The Al-Mashati Mosque in Latakia

A small mosque on Yarmouk Street in al-Saliba, one of Latakia’s old quarters. It began as a church: in the 12th century it is recorded as the Great Church of Saint John, used by the Latin Crusaders. When Saladin took the city in 1188 (AH 584), the building became a mosque. It is also called the Zayd ibn Thabit Mosque, after a companion of the Prophet.

Where the name comes from

Mashati comes from amshat, Arabic for combs. One account says combs were made and sold here. Another links the name to a man buried in the prayer hall between two of its columns. A third says the building stood on high ground near the sea before the city took its present shape, and that the name is a worn-down form of qum shati, the head of the shore.

Getting there

There are two entrances. The one on the qibla side, the side facing Mecca, is a wide passage from the main street. The west entrance opens onto the lane that runs from the Beit al-Daya Souq in the north to Yarmouk Street. Both lead into the courtyard.

What to see

The courtyard wraps around the east, west and north sides of the mosque and is paved with hard sandstone. At its north end are a few rooms and an octagonal minaret; in the middle is a well with a stone ring. The prayer hall is a rectangular room of arches carried on two rows of columns, with a round dome over the east end and a barrel vault over the west. The mihrab, the prayer niche, is small and plain, and the marble minbar beside it is simple.

Is it open today

Not verified. We found no recent source specific to this building showing that it is open for prayer or to visitors. Hours and access need to be checked on site. The location could not be confirmed by two independent sources either, so the page has no map.

How long it takes

Twenty minutes is enough for the courtyard, the well and the prayer hall.

What most people miss

The mass of large stones in the southern part of the prayer hall. The Kültür Envanteri heritage database identifies it as what remains of the old church, so the Crusader-era building can still be read in the wall. Look also at the marble panel over the entrance of the minbar: it carries the declaration of faith in thuluth script, dated to the Ayyubid period.