Abbasid Mosque

Abbasid Mosque

Medieval Ayla 

Aqaba, Jordan

The Blue Guide dates this mosque, at least in its present form, between the mid-8th century and mid-9th century AD. It is a mosque for congregational worship, with a peristyle courtyard. Read this photo from left (north), to right (south). The mosque is seen here from the west side; the front, and longer (sic), side of the building is north .

From the columned entrance (1), worshipers passed into a large rectangular courtyard (2), and continued through another row of columns and into the first prayer hall (3). Past yet another row of columns is the inner prayer hall, with a mihrab (A niche in the wall of a mosque that is oriented towards Mecca, the direction of prayer (qibla); for example, towards the west, when one is in India) on the south wall (4). The dimensions of the mosque are approximately 30m (N-S) by 50m (E-W).

Medieval Ayla is located on the beach of modern Aqaba, Jordan's port on the Red Sea.