| Sidi Okba Mosque | |
|---|---|
مسجد سيدي عقبة | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Sidi Okba |
| Country | Algeria |
  Location of the mosque in northAlgeria | |
 Interactive map of Sidi Okba Mosque | |
| Coordinates | 34°44′56″N5°53′59″E / 34.7490277°N 5.8996375°E /34.7490277; 5.8996375 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed |
|
| Specifications | |
| Dome | 2 |
| Minaret | 1 |
| Shrine | 1:(Uqba ibn Nafi) |
| Materials | Stucco; timber |
TheSidi Okba Mosque (Arabic:مسجد سيدي عقبة,romanized: Masjid Sīdī ʻUqbah) is amosque, located in the village ofSidi Okba, nearBiskra, inAlgeria. Amausoleum was established in 686CE to house the remains ofUqba ibn Nafi, acompanion of the Islamic prophetMuhammad and one of the prominent commanders of theMuslim conquest of the Maghreb, making it one of the oldest Muslim monuments in Algeria.[1] The mosque was built around the tomb and has been renovated many times over the centuries.[2][3] The mosque is located in the locality of Sidi Okba, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of the town ofTabuda and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of the city of Biskra, on the National road number 38, toward the locality ofKhenguet Sidi Nadji.[4][3]
ʻUqbah ibn Nāfiʻ, on his return from the victoriousBattle of Vescera in theAtlas Mountains, was killed by the army of theBerber Christian kingKusayla ibn Lamzah in an ambush outside the town of Thouda in 683 CE.[5] He was buried in the village of Sidi Okba, and later the mosque was built on top of it for commemoration. It is not exactly recorded who built the mosque; some consider that it was the followers of Uqba who were captured during the battle, and later redeemed by the judges inTunis from the prison. CommanderZuhayr ibn Qays sent them back along with other Muslims to Thouda, where they built the mosque.[4][dead link][dubious –discuss]
The building was not constructed all at once[2] and was likely remodeled and expanded several times.[1] The tomb, the oldest part, probably dates from 686,[3] making it one of the first known Muslim monuments in Algeria.[1] The decorated cedar-wood doors of the tomb have been dated byGeorges Marçais the first half of the 11th century (c. 1025) during theZirid period, based on a stylistic comparison with Zirid woodwork in theGreat Mosque of Kairouan and with contemporary inscriptions on stelae found in Tunisia.[6][3] This likely indicates a major renovation at this time.[3]
A zawiya was added to the mosque in 1665.[2] Other inscriptions found in the mosque likely indicate the dates of further repairs or expansions.[3] One inscription dates the mosque'smihrab from 1214AH (1799/1800 CE) and another inscription on a wooden plaque dates from 1215 AH (1800/1801CE).[3][2] These inscriptions also name Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Tunisi as the sponsor of the work.[2]
The mosque is irregularly shaped, and it is 60 metres (200 ft) long and 37 metres (121 ft) wide. It consists of three hallways and the main door at the south.[4][dead link] The building is designed in very simplehypostyle manner, similar to the earliest mosque built by Muhammad inMedina. The mostly flat roof of the prayer hall is supported by undecorated horseshoe arches held up bywhitewashed columns, some of which are made of palm tree trunks.[2][3] There are two domes: one above the mausoleum and the other in front of the mihrab.[3] The mihrab is covered by asemi-dome and is decorated with stucco carved in simple and irregular interlace patterns, including engaged columns with capitals carved with grooves and stylized palm-tree motifs.[1][3] The mausoleum occupies the southwest corner of the mosque.[2]
Media related toSidi-Okba Mosque at Wikimedia Commons
| Algiers | |
|---|---|
| Constantine |
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| Oran | |
| Tlemcen | |
| Other provinces | |
| Former | |
