Great Mosque of Kufa

The Great Mosque of Kufa, or Masjid al-Kūfa, or Masjid-al-Azam located in Kūfa, Iraq, is one of the earliest mosques in the world. The mosque, built in the 7th century, contains the remains of Muslim ibn ‘Aqīl - first cousin of Imām Husayn ibn ‘Alī, his companion Hānī ibn ‘Urwa, and the revolutionary Mukhtār al-Thaqafī.ArchitectureThe area of the building measures approximately 11,000 m2.The mosque contains nine sanctuaries and four traditional locations. It has four minarets and is served by five gates: Gate of the Threshold Gate of Kinda Gate of al-Anmat Gate of the Elephant, also known as the Gate of the Snake (باب الثعبان).RenovationIn 1998, a group of Dawoodi Bohras started renovating the mosque, which was then completed in early 2010. The renovation included: Decorations with gold and silver and precious stones such as diamonds, rubies and in every corner of the mosque one will find Ya Ali written. The mihrab, where Ali ibn Abi Talib was killed, has been made with a gold zari. It is composed of gold, silver, rubies, diamonds. The whole interior of the mosque has verses of the Quran surrounded in gold in Arabic calligraphy. In the section of the mihrab are tear-shaped engravings in marble, bordered with gold and rubies. The courtyard is covered in white marble from Makrana, India.