Gallery
Description
Property Name: Ali Basha Mosque (Al-Qubba)
Inventory No: –
Date of infill of the inventory form: 2020
Country (State party): Saudi Arabia
Province : Al Ahsa
Town: Al Hofuf
Geographic coordinates: 25°22’43.80″N 49°35’12.90″E
Historic Period: 16th Century
Year of Construction: 1571
Style: Ottoman
Original Use: Mosque
Current Use: Mosque – Museum
Architect: Unknown
Significance
The mosque is inside the Ibrahim Palace complex. It is located in the southwestern corner of the palace and was built by Ali Pasha, the ruler of Al-Ahsa between 975 AH-979 AH, and was opened for the prayer in the month of May 1571 Ad. It was mentioned in one of the official letters of the ruler at the beginning of 980 AH ordering the governor of Al-Ahsa, by the present ruler of Al-Basra and previous ruler of Al-Ahsa and wrote ‘’ We the Sultan Saleem Al-Thani in Constantinople found that the mosque of AL-Hofuf wasn’t in good condition, therefore, we order to built another mosque which will be repaired by using tribute on some gardens payable of the state…’’After ten years of the date of this decree, the Sultan Saleem wrote to the Qadi of Al-Ahsa ın the year 1582 AD saying that, these were my orders for the Qadi of Al-Ahsa Al-Hofuf, and we want 30 parts from the Holy Quran to be recited in the mosque every day after the afternoon prayer. Also, the memorial inscription was depicted above the entrance of the mosque starting with the holy verse ‘’ The mosques of Allah should be visited and maintained by such a belief and the last day’’ It was built during the region of Saleem Al Thani by Ali Pasha and completed on 979 AH’ Ali Pasha means Ali bin Lawind Al-Braiki
Selection Criteria
ii. to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design
iii. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
iv. to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history
State of Preservation
By the Ottoman conquest expansion towards the Eastern region, some Ottoman traits had shown on mosques; as in Ali Pasha mosque and The Dome mosque, where the latter has revolutionized the use of domes with a prayer hall void of columns. The mosque has survived till the time being, meanwhile using burnt bricks has vanished by the evacuation of the Ottomans.
References
Commission of Tourism and Heritage
Historical Mosques in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Investigating Architectural Styles Typology, Dr. Mashary A. AlNaem
Inscription of the building on the site