The Lebanese capital Beirut has always held pride
of place in this Orient dreamland, whether in the
times of the Phoenicians, the Romans with the Law
Faculty, the Arabs, the Crusaders or their various
successors, down to the present day. There is much
to admire from ancient centuries. But among the present-day
monuments raised at the dawn of this third millennium
one cannot ignore the Mohammad Ameen Mosque, a masterpiece
of religious architecture, sheltering the tomb where
lies the former Prime Minister, Rafiq Hariri, with
his two fellow national martyrs.
The mosque stands in the center of the city, on the
north-west side of the space once known as Artillery
Square (place des Canons), then as Martyrs’ Square
and finally as Independence Square. It is north-east
of the Maronite church of St. George, near the remains
of the Roman Law School.
There is no denying that this new monument enriches
Beirut with its esthetic, religious, cultural and
national qualities. The foundation stone was laid
in the year 2003 by then Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri,
who considered it his own personal project, one which
however was completed only after his death. His mortal
remains repose there in a site adjacent to the mosque.
Mohammad Ameen Mosque presents 10,700m2 of floor space
distributed over four stories. At the corners stand
four minarets each over 72 meters high, while the
dome rises over 42 meters above the floor devoted
to public prayer. By its architecture the mosque has
an Ottoman aspect, recalling Aghia Sophia of Constantinople,
with however a Lebanese touch and illustrations and
various details in Mamluke Egyptian style.
The color of the stone employed is yellow ochre. The
dome is of a clear blue with touches of gold that
give an effect of richness under the blaze of the
Lebanese sun.
Standing not far from the Mediterranean Sea, vast
and likewise blue, it faces the Monument of the Martyrs,
heroes of Lebanese independence. Once this area was
the busiest and most animated part of Beirut, crammed
with commercial centers, parking lots, stores, hotels,
stalls, news-stands, cinemas, haunts of pleasure,
a vegetable market, taxi ranks, tramway stops, the
Surety Police headquarters, banks, money changers,
in fact with everything one can imagine, and with
leading schools close nearby.
It was a vital nerve center that gave character to
Beirut, but this is no longer the case, for the institutions
that were the life of Beirut are now scattered more
or less all over the city. However, the churches,
mosques, ancient remains and pedestrian walks make
this an area no tourist should miss.
Joseph
Matar
-
Mohammad
Al Amin Mosque:
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<< (2009-09-01)
