AMMAN — Although Amman was excluded from Orientalist
definitions of Islamic-Arab cities, King Abdullah I Mosque sets an example of
contemporary Levantine Islamic architecture in the city.
اضافة اعلان
Inspired from the Quranic Verse “Allah is the light of the
heavens and earth,” the architectural concept of the internal arabesque of the
mosque was constructed to embody the verse, where the mosque is the House of
Allah wherein the light of the heavens and earth intermingle, with the
turquoise blue dome of the mosque representing the planetarium and the red
carpet made of ornamental textile directing the worshippers towards the qiblah
(the direction that Muslims face when praying, towards the Great Mosque of
Mecca) represents the fertile land.
Considered one of the most important and significant mosques
in the kingdom, the distinguished edifice derives its social significance from
its location in the heart of Amman in Al-Abdali neighborhood, the artery connecting
all the city’s areas, hills and neighborhoods, surrounded by many churches,
exemplifying the diversity of this city.
The mosque was
constructed through two phases in the period between 1982 and 1989 as a
comprehensive Islamic Cultural Center, in commemoration of the late King
Abdullah I, the founder of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The first phase of construction kicked off following an
architectural competition won by the Dutch architect Jan Čejka. His majesty the
late King Hussein laid down the foundation stone in a grand ceremony organized
for the occasion.
Most of the basic utilities required for the mosque were
completed during this phase, including the mosque’s nave (courtyard), library,
dome, the Holy Quran House, the Royal Compartment, the first minaret, the imam
and mauzin’s housing units, the conference halls, the reception salons, the
administration rooms, women’s place of worship, the gallery and the parking
lots.
The second phase covered the technical aspects related to
the preparation and opening of the mosque, including paneling the internal nave
with a wooden internal dome to control the echo inside and to give special
spender thereon.
Another minaret and dome were constructed opposite the
existing minaret and dome, and TV lighting and network was installed for live
broadcast.
The symmetric octagonal Nave of the mosque is 1,615 meters
squared, with a capacity of 3,000 worshippers, made of stone walls and set
apart for not having pillars inside. The entire area is covered with a dome
31-meters high and 35-meters wide, while the Gallery is the open yard, with a
capacity of 6,000 worshippers.
The 99 names of Allah are engraved with blue marble in Kufi
font on the stone walls surrounding the neck of the mosque’s dome, creating a
pleasing visual pattern and interesting shadows. The octagonal decussated
marble tiles of the yard unit form lines directing worshippers outside to the
qiblah.
Mohammad, a regular at the mosque since 2 008, describes the
structure as “spiritual”, noting however the shift in atmosphere since the
onset of the pandemic. “The number of the worshippers didn’t really decrease
with the pandemic, however, regulations such as wearing masks, sanitizing and
social distancing between the worshippers are casting a different atmosphere,”
Mohammad told Jordan News, noting as well the absence of tourists at the
mosque.
As the only mosque in Amman that openly welcomes non-Muslim
visitors, the King Abdullah I Mosque was a tourist attraction before covid-19.
Religious, intellectual and social discussions are held in
the conference halls throughout the year, in addition to conferences, and
seminars, and a special competitions for memorizing the Quran are also held in
the holy month of Ramadan.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Museum housed at the mosque has two
main sections; the first includes King Abdullah I’s manuscripts and monuments,
the second displays Islamic artifacts dating back to different eras of Jordan.
The entrance of the visitors goes through the Charity Bazaar
that consists of ten stores and contains traditional items such as traditional
women’s wear in Jordan, mosaics and handicrafts.
Salma Abu Awwad, who has been working at the Bazaar since
June 2018 and as an English translator describes the scene in there before the
pandemic as “full with tourists and visitors that are fascinated by the
spirituality of the place, generosity of the Jordanians and of course,
architecture,” adding that this was the joy of her job; meeting different
people every day and learning a little bit of each language.
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