26. ‘Al‘āl | علعال

Irbid Governorate

Jāmi‘ / masjid ‘Al‘āl al-qadīm

JADIS no. none

MEGA no. none

Coordinates: 32°38'07.4"N 35°54'30.8"E

32.635389, 35.908556

Plan: broad rectangular, single naved, with the main door in the middle of the N wall opposite miḥrāb in the S wall, not exactly in axial alignment but slightly shifted to the W; another entrance from the E. In the interior room corners and on each long side buttresses which support cross vaults dividing the hall into three square bays. The E entrance is reached from the exterior by a narrow staircase via an open terrace occupying the full width of the E façade. One ascends by another small three stepped stair to the mosque's E door. A large open courtyard extends to the exterior N side. At the W corner, a long flight of stairs leads up to the roof top where a ruined square minaret can be accessed in line at the NW  corner of  the building. The N façade  has two small windows flanking  the central entrance and giving light to the W and E interior bay. Another window sits centered in the W wall.

Measurements: 59.39 m²

Exterior: 12.65 m x 6.30 m

Interior: ca. 11.45 x 5.10 m.

Building Materials: Masonry of  ocre-brown coarsely cut limestones, laid up to 21-24 horizontal rows with mortar filled joints, intermixed some light white limestones and – especially in the foundation area – few basalt blocks of probably Roman origin. Larger limestones of ancient  origin have been used for the frame of the main door in  the center of the N façade. The lintel is a delicately carved three-faciae Roman Imperial basalt lintel (ca. 2nd century AD, fig. 26.4). Above the lintel sits an ancient monolithic circular light hole (oculus) - otherwise frequently reused in vernacular architecture as cistern openings. The staircase to the northern terrace is built of monolithic long basalt blocks. The upper masonry layers at the NW corner consist of well-dressed cubic lime stone ashlars in a careful irregular isodomic arrangement  at the base of the square minaret.

Construction details: The interior construction of the high pointed cross vaults are covered by thick whitewashed plaster. Separating ribs of arches can, however, not been observed (figs. 26.10-11). A stone built minbar is immediately E of the miḥrāb.

Preservation: Recently renovated but not in use for Muslim prayer.

Inscription(s): none known

Date(s): The plan corresponds to other late Ottoman mosques in the Irbid Governorate, notably those at Umm Qēs (here no. 407), Bishra (here no. 69) and others.

Traveler Reports: none known

Bibliography: Ta‘an 2019, 39 tab. 1, 1; 62-64 figs. 3. 7-12.