"Tower of Babel" in Samarra. Great Mosque in Samarra (Samarra, Iraq)

Samarra is an ancient city in Iraq, 124 km north of Baghdad, which is home to one of the tallest spiral mosques in the world.

The most famous page of life ancient city connected with the arrival of Muslims in these parts: in 836, due to unrest, the capital of the Caliphate, and with it the entire Islamic world, was moved from Baghdad to Samarra, where it remained until 892, after which it returned to Baghdad. This turn of history changed the face of the city - it turned into a major shopping center where beautiful palaces and mosques were built. So, in 847, the Great Mosque with a unique spiral minaret was built here - at that time the largest in the world.

And its minaret, built in 848-852 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakil, is still one of the highest today. Its spiral, 52 meters high, also serves as a staircase leading to the top.

Unlike most minarets, this one, due to its height, was not used as a call to prayer. However, visible at a fairly large distance from Samara, the minaret has always served as a kind of statement of the presence of Islam in the Tigris River valley.

Had it not been for the riots in Baghdad that forced the Abassid caliph al-Mu'tasim to think about finding a suitable site for a new capital, this city would never have arisen and the world would never have seen a striking example of Muslim architecture, known as the Great Mosque of Samarra.

It was decided to build a new capital city at a distance of 124 km north of Baghdad, and over the years the city was intensively built and developed, confirming its capital status. For 56 years - from 836 to 892. Samarra remained the capital of the caliphate, during which time it became a bustling trading center, the squares of which were decorated fairytale palaces, picturesque parks and hunting grounds.

The father's work was continued by his son, Caliph al-Mutawakkil, who invested a lot of effort and money in the prosperity of Samarra. But the most outstanding architectural jewel, which glorified not only Samarra, but Iraq as a whole, was the Great Mosque - a gigantic building that easily accommodated about 80,000 Muslims who regularly flooded the square of the holy place to perform prayers.

Today, little remains of this majestic structure, but once it shook the imagination with its gigantic size and monumentality. Just imagine a huge courtyard, an imposing prayer hall and a tall minaret behind an impregnable wall with semicircular towers and sixteen entrances - all this in an area of 38,000 square meters.

The wall and other buildings of the ancient architectural ensemble are decorated with glass mosaics in ultramarine tones, fine carvings and skillful stucco work. It took almost 4 years to create the Grand Mosque - the complex was built from 847 to 852, and at the time of completion of construction grandiose complex it was the largest and most outstanding building among all Islamic buildings.

The wall of the mosque and the minaret of Malviya, famous throughout the world for its height and intricate shape, have survived to this day. On a square pedestal with sides of 33 meters, a cone-shaped structure rises with a spiral staircase wrapping around Malvia along its entire 52-meter height - from a wide base to a narrow top - and, it seems, screwing into the very heavens.

The width of the stairs is 2.3 m - such a distance easily allowed al-Mutawakkil to get to the highest turn of the ramp astride a sacred white Egyptian donkey. From there, from the top, a marvelous panorama opens up to the surroundings of the city and the valley of the Tigris River. The name of the minaret means "twisted shell", which refers to the spiral staircase that winds along the walls of the minaret.

Depending on the time of day and under the influence of lighting, the walls of the mosque and the minaret are transformed, acquiring either straw, amber, brick, or golden-pink hues. architectural object of rare beauty is under the protection of UNESCO and is listed in the register of monuments that make up the World Heritage Site.

Alas, the unique building, miraculously preserved to our era, had to suffer pretty much already in the current century. In April 2005, Iraqi insurgents attempting to remove an American observation post on top of the minaret staged an explosion that partially destroyed the top of the tower.

The Great Mosque of Samarra (Samarra, Iraq)

Samarra is an ancient city in Iraq, 124 km north of Baghdad, which is home to one of the tallest spiral mosques in the world.

The most famous page in the life of the ancient city is associated with the arrival of Muslims in these parts: in 836, due to unrest, the Abassid caliph al-Mu'tasim was forced to move the capital of the Caliphate, and with it the entire Islamic world, from Baghdad to Samarra, where it remained until 892, after which she again returned to Baghdad. This turn of history changed the face of the city - it turned into a major trading center, where beautiful palaces and mosques were built.

The mosque began to be built in 848 and completed in 852 already during the reign of his son, Caliph Al-Mutawakkil.

The wall of the mosque and the minaret of Malviya, famous throughout the world for its height and intricate shape, have survived to this day. A cone-shaped structure with a spiral staircase rises on a square pedestal with sides of 33 meters, wrapping around Malvia along its entire 52-meter height - from a wide base to a narrow top - and, it seems, screwing into the very heavens. The mosque consists of 17 rows, the wall and other buildings of the ancient architectural ensemble are decorated with glass mosaics in ultramarine tones, fine carvings and skillful stucco molding.

The width of the stairs is 2.3 m - such a distance easily allowed al-Mutawakkil to get to the highest turn of the ramp astride a revered white Egyptian donkey. From there, from the top, a marvelous panorama opens up to the surroundings of the city and the valley of the Tigris River. The name of the minaret means "twisted shell", which refers to the spiral staircase that winds along the walls of the minaret.

Depending on the time of day and under the influence of lighting, the walls of the mosque and the minaret are transformed, acquiring either straw, amber, brick, or golden-pink hues.

The Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo was built on the model of the Great Mosque in Samarra.

The Grand Mosque complex is under the protection of UNESCO, among other antiquities of Samarra, which together form a World Heritage Site.

The minaret called Malviya, which is an impressive tower with a height of 52 meters with spiral ramps, still reminds of its former grandeur. great mosque in Samarra, which during the time of the Abbasid Caliphate was the largest mosque in the world.

More than a thousand years old, the spiral-shaped building of the mosque is in danger of collapsing due to numerous damages received as a result of military attacks, according to Iraqi media reports.

The external staircase of the mosque is unstable: several stones are missing from it. The walls of the minaret, on which the names of visitors are carved, are also unreliable. It's not safe to be there. This was confirmed by an accident that occurred on March 29, 2017: a young man tried to climb the minaret, but fell and died.

Malvia is known for its spiral structure; it is unlike any other minaret in the world. The mosque is one of Samarra's many historical landmarks and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007. Located on both sides of the Tigris River, 130 kilometers north of Baghdad, ancient capital Samarra well demonstrates the scale of the Abbasid Caliphate, which in the 8th century was the largest Islamic empire, stretching from Tunisia to Central Asia. Today Samarra is the only Islamic capital that has come down to us that has retained its original plan, architecture and art, in particular mosaics and carvings.

Al Ahram Gate reported on its website that a study (“Proposed Methods for the Preservation of the Great Mosque of Samarra and its Malwiya Minaret”), conducted last year by Issam Khishmat of the South Valley University in Egypt, showed that mosques have for many years years of damage of various nature. In 2003, during the American invasion of Iraq, the mosque served as a military base, and in 2005, the minaret was damaged during a terrorist attack that destroyed many elements of the architecture of the 1200-year-old monument.

Mahmoud Khalaf, mayor of the Samarra district, said some of the damage to the mosque building was caused by weather conditions and humidity. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Khalaf said that renovations were already underway at the mosque. In 2017, UNESCO and the Iraqi authorities signed an agreement to preserve and manage the old city of Samarra. This work should begin with the restoration of the Grand Mosque and the Malviya minaret.

“I have contacted officials from local and federal governments several times to get more funds to restore this old monument, but every time we received the same answer: “The main priority is the war against ISIS (banned in the territory Russian Federation– Islamosphere), security and stability of the country,” Khalaf said, explaining that a UNESCO delegation was investigating the mosque to cope with the damage caused by moisture and the destruction of bricks.

Khalaf is in touch with the engineer and archaeologist Giovanni Fontana Antonelli, a member of the UNESCO delegation, who is working on the restoration of the site. “We are trying to assess the condition of the mosque and find appropriate solutions to stop environmental and human risks, as well as repair the damage caused by previous improper repairs that were carried out during the Ba'athist regime in the 1990s,” Antonelli told Al-Monitor.

“In order to solve the tasks assigned to us, we will go to the field and meet with local authorities and stakeholders,” he also said.

According to Antonelli, "a joint technical committee monitors the quality of work to be carried out and the implementation of a joint project of Iraqi and international experts to develop a comprehensive reconstruction plan."

Al-Monitor interviewed Algerian archaeologist Mahmoud Bandakir, who is also a member of the UNESCO delegation. " Historical city Samarra was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2007 as a monument in danger. Therefore, some restoration work needs to be carried out at the site, which is the responsibility of the government.”

According to him, “the problem with security and lack of funding has led to delays in the implementation of repair and maintenance work. This means that Iraq violated the decision of the Committee world heritage adopted in 2013, under which governments were instructed to carry out appropriate maintenance and repair work”.

Bandakir stated: “After consultations with the authorities of Salahuddin province, it was decided to start work on the restoration of the Grand Mosque, as it has the most serious damage, not to mention the fact that improper repair and restoration work was carried out at this site at one time. In addition, the mosque was bombed during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.” He added that the restoration work must be carried out in accordance with international standards, as stipulated by the 1964 Venice Charter.

Maysun al-Damluji, head of the parliamentary committee on media and culture, said in an interview with Al-Monitor: “In the near future, archaeological sites and monuments will be reconstructed and investment projects will be created. The Iraqi Antiquities Authority said that the mosque's renovation and restoration work will be funded by funds from the Iraqi Sunni Fund received from tourists who visited the mosque under Saddam Hussein's regime.

Khalaf stated that the restoration plan will include “building infrastructure in accordance with the requirements that are imposed on the monuments included in the World Heritage List. Among the requirements are the construction of a building for the administration of the mosque, a consultation center for guests and the arrangement of areas. The design documents were submitted to the World Heritage Center and then sent for evaluation to the International Council for the Conservation of Monuments and Sites.”

In conclusion, he said: “We are ready to discuss tourism and cultural investment projects with them regarding the Grand Mosque and other city monuments.”

Adnan Abu Zeid / al-monitor.com