Showcasing historical resilience
Ottoman era Grand Al-Hindiya Mosque nears 140th anniversary
AL-HINDIYA, Iraq — The Grand Al-Hindiya Mosque stands as a historic landmark at the market entrance of Al-Bagagil in the Al-Kas neighborhood. Approaching its 140th anniversary, this mosque – near the Ottoman-era Saray building – was constructed in 1885 during Pasha Taqi ad-Din al-Madras’s tenure as Baghdad’s governor. It spans 600 square meters; its minaret, damaged in British bombardment during the 1920 Iraqi Revolt, remains a notable feature.
Built from brick and plaster, the mosque features a prayer hall in the southern section, covering 200 square meters and distinctively lacking the columns often found in larger mosques.
Falah Al-Bayati, a historical researcher, explained to 964media, “The mosque’s minaret was the highest point in Al-Hindiya, standing at 30 meters. Sadly, it was damaged during the 1920 Revolution by British gunfire, causing the top to collapse. The Directorate of Waqfs later repaired it, leading to its current appearance.”
He added, “The minaret starts with a hexagonal base, leading to a cylindrical body without decorations, 7 meters tall. It’s topped by a circular balcony, adorned with ancient Islamic motifs, 7 meters in diameter with 50-centimeter-thick walls, and a cylindrical structure 6 meters tall, ending in a small dome. A bronze crescent, accessible through a door in the cylindrical part, tops the minaret. The mosque also features a centrally located mihrab on the dome wall, with a pulpit to its right and a central courtyard of about 400 square meters, next to a room for the muezzin.”
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