The Al-Saliba Mosque in Latakia

An Ottoman mosque in al-Saliba, the old core of Latakia, named after the quarter it stands in. Its construction date is not known for certain. An Ottoman decree dated AH 1162, or 1749, appoints a preacher and a teacher to the mosque, so it was standing by that year at the latest. The Kültür Envanteri heritage database, citing Mudar Kanaan, says Ahmad Chelebi and his father Hajj Hasan ibn Qurbagha built it that same year.

Getting there

The mosque sits among the old lanes of al-Saliba. The Roman Arch is about 200 metres to the east as the crow flies, and the Al-Jadid Mosque just under 400 metres to the north.

What to see

The mosque is made of two separate blocks. The front block is new: a square courtyard open to the sky, with the rest covered by a concrete slab on concrete columns. A second prayer area was added in 1952, a third in 1992, and the building was extended again in 1995. Behind it is the historic inner prayer hall. Four domes cover it; they rest on arches, and four of those arches meet on a single round column in the centre.

The minaret is a cylinder in three sections, with geometric decoration at the top of the second. The third section rests on stone muqarnas, tiers of small carved niches, and carries a wooden lattice gallery, a ten-sided stone shaft and, at the very top, a small spherical dome.

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.

How long it takes

Twenty minutes is enough for the inner prayer hall and a look at the minaret from outside.

What most people miss

The single round column in the middle of the inner prayer hall. The weight of the four domes comes down onto it through four arches. Walk through the concrete front section and stand under it, and the 18th-century mosque comes into view.