Architectural Description
[Picture source: © 2007 Issam Hajjar] [Picture source: © 2007 Issam Hajjar] Layout Plan
One enters the courtyard of the Sharaf Mosque by a rather small door on the west side of the building above which we can read an inscription documenting a restoration in 1321/1903-04 (Fig. 3). On the northern side of the courtyard, we find a riwaq of two naves where today one finds the mosque’s sanitary facilities. This part of the mosque was constructed by a certain Amir Husain b. Muhammad Shah, known as Ibn al-Maydani (died 934/1527-28)[1] and a certain ʿUthman ibn al-Banqusi (died 947/1540-41), an important merchant (ahad aʿyan at-tujjar bi-Halab) who is buried in a room on the west side of the courtyard.[2] A small garden with a few trees is situated on the east side of the courtyard, where the already mentioned tombs are found, separated from the rest of the courtyard by a bench-like low wall (Fig. 4).
The prayer hall (qibliyya) in the form of a square central domed room is situated on the south side (Fig. 5). The prayer hall has been enlarged to the east at a later period so that it extends the courtyard. This is though not visible from outside, since the mosque is surrounded from the south, east and north by adjacent buildings. Two doors allow entering the prayer hall. The eastern part of the courtyard is elevated and – with a prayer niche in the northern wall of the prayer hall – serves as additional space for prayer. The mosque possesses an octagonal high slender and beautiful minaret on the western side next to the qastal. Its gallery is decorated with three story Muqarnas cells (Fig. 6).
The minaret – considering the form and style – probably dates from the late Mamluke reconstruction of the mosque. The Mosque is rather plain, devoid of decoration, except the already mentioned inscriptions and two cartouches of Mameluke governor Khayr Bak above the mosque’s entrance.[3]
