The Mosque and Shrine of the Prophet Joshua in Baghdad and its Importance in Religious Tourism.

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the study of one of the submerged shrines in Baghdad ancient cemeteries , which is the mosque and shrine of the Prophet Joshua (peace be upon him) because of its great historical importance as one of the prophets mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. The study focuses on the construction in all its historical stages, and enumerated the maintenance work that the shrine underwent during and after the Ottoman era, and the additions and changes that occurred to it, which led to complete or partial changes to some of its original features. The research seeks to document one of the important religious landmarks in Baghdad with a descriptive study that relied on field visits, and to develop an accurate chart showing the shape and measurements of the shrine, and to reinforce that with photographs. The building is regarded as part of the cultural heritage of Baghdad Governorate, in the hope of protecting it from demolition and alteration carried out by some concerned institutions under the pretext of renovation and maintenance. The study reached results that the researcher hopes will be useful in the field of academic studies specialized in late Islamic antiquities, as they document one of the important landmarks in Baghdad. It contributes to revealing important aspects of religious architecture to make it a link in the chain of shrines recorded in the world of architecture.