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The Plaque of the Mosque

Mosque of Fakhreddine 1^st Maan. This was the first mosque to be built in Mount Lebanon and dates back to 1493. Later, it was restored during the reign of the Emir Fakhreddine 1^st Maan, son of Osman, particularly for the sokman mercenaries as indicated in the inscription on the base of the south-facing facade.

The Mosque
of Fakhreddine Ist Maan

It should be pointed out however that the Maans were of the Druze faith and had their separate “Khalwa” or prayer temple elsewhere which were administered by the “Uqqals”.

The Portico of the Mosque

The Inscription on the East-Facing Facade
of the Mosque

The Inscription on the East-Facing Facade.
Before restoration. (Photo.1983)

On the west-facing facade is engraved the name of the architect or builder, the date of construction together with three verses from the Koran.

The Inscription on the Base
of the South-Facing Facade
of the Minaret. (Photo.1983)

Built in the Mamelouk style, this edifice is made up of a vast square prayer hall with a high vaulted ceiling and where the central arches rest on a massive pillar. The octagonal minaret is slightly inclined following a violent earthquake in 1630.

The First Mosque
to be built in Mount Lebanon

It is a precious example of the architecture of the day showing a true elegance in its proportions. The minaret includes a staircase made up of fifty steps.

The Octagonal Minaret

On the inside of the mosque you will notice on the south-facing wall, a beautiful closed arch sculpted with intertwined geometric patterns frequently used in Islamic art, and which later inspired artists from Lombardy and Ireland amongst others.

The Mosque
of Fakhreddine Ist Maan

Behind the northern facade outside the edifice is the tomb of Mustafa Durkazalli, muezzin of the mosque who died in the year 1274 of the Hegira (1858 in the Gregorian calendar).

The Tomb of Mustafa Durkazalli

The Octagonal Minaret of the Mosque

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