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As-Sahabah Mosque

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Mosque and cemetery in Derna, Libya

As-Sahabah Mosque
Arabic: مسجد الصحابة
The mosque in 2009
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque and cemetery
StatusActive
Adjacent 7th-century Muslim cemetery
Location
LocationDerna, Cyrenaica
CountryLibya
As-Sahabah Mosque is located in LibyaAs-Sahabah MosqueLocation of the mosque and cemetery in Libya
Geographic coordinates32°45′41″N 22°38′33″E / 32.7613837°N 22.6423723°E / 32.7613837; 22.6423723
Architecture
TypeMosque architecture
StyleModernist
Completed1975
Specifications
Dome(s)Many (uncountable)
Minaret(s)Two
Shrine(s)Three

The As-Sahabah Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الصحابة) is a Sunni Islam mosque and adjacent cemetery, located at the Maydan Al-Sahaba Square in the city of Derna, Libya. The mosque was built in the 1970s on the site of a 7th-century cemetery containing the graves of the Sahaba who were slain by the Byzantine armies during the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb. Within the grounds of the mosque is an attached cemetery containing the tomb of Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi and at least seventy Muslim soldiers involved in the Battle of Mamma.

History

After the Battle of Mamma in 688 CE, Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi was killed along with his fellow generals (also Sahabah), Abdullah ibn Barr al-Qayisi and Abu Mansur al-Farsi, along with the rest of the returning Muslim forces. They were buried in what would be present day Derna.

During the Ottoman period, three shrines for Zuhayr, Abdullah and Abu Mansur were built. The cemetery was also called "Muhammad Bey Cemetery" but eventually the locals would change its name to "Sahaba Cemetery."

In 1970, the people of Derna volunteered to fund a project for a construction of a new mosque next to the cemetery. Construction work started in 1970, and the mosque was eventually opened in 1975.

2012 attack

In 2012, a bomb was detonated in the As-Sahabah Mosque compound. The explosion damaged the mosque and completely destroyed the tomb of Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi. The destruction of the shrine caused the body of Zuhayr to accidentally be uncovered, where it was found to have been almost uncorrupt. The tombs of Abdullah ibn Barr and Abu Mansur were also attacked with bulldozers.

Damage in 2023 flood

The advent of Storm Daniel in 2023 resulted in two dams collapsing due to excessive rainfall. The collapse of the two dams resulted in a huge flood, which ravaged the city of Derna. The As-Sahabah Mosque was damaged by the flood and its surroundings were water-logged.

Sahabah cemetery

The cemetery of the Sahabah is attached to the mosque. Three domed tombs are present, and these tombs are built over the graves of Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi, Abu Mansur al-Farsi and Abdullah ibn Barr al-Qayisi. At least seventy martyrs are buried in the cemetery, but it has all been plastered over, save for the three aforementioned tombs.

Gallery

  • The mausoleum of Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi within the cemetery compound The mausoleum of Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi within the cemetery compound
  • An arcade in the mosque, prior to the 2012 attack An arcade in the mosque, prior to the 2012 attack
  • A small domed musalla that indicates the burial place of seventy martyrs A small domed musalla that indicates the burial place of seventy martyrs

See also

References

  1. ^ الوصلي, عبد العزيز. ""دانيال" يجرف بلاد الصحابة.. كيف تشبثت درنة بفاتحيها؟". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. ^ مسعود, عبد القادر بن (14 September 2023). "تضم رفات أكثر من 70 صحابيا ودمرها الفيضان.. مقبرة الصحابة التاريخية في مدينة درنة الليبية". ArabicPost.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  3. The encyclopaedia of Islam. 11: V - Z. Leiden: Brill. 2002. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
  4. The encyclopaedia of Islam. 11: V - Z. Leiden: Brill. 2002. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
  5. "Libya: New Wave of Attacks Against Sufi Sites | Human Rights Watch". 7 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  6. "Libya: New Wave of Attacks Against Sufi Sites | Human Rights Watch". 7 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  7. "Sahaba Graves | PDF | Muhammad | Abrahamic Religions". Scribd. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  8. الوسط, بوابة (31 May 2014). "متطرفون يهدمون مقبرة صحابة رسول اللّه في درنة". Alwasat News (in Arabic). Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  9. Motamedi, Maziar. "Why did Derna's dams break when Storm Daniel hit Libya?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  10. Motamedi, Maziar. "Why did Derna's dams break when Storm Daniel hit Libya?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 November 2023.

External links

Media related to As-Sahabah Mosque at Wikimedia Commons

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