đź’ˇ Interesting Facts
the Great Mosque of Aleppo, built by the Umayyads in 717, is the oldest mosque in Aleppo, Syria?the Great Mosque of Gaza (pictured), completed by the Mamluks in 1344, is the largest and one of the oldest mosques in the Gaza Strip?the Church of the Assumption in Uzundzhovo, Bulgaria, was initially built as a mosque and was probably commissioned to famous architect Sinan?the Church of the Acheiropoietos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Thessaloniki, was the first Christian church to be converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of the Greek city in 1430?the Cheraman Juma Masjid, the oldest mosque in India, was originally constructed in traditional Hindu architectural style?the Islamic Cultural Center of New York (pictured), which opened in 1991, was the first purpose-built mosque in New York City?the Mosque of Kefeli in Istanbul was used jointly as a church by Roman Catholic and Armenian believers before becoming a mosque?the Great Mosque of Al-Zaytuna, the oldest mosque in Tunis, Tunisia, was partly built using materials from the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage?the church of Hagia Thekla in Constantinople, now a mosque, was rebuilt by Emperor Isaac I Komnenos as thanks for surviving a hunting accident?the White Mosque is the oldest mosque in Nazareth?the Mosque of Omar (pictured) is Bethlehem's only mosque, named after the Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab, who prayed at the location of the mosque?the Khirki Masjid mosque and the Satpula weir were both built during the time of the Tughlaq dynasty in 14th century Delhi?the Sultan Bayezid II Mosque is the oldest surviving Ottoman imperial mosque complex in Istanbul, Turkey?the mosque of Kalenderhane (pictured) in Istanbul contained the most ancient cycle of frescoes portraying Saint Francis of Assisi still extant?Jangipara, a block in the Indian state of West Bengal, includes a mosque built in 1375?Moth Ki Masjid (pictured) was a new type of mosque built in 1505 by Miya Bhoiya, Prime Minister during Sikander Lodi's reign in the fourth city of medieval Delhi of Delhi Sultanate?Irfan Pathan, the only bowler to take a Test hat-trick in the first over of a match, grew up playing cricket inside a Baroda mosque where his father was the muezzin, and could not afford equipment until his domestic team furnished it, at age 15?Hauz Khas Complex in South Delhi encompasses a water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a tomb and pavilions built around a medieval village in the 13th-century Delhi Sultanate reign?al-Azhar Mosque (pictured) was the first mosque founded in Cairo?Park51, an Islamic cultural center whose proposed site has sparked controversy, will include a mosque, a 500-seat auditorium, and a swimming pool?places of worship in Bangalore include over 1,000 temples, 400 mosques, 100 churches, 40 Jain mandirs, three Gurudwaras, two Buddha Viharas and one Parsi Agiari in a metropolitan area of 741 km2 (286 sq mi)?the 1318 Mamluk Qala'un Mosque was considered the most glamorous mosque in Cairo until its wooden dome collapsed in the 16th century?despite being a key building of middle byzantine Architecture, the mosque of Eski Imaret (pictured) is still one among the least studied monuments of Istanbul?a Muslim fundamentalist beheaded a statue of the Virgin Mary at St. Augustine's and carted a statue of Father Serra to a nearby mosque in October 2001?Turkish shadow puppet characters Karagöz and Hacivat (pictured) are supposedly based on two laborers who were executed because their banter slowed down the construction of a mosque?Modernisme architect Enrique Nieto not only designed the main synagogue in Melilla, but also the Central Mosque and several Catholic church buildings?