sulaymaniyah mosque

Sitting adjacent to Sulaymaniyah, Iraq‘s main bazaar to the rear of the (surprisingly Chinese-influenced) Kaso Mall, this mosque is much more artistically impressive than the Great Mosque on the opposite side. The open square in the center of the mosque is a quiet oasis from the acoustically chaotic streets right outside and open to the public. So calming was the interior that I (regretfully) neglected to jot down the name of mosque.

One thing I found interesting was the frequency of what appeared to be Ottoman tughra’s inscribed around the mosque’s minarets. This visually distinctive style of calligraphy, well-known as the signature of Ottoman sultans, is thought to be based on the style of an Abbasid calligrapher (approximately 1000 AD). I was unable to determine the origin of these specific tughra’s, although the Abbasid Caliphate was in control of Sulaymaniyah for around 400 years, suggesting a potential connection.

You can see more of my pictures from the city, including what some of the local cuisine looks like, in my Sulaymaniyah gallery here.

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