Kathem Pasha Mosque in the City of Fallujah: History, Planning and Architecture

Abstract

This study examines the available documents relating to the ancient mosque in Fallujah and considers what they can reveal about the important historical status of the building. In particular, these archival documents provide details about the planning and architectural construction of the mosque, and considers its claims to being one of the most important mosques in the Islamic world. Our limited understanding about the cultural importance of these documents and the architectural heritage they pertain to, coupled with the lack of formal organizations to protect and preserve them, puts them at risk, along with the buildings themselves many of which were damaged during the period of American occupation and are in need of restoration. The construction and design of the Fallujah mosque displays a number of similar principles to the main mosques in Bagdhad, Mosul and the largest mosque in Anna, including the external uncovered praying house and the internal praying house divided into two galleries. This paper provides details of the architectural details and discuses the ways in which the mosque’s construction and design were influenced by economic and social circumstances at the time of construction as well as the surrounding inheritance of ancient architecture.
 Keywords: Architecture, Endowments, Fallujah, Kathem Pasha, planning