The Al-Mina Mosque at Latakia Harbour

An Ottoman mosque on the north quay of the old harbour basin in Latakia. A Tunisian sea captain built it in 1748. Among the city’s historic mosques it is the only one with its prayer hall on the upper floor: the ground floor was planned as storerooms. The entrance runs through the base of the minaret. It is also known as the Harbour Mosque (Jami al-Marfa).

Who built it

Rais Hammuda bin Ibrahim al-Tunisi was a captain who made his fortune sailing between Mediterranean ports. He bought property in Latakia and endowed its income to charity. He started the mosque in the year 1161 of the Islamic calendar, which is 1748, and saw it finished himself. He had verses carved over the door of the prayer hall recording that he built it.

Getting there

The mosque stands on the north quay of the old harbour basin, on the side of Gamal Abdel Nasser Street, which runs along the shore. As the modern port grew, its surroundings changed and the building ended up close to the port area. Whether the quay is freely accessible varies; check locally before you go.

What to see

The building stands on eight piers of stone and lime mortar and has two floors. The ground floor has three vaults and a stone stairway to the upper floor; harbour workers and merchants once used this level for storage. The prayer hall upstairs is square. A single basalt column on a decorated base stands in the middle and divides it into four smaller squares, and four domes rest on that one column. The mihrab, the prayer niche, is framed by geometric and floral carving and topped with muqarnas.

How it reached today

The earthquake of 6 February 2023 damaged the mosque: part of the south wall collapsed and was repaired, and the upper part of the minaret came down and is still being repaired. The Latakia Endowments (Awqaf) Directorate is carrying out the work, and the Ministry of Culture inspected it on site. The mosque has also appeared on a Syrian postage stamp.

How long it takes

Twenty minutes to pass through the entrance under the minaret, climb to the upper floor and look at the prayer hall. Visits stop at prayer times.

What most people miss

The entrance itself. The door opens into the base of the minaret, so you enter the mosque from underneath the tower. Local publications say no other mosque is laid out this way.