Letter S

353. Shemakh / Shammakh | شمّاخ

Ma‘ān Governorate

Masjid

JADIS no. 199 8003

MEGA no. 9073

Coordinates: 30°29'28.3"N 35°30'43.8"E

30.491194, 35.512167

 

 

Plan: square, with entrance, flanked on each side by a rectangular window in N wall facing the miḥrāb in the S wall; in front of the entrance a terrace (fig. 353.4) to facilitate the access due to the sloped terrain; each a single rectangular window in the middle of the E wall, and in the S wall to the right side of the miḥrāb. To the left of the miḥrāb is a small rectangular wall cupboard. In the center of the prayer hall two tall concrete pillars (fig. 353.8) support the flat concrete roof.

Measurements: 48 m2

Exterior: unknown.

Interior: 6 x 8 m.

Building Materials: local light brown limestone, semi dressed, partly of older date. The concrete pillars and the cement roof slab have been added in recent times. The pillars date from the renovation in 1946 while the roof slab was added within the last years.

Construction details: Two sided masonry of about 15 horizontal rows of fairly well dressed blocks in different dimensions, bound in the joints without mortar. The E exterior wall displays a masonry in pseudo-headers and stretchers (fig. 353.6). The concrete pillars are covered by a brownish sand plaster.

Preservation: intact, recently covered by a concrete roof slab supported by two pillars. The W and S exterior walls have been rebuilt; still used for occasional Muslim prayer by the few inhabitants of the village.

Inscription(s): A number of Arabic graffiti have been incised in the plaster of the pillars and on the lintels of the windows in the N wall. On the lintel of the entrance Arabic inscription in three lines giving as date of the last renovation the year 1365 H = 1946 AD:

 

Translation: “(In the) year 1365. Allāh is the Lord of all prosperities, he is the omnipotent. No god but Allāh and Muḥammed is his messenger may Allāh pray on him and peace be upon him” (Shqiarat 2018, 10). The Arabic graffiti all over the two interior pillars date predominantly to the 1970s and contain personal names with religious invocations.

Date: Early Hashemite.

Traveler Reports: none known.

Bibliography: Shqiarat 2018, 1-14, especially 10 fig. 19

 
Fig. 353.1 General view of the SE part of the village seen from NE, in the background Wadi ‘Araba (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 353.2 Sketch ground plan (NJ 2019).
Fig. 353.3 The mosque’s setting in the landscape, view from SE (TMWK 2019).
Fig. 353.4 Exterior view from NE (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 353.5 Exterior E elevation (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 353.6 Exterior E elevation, masonry in pseudo-headers and stret- chers (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 353.7 Exterior W elevation (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 353.8 Interior prayer hall view from N (TMW-K 2019).
 
Figs. 353.9-10 Interior prayer hall from NE and detail of miḥrāb(TMW-K 2019).

Figures

[Fig. 353.1 ]
General view of the SE part of the village seen from NE, in the background Wadi ‘Araba (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 353.2 ]
Sketch ground plan (NJ 2019).

[Fig. 353.3 ]
The mosque’s setting in the landscape, view from SE (TMWK 2019).

[Fig. 353.4 ]
Exterior view from NE (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 353.5 ]
Exterior E elevation (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 353.6 ]
Exterior E elevation, masonry in pseudo-headers and stret- chers (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 353.7 ]
Exterior W elevation (TMW-K 2019).

[Figs. 353.9-10 ]
Interior prayer hall from NE and detail of miḥrāb(TMW-K 2019).