Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque
| Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque مسجد خالد ابن الوليد |
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Khalid ibn Al-Walid Mosque
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 Shown within Syria
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Khaldiyah, Homs, Syria |
| Geographic coordinates | 34°44′12″N 36°42′56″E / 34.73678°N 36.71559°ECoordinates: 34°44′12″N 36°42′56″E / 34.73678°N 36.71559°E |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Year consecrated | 1908-1913 |
| Status | Active (Partly damaged due to the Syrian civil war) |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Abdallah Ulsun |
| Architectural type | Mosque |
| Architectural style | Turkish architecture |
| Completed | 20th century |
| Specifications | |
| Dome(s) | 1 large 9 small |
| Minaret(s) | 2 |
| Materials | Stone masonry |
The Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque (Arabic: مسجد خالد ابن الوليد) is a mosque in Homs, Syria, located in a park along Hama Street in ash-Shuhada Square. Noted for its Ottoman-Turkish architectural style, the mosque is dedicated to Khalid ibn al-Walid, an Arab military commander who led the Muslim conquest of Syria in the 7th century following the decisive Battle of Yarmouk, which put an end to Byzantine rule in Syria. His dome-topped mausoleum is located in a corner of the prayer hall and has served as a pilgrimage center. Two tall minarets with narrow galleries constructed of alternating horizontal rows of white and black stone are situated at the building's northwestern and northeastern comers and reflect the traditional Islamic architecture style of the Levant.
The mosque is located in the Khaldiya district of Homs, the third largest city in Syria. It is situated in a park alongside Hama Street about 500 metres (1,600 ft) north of Shoukri al-Quwatli Street, 400 metres (1,300 ft) southwest of the National Hospital, and 300 metres (980 ft) from the souk at ash-Shouhada Square.
Mamluk ablaq-style stonework is used in the courtyard. The old cemetery, which at one time surrounded the mosque, was moved and in its place a large garden has been created.
A small mosque was supposedly built adjacent to the mausoleum of Khalid ibn al-Walid in the 7th century. The current interior shrine that contains Khalid's tomb dates to the 11th century, and is considered to be a "significant pilgrimage center."
Several sources state that the Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque was originally built around Khalid's mausoleum during the reign of Mamluk sultan al-Zahir Baybars in 1265. The building was later restored during the reign of Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Khalil in 1291. According to local tradition, when Tamerlane invaded Syria in the early 15th century, he spared Homs from destruction because it contained the mosque and the mausoleum of Khalid ibn al-Walid, whom he held in great regard in light of Ibn al-Walid's role as a companion of Islamic prophet Muhammad and a commander of the Muslim Arab army that conquered the city of Damascus and Byzantine Syria.
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Wikipedia