Al-Satoun Mosque
The mosque is located in the Al-Yasmina neighborhood. It was originally built in 1285 AD and has undergone multiple restoration and renovation efforts during the Ottoman period. Inscriptions can be found on the facades overlooking the open yard, as well as above the door of the minaret.
The mosque was constructed and rebuilt in different periods by Prince Shams al-Din Ibn al-Taher al-Shahid. The minaret was later rebuilt in 1358 AD by Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Shahid. In 1852 AD, the mosque was expanded from its northern side by Sheikh Fakhr al-Din Sharaf, following the Ottoman-era design.
The mosque covers an area of 417 square meters and consists of three main sections: the southern prayer chamber (al-Qibli), the northern prayer hall (the Omari mosque), and an open central courtyard. The western facade overlooks a roofed road with high intersecting arches and features a beautiful main gate with two overlapping arched entrances. A smaller entrance to the south leads to the ablution yard, with a semicircular arch above.
At the northern end of the mosque, a standpipe called Sabil al-Ran was added, using a Roman stone sarcophagus as the basin. The southern prayer hall has a rectangular shape in an east-west direction, with two halls - the southern one being 4 meters wide and topped by intersecting arches reaching 8 meters high. The northern entrance to this hall is less widespread and tall due to the presence of a dam above.
The Qibla wall includes a stone pulpit preceded by an arch with an inscription. In the Qibla niche, there are three niches, with the central one featuring two marble columns topped with locally made stone crowns. The two side niches are smaller and less important, representing the three jurisprudence schools adopted by the city's people.
The second part of the mosque, called the Omari Mosque, covers an area of about 10 square meters and features a massive stone column in the center, likely repurposed from a Roman building. This column's function was to support the intersecting arches and the surrounding walls.
The open courtyard connects the al-Omari and al-Qibli chambers through wide arches. Sanitary facilities were added to the western side of the courtyard, and the mosque's minaret stands at the southwestern corner, with three inscriptions on its western and southern facades.
In 2018, the mosque underwent reconstruction and restoration work, including the addition of modern ablution facilities and the removal of the facade separating the two prayer halls.