Great Mosque of Kufa

Kufa was founded as a garrison city in 638 and became for a period the capital of the caliphate under Ali, and its great mosque dates from that first generation of Islamic building, which makes it one of the oldest surviving mosques anywhere. It is where Ali was struck while at prayer, and the site is accordingly of great significance in Shia tradition; shrines within the enclosure mark places associated with him and with earlier prophets, including a spot connected by tradition with Noah's ark. The mosque has been rebuilt and extended repeatedly and the present appearance is largely modern, with a vast courtyard, tiled iwans and a blue dome. Beside it stands the house of Ali and the tomb of Muslim ibn Aqil.

History

The first mosque of Kufa was built with the city's foundation in 638, square in plan beside a governor's palace, with columns reused from the Lakhmid capital of al-Hira and from former churches. Ali ibn Abi Talib was struck down in the mosque in 661, and in 670 the governor Ziyad ibn Abihi rebuilt it in brick in a far more monumental form, with materials for its columns brought from Ahwaz (Wikipedia, Great Mosque of Kufa).

What to look for

• The great courtyard - a vast open enclosure with tiled iwans.
• Interior shrines - the marked places associated with Ali and the prophets.
• The blue dome - the modern dome above the prayer hall.
• Adjacent tombs - Muslim ibn Aqil and the house of Ali nearby.

When to go

November to March for bearable heat. Fridays and religious dates bring very large congregations. The mosque is usually visited together with Najaf on the same day.

Practical notes

Almost nothing visible dates from the seventh century; the fabric is largely modern rebuilding, which surprises visitors expecting an ancient building. Dress codes are strict and enforced. Photography is restricted. Non-Muslim access varies.

Nearby

Najaf and the Imam Ali shrine lie southwest.

Key facts