Masjid ar-Rahbah

Masjid ar-Rahbah

Masjid ar-Rahbah from the southeast (1994).
Photo courtesy of Soumyen Bandyopadhyay

Masjid ar-Rahbah is contiguous with the western gate, Bab ad-Da’nayn on its northern edge. In comparison to the other three mosques, Masjid ar-Rahbah is more compact in organisation, but nevertheless shares certain characteristics of their spatial organisation. This is the only mosque in the harah where the ablution facility is contiguous with the qibla wall. The entrance to the ablution (wudu) is through a keel-arched, the façade completed with three high-level small pointed-arched apertures. The well (tawi) directly in front of this entrance has its circular plan somewhat truncated by the square column that supports the roof above. A low-height partition wall between the external wall and the column separates the ablution cubicles from the entrance, which are both accessed through a narrow gap next to the qiblah wall. Unlike the other three mosques, the mihrab in Masjid ar-Rahbah is an entirely unadorned triple-recessed niche placed on the longitudinal axis of the prayer hall. In fact, apart from a small high level niche for the sacred books, the interior lacks any form of decoration, and contains no indication that the interior had ever been painted or white-washed.

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