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Mosque of the Prophet Daniel, Kirkuk

Coordinates: 35°28′08″N 44°23′44″E / 35.4687559°N 44.3955293°E / 35.4687559; 44.3955293
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Mosque of the Prophet Daniel
جامع النبي دانيال
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Branch/traditionFormerly:
Ecclesiastical or organisational status
Location
LocationKirkuk Citadel, Kirkuk, Kirkuk Governorate
CountryIraq
Mosque of the Prophet Daniel, Kirkuk is located in Iraq
Mosque of the Prophet Daniel, Kirkuk
Location of the religious complex in Iraq
Map
Geographic coordinates35°28′08″N 44°23′44″E / 35.4687559°N 44.3955293°E / 35.4687559; 44.3955293
Architecture
Style
Specifications
Capacityc. 150 worshippers
Interior area400 m2 (4,300 sq ft)
Dome(s)Two
Minaret(s)One
Shrine(s)Four: (Grave of Meshach / Mishael is unconfirmed)
MaterialsBricks; tiles

The Mosque of Prophet Daniel (Arabic: جامع النبي دانيال; Turkish: Peygamber Daniel Camii) is a mosque and mausoleum that is part of the Kirkuk Citadel territory, located in Kirkuk, Iraq. The mosque contains a shrine, in which local tradition affirms that Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are buried in.[1] It is not only visited by Muslims, but Christians and Jews visit because of the graves of the Prophets, who are revered in all three religions.[2]

The mosque is one of several sites throughout the Middle East where it is claimed Daniel is buried, including the Tomb of Daniel, in Iran.[3]

History

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The original structure was a synagogue which was converted into a Christian church. Local tradition relates that the church was converted into a mosque during the reign of the Caliph Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz. The present building dates from the start of the Timurid era to the end of the Ilkhanate. The mosque was also renovated by the Ottomans.[2] A cemetery for Ottoman soldiers who died during World War II was added at some point, and locals used the cemetery in subsequent years. It is the first cemetery in Kirkuk.

The mosque was used for worship, but this ceased in 1997 when demolition of the Kirkuk Citadel was proposed in order to migrate the Turkmen. However, the visits to the mosque and its shrine did not stop.[2] The mosque was reportedly neglected by local authorities,[when?] and some parts of the mosque collapsed.[1]

Architecture

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The interior of the mosque is 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft). It has two blue domes and a single minaret. The minaret is made of brick and decorated with Qashani tiles, completed in the Ottoman style.[2]

The shrine

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The mosque is also revered by the Christians and Jews of Iraq, who visit it to pay their respects to the alleged graves of the four Prophets within the mosque, who are Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the latter three who are given the names Hunayn, Mishail and Uzair[1] which are essentially Arabized versions of their Hebrew names Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

There are only three graves in the shrine. The location of the grave of Mishael is unknown.[1] The signboard for the grave of Abednego/Azariah misidentifies him with the biblical Ezra, also known as Uzair in Islamic tradition.

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  • The rear of the mosque
    The rear of the mosque
  • Inside the mosque, with the three tombs
    Inside the mosque, with the three tombs
  • The tomb of Abednego/Azariah, spelled here as 'Ozuir'
    The tomb of Abednego/Azariah, spelled here as 'Ozuir'
  • The tomb of Shadrach/Hananiah
    The tomb of Shadrach/Hananiah
  • The temporary residence for the caretaker
    The temporary residence for the caretaker

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d مزار النبي دانيال في كركوك يجذب جميع المكونات بدون فرق وتمييز. العربية [Rojnews.news] (in Arabic). May 11, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d جامع ومرقد النبي دانيال - موقع قسم الشؤون الدينية - العتبة العلوية المقدسة. tableegh.imamali.net (in Arabic). Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Rosenmuller, E. F. C. (1836). "Appendix to Chapter VI". The Biblical Geography Of Central Asia. Edinburgh: Thomas Clark. p. 318.
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Media related to Shrine of Daniel at the Kirkuk Citadel at Wikimedia Commons

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