi Yunus (Prophet Jonah)" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pa;Mon01;12;en Prepared by: Yusuf Al-Natsheh
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