Letter H

120. Ḥalāwa | حلاوة

‘Ajlūn Governorate

Jāmi‘ / Masjid ‘Abū Ḥurayra

JADIS no. 2119003

MEGA no. 9128

Coordinates: 32°23'05.3"N 35°39'38.6"E

32.384806, 35.660722

 

 

Plan: According to oral information, during recent renovations and related earth works remnants of arches had been uncovered in front of the N side of the mosque (today overbuilt), probably an indication for the presence of an old courtyard (saḥn) with riwāq or an entry hall. Plan almost rectangular, interior space divided by two pillars in the middle of the prayer hall in two naves parallel to the qibla wall. Each nave has three square bays with cross vaults resting on the imposts of the pillars. These correspond to pilasters in the corners and along the walls. Single entrance from the N almost in the center of the wall (axial to the miḥrāb), with one step threshold to interior, flanked by each one window terminating in segmental arches to the left and to the right. Miḥrāb located on the S wall, in plan elongated, not protruding outside of S-wall but entirely packed into wall.

Measurements: 481 m2 (with modern extensions)

Exterior: almost 15.6 m x 11.60 m (DK – HAH).

Interior: 13,4 x 9,6 m (MacKenzie 2002).

Building Materials: semi-dressed and partly irregular limestone blocks with lime mortar; portions of original masonry preserved on S wall.

Construction details: two sided masonry with rubble fill in approximate horizontal courses with mortar; cross vaults without separation.

Preservation: ruined (MacKenzie 2002), in meantime restored (2018); inside the mosque all walls are plastered and whitewashed.

Inscription(s): none known.

Date(s): In the plan the mosque follows Ayyubid / Mamluk templates (“Rēmūn-type”, see no. 306); with Ottoman and more recent restorations.

Traveler Reports: none known.

Bibliography: For taxation of the village in the Ottoman registers see Hütteroth-Abdulfattah 1977, 162 s.v. Nāhiya ‘Ajlūn, Za'āma wa tīmā, Halāwa. For the antiquities and the mosque in particular see Steurnagel 1927, A. 337-339; Mittmann 1970, 66 no. 155; Daire 1988, 69 s.v. Halāwa; MacKenzie 2002, 618-619; Rawadiyah 2007, I, 424; Walker 2011,153 note 111; MMU IV 266 no. 3 (H. & O. M. Qawaqnah); 322 (A.M. Qudah).

 
Fig. 120. 1-2 Two views of S exterior wall after recent restoration(TMW-K 2017).
 
Fig. 120. 3 Sketch ground plan with modern additions (HAH 2017).
Fig. 120.4 Sketch section E-W (AAH - MaB 2017).
Fig. 120. 5 Sketch section E-W (EQ - MH 2017).
Fig. 120.6 Axial view from main entrance to N wall with decentered miḥrāb in S qibla wall (TMW-K 2017).
Fig. 120.7 Detail of restored miḥrāb in S qibla wall (TMW-K 2017).
Fig. 120.8 Interior seen from NE, in recently restored condition (TMW-K 2017).
Fig. 120.9 Interior seen from SE, in recently restored condition (TMW-K 2017).
Fig. 120.10 View of exterior N façade, restored (TMW-K 2017).
Fig. 120.11 Exterior W wall with new door leading from the added ablution to the prayer hall(TMW-K 2017).
Fig. 120.12 Detail of restored window in the exterior E wall with iron grill (TMW-K 2017).

Figures

[Fig. 120. 1-2 ]
Two views of S exterior wall after recent restoration(TMW-K 2017).

[Fig. 120. 3 ]
Sketch ground plan with modern additions (HAH 2017).

[Fig. 120.4 ]
Sketch section E-W (AAH - MaB 2017).

[Fig. 120. 5 ]
Sketch section E-W (EQ - MH 2017).

[Fig. 120.6 ]
Axial view from main entrance to N wall with decentered miḥrāb in S qibla wall (TMW-K 2017).

[Fig. 120.7 ]
Detail of restored miḥrāb in S qibla wall (TMW-K 2017).

[Fig. 120.8 ]
Interior seen from NE, in recently restored condition (TMW-K 2017).

[Fig. 120.9 ]
Interior seen from SE, in recently restored condition (TMW-K 2017).

[Fig. 120.10 ]
View of exterior N façade, restored (TMW-K 2017).

[Fig. 120.11 ]
Exterior W wall with new door leading from the added ablution to the prayer hall(TMW-K 2017).