The Great Mosque of Samarra is a mosque located in the Iraqi city of Samarra and was built in the 9th century. The mosque was commissioned by Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil who reigned (in Samarra) from 847 until 861. The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Map showing Samarra near Baghdad Sāmarrā (سامراء) is a town in Iraq ( ). It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad Din Governorate, 125 km north of Baghdad and, in 2002, had an estimated population of 201,700. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... Abbasid Caliphate (Abbasid Khalifat) and contemporary states and empires in 820. ... For main article see: Caliphate Khalif is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, or global Islamic nation. ... Al-Mutawakkil Ala Allah Jafar bin al-Mutasim (821–861) (Arabic: المتوكل على الله جعفر بن المعتصم) was an Abbasid caliph who reigned (in Samarra) from 847 until 861. ... Events Succession of Pope Leo IV, (847 - 855) Births Alfred the Great (d. ... Events Carloman revolts against his father Louis the German. ...

The Great Mosque of Samarra was at one time the largest mosque in the world; its minaret, the Malwiya Tower, is a vast spiralling cone 52 meters high and 33 meters wide with a spiral ramp. ^[1] Minarets (Arabic manara منارة, but more usually مئذنة) are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. ...

The mosque had 17 aisles and its walls were panelled with mosaics of dark blue glass. It was just part of an extension of Samarra eastwards that built upon part of the walled royal hunting park inherited from the conquered Sassanians. Head of king Shapur II (Sasanian dynasty A.D. 4th century). ...

On April 1, 2005, the top of the Malwiya minaret was damaged by a bomb. Insurgents reportedly attacked the tower because U.S. troops had been using it as a sniper position. The blast left pieces of brick from the top of the minaret along its spiral ramp. ^{[2] [3]} April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Popular Culture

In the computer game Civilization 4, by Firaxis, the Great Mosque of Samarra is one of the many wonders you can build. It is called the Spiral Minaret, however. Civilization IV is a turn-based strategy computer game currently being developed by Sid Meier and his studio Firaxis Games. ... Firaxis Games is a computer game developer. ...

References and Notes

1. ^  See al-Jazeera article concerning damage to the mosque.
2. ^  See BBC article concerning damage to the mosque.
3. ^  See Historic Mosques site.

External links

• The Great Mosque, Samarra, Iraq
• Photo of The Great Mosque
• Photo and information
• Photos, floor plans, and information

Coordinates: 34°12′26″N, 43°52′49″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...