Sanaa
The Great Mosque of Sana'a is one of the oldest mosques in the world. Tradition holds that it was founded in 6 AH on the instruction of Nabi Muhammad ﷺ, and…
The Great Mosque of Sana'a is one of the oldest mosques in the world. Tradition holds that it was founded in 6 AH on the instruction of Nabi Muhammad ﷺ, and it was enlarged under the Umayyad caliph al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik and many times since. Stones and columns from the ancient Ghumdan palace are built into its walls, and in 1972 a hoard of early Qur'an manuscripts, among the oldest known, was found hidden in its roof. The mosque is built around a large open courtyard with a small domed treasury at its centre, surrounded by arcades and two minarets, and its prayer halls have painted wooden ceilings. It stands in the heart of the Old City of Sana'a, a short walk from Bab al-Yaman and Souq al-Milh.