King Abdullah I Mosque (Amman)

King Abdullah I Mosque (Amman)

 

Location: Sulayman an Nabullsi

 

Description of King Abdullah I Mosque in Amman

The King Abdullah Mosque is a major mosque in Amman, Jordan. The mosque was built between 1982 and 1990 on behalf of King Hussein I and was named after his grandfather Abdallah ibn Husain I, the emir and first king of (Trans-)Jordan. The plans go back to the work of the Bohemian-German architect Jan Cejka (* 1933).

The mosque is located on the Jabal al-Lweibdeh hill in the western part of the Jordanian capital. Its characteristic blue main dome decorated with mosaics became a landmark of Amman. There are also two smaller domes and two futuristic-looking minarets. The dome houses a prayer room below (for men); It is not supported by columns in the central nave and is reminiscent of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Since April 11, 2006, the King Abdullah Mosque is no longer Jordan's national mosque. It was replaced by the King Hussein bin Talal Mosque, which was built by King Abdullah II in 2004–2005 in memory of his father Hussein I and is currently the largest mosque in Jordan.

There is a museum of Islamic history and religion in the mosque complex. The mosque is the only mosque in Amman that is open to non-Muslims. There is an extensive souvenir shop in the tourist entrance.