Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque (Arabic: جامع النبي يونس, romanized: Jami' Al-Nabi Yunus) was a historic mosque located in Mosul, Iraq. It contained a tomb believed to be that of the Biblical prophet Jonah, known as Yunus by Muslims.
| Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque | |
|---|---|
 The Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque before it was demolished in 2014 by ISIL. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| District | Mosul District |
| Province | Nineveh |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque and shrine |
| Status | Destroyed (under reconstruction) |
| Location | |
| Country |  Iraq |
  Shown within Iraq | |
| Geographic coordinates | 36°20′N 43°10′E / 36.34°N 43.16°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Islamic Architecture |
| Date established | 1365 |
| Destroyed | 2014 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
| Shrine(s) | 2 |
History edit
The alleged grave of the Prophet Yunus was discovered by Jalal al-Din Ibrahim al-Khatni during his reconstruction of the site as a congregational mosque in 1365.[1] However, the mosque was also built over a demolished Assyrian Christian church that marked Jonah's grave.[2][3]
In 1924, the minaret was added to the mosque building by a Turkish architect. During Saddam Hussein's rule, the mosque was renovated and expanded.[4]
Construction edit
The mosque had one minaret and a conical ribbed dome. The floors of the mosque were built out of Alabaster and the prayer rooms had arched entrances that were inscribed with Quranic verses.[3]
The alleged tomb of Jonah was located at a corner of the mosque. The sarcophagus believed to be that of Jonah had a wooden zarih built around it.
In addition to Jonah's tomb, a modern shrine which contains the tomb of Shaykh Rashid Lolan is present next to the mosque.[5] This shrine dates back to the 1960s.[5]
2014 destruction edit
On 24 July 2014, the building was blown up by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,[6] damaging several nearby houses. They stated that "the mosque had become a place for apostasy, not prayer."[6]
Archeological discovery edit
In March 2017, after ISIL was driven out, a system of tunnels about one kilometre long were found under the mosque. Although all moveable items had been removed, there were still Assyrian reliefs, structures and carvings along the walls.[4]
References edit
- ^ "I07: Mosque of al-Nabi Yunus". 2020-01-20. Archived from the original on 20 January 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ^ Lloyd, Anthony (2017-03-20). "Inside the Assyrian palace revealed in fight for Mosul". The Times. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- ^ a b "Tomb of Jonah (now Nabi Yunis Mosque), Mosul, Iraq | Archive | Diarna.org". archive.diarna.org. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ^ a b "Jameh Nabi Yunus (Mosul) - Madain Project (en)". madainproject.com. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ^ a b "I67: Shaykh Rashid Lolan". 2020-01-26. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ^ a b Tawfeeq, Dana Ford,Mohammed (2014-07-24). "Extremists destroy Jonah's tomb, officials say". CNN. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
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