Muhammad Mosque

Muhammad Mosque
Siniggala Mosque
The minaret of the former mosque in 2013
Religion
AffiliationIslam (former)
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque (former)
Location
LocationOld City, Baku
CountryAzerbaijan
Muhammad Mosque is located in Streets in Old City, Baku, Azerbaijan
Muhammad Mosque
Location of the former mosque in the Baku Old City
Geographic coordinates40°21′55″N 49°50′05″E / 40.36528°N 49.83472°E / 40.36528; 49.83472
Architecture
TypeMosque architecture
StyleIslamic
CompletedAH 471 (1078/1079)
Specifications
Minaret(s)One
InscriptionsOne
MaterialsStone

The Muhammad Mosque or Siniggala Mosque[a] is a former mosque, located in the Old City of Baku, Azerbaijan. The mosque was built in the 11th century.

It is the first building in Azerbaijan, which is related to Islam and dated for its architectural ligature.[1]

Architecture

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According to Arabic inscription which was saved in front of the doorway of the northern wall of the mosque, it was built by ustad-rais Muhammad the son of Abu Bakr in 471 of Hijra (1078/79). It means that the architect was not only a master-ustad, but also a rais-head of artificers’ corporation.[1]

Minaret

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In 1723, the mosque acquired the name Siniggala, when a military squadron of the Russian Army, consisting of 15 warships and led by Admiral Matyushkin, approached the city from seaside and demanded its surrender during the Russo-Persian War. Russian warships began to bomb the city after the refusal to surrender. One of the Russian shells hit the minaret of Muhammad Mosque and damaged it. A stormy wind then blew the Russian ships further out to sea.[2] The population of the city interpreted the wind as a divine scourge sent to the occupants.[citation needed] From that time until the middle of the 19th century, the minaret of the mosque wasn't reconstructed. It remained a symbol of the persistence and courage of the defendants of the tower.[3][4]

The minaret adjoins the new mosque, which was constructed based on the older one's plan. The trunk of the minaret is strong and slightly thinning. It is constructed from carefully drafted stone. Coarse and flat stalactites of tabling retain sherefe – muezzin’s balcony enclosed by stone plates. A ribbed dome completes the trunk of the minaret. Narrow, winding stairs are winded within the trunk. Ligature with Koranic inscription was traced under the tabling with archaic kufi alphabet.[2]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The name Siniggala, meaning "damaged tower", is attributed to the mosque's minaret.

References

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  1. ^ a b Бретеницкий, Л. С.; Веймарн, Б. В. (1976). Искусство Азербайджана IV—XVIII веков (in Russian). Moscow: Искусство. p. 44.
  2. ^ a b Мечеть Мухаммеда, или Сыныггала в Ичери Шехер (Баку). www.ourbaku.com (in Russian). November 9, 2009.
  3. ^ "Monuments of universal value: Maiden Tower: "Shirvanshahs" Palace Complex: Mohammed Mosque "Synyk-kala" (Broken Tower)". www.icherisheher.gov.az. Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve Icherisheher under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 2014. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013.
  4. ^ "ATABƏYLƏRĠ DÖVLƏTĠ 1136-1225-Cİ İLLƏR" (PDF) (in Turkish). 2007.
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Media related to Muhammad Mosque (Baku) at Wikimedia Commons

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