Abu Dulaf Mosque

Abu Dulaf Mosque (جامع أبو دلف) is an ancient historic mosque located approximately 15 km north of Samarra in the Saladin Governorate, Iraq. The mosque was commissioned by the 10th Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutawakkil in 859.

The archeological mosque, along with the Great Mosque of Samarra, represent a unique example of the planning, capacity, construction, and artistic in Islamic architecture and mosques in the Abbasid Caliphate, considered one of the finest. Their large dimensions and unique spiral minarets, these mosques demonstrate the pride and political and religious strength that correspond with the strength and power of the caliphate at that time. Even after the abandonment of the mosque by the Caliphate, the mosque remained partially preserved with some damages caused mainly by ploughing and cultivation. The mosque, along with the archeological city of Samarra, are a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

Description
The mosque is rectangular shaped, and consisted of the open air sahn surrounded by the corridors with the qibla corridor being the biggest of them. The mosque is among the largest mosques in the world measured by area size 37,500 m2, reaching 157 meters width and 240 meters length. The iconic spiral minaret which resembles the renowned Malwiya of the Great Mosque of Samarra is located at the northern side. The unique design of the minaret is said to be inspired by the similar structure in Firuzabad, while others believe the minaret's unique spiral design is derived from the architecture of the Mesopotamian ziggurats (modern day Iraq). The minaret reaches 32 m and standing on a square base. The mosque also has extra arcades added to its courtyard indicating that the interior of the mosque couldn't accommodate the masses during Friday prayers. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo has similar architecture to the Abu Dulaf Mosque, as well as other mosques in Samarra at the time, if not a smaller replica of said mosque.