Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque

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Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque
جَامِع ٱلنَّبِي يُوْنُس
Views of the ruins and markets at the mound where the Shrine of Nebi Yunis was built, in summer of 2019 after its destruction by the Islamic State 19.jpg
The destroyed mosque and shrine in 2019
Religion
Affiliation Sunni Islam (former)
Ecclesiastical or organisational status
StatusDestroyed(2014)
(under reconstruction)[ citation needed ]
Location
Location Mosul, Mosul District, Nineveh Governorate
Country Iraq
Iraq physical map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the destroyed mosque in Iraq
Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque
Geographic coordinates 36°20′53″N43°9′34″E / 36.34806°N 43.15944°E / 36.34806; 43.15944
Architecture
Type Islamic architecture
Date established1365 CE
Destroyed24 July 2014
Specifications
Dome(s)One: (destroyed)
Minaret(s)One: (destroyed)
Shrine(s)Two:
Materials Alabaster

The Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque (Arabic : جَامِع ٱلنَّبِي يُوْنُس‎, romanized: Jāmiʿ An-Nabī Yūnus), also known as the Mosque of the Prophet Jonah, the Mosque of the Prophet Yunus, and the Shrine of Nabi Yunis, [a] was a historic Sunni congregational mosque and shrine, partially[ citation needed ] destroyed in 2014, that was located in Mosul, in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq. It contained a tomb believed to be that of the Biblical prophet Jonah, known as Yunus by Muslims. [b]

Contents

History

The alleged grave of the Prophet Yunus was discovered by Jalal al-Din Ibrahim al-Khatni during his reconstruction of the site as a congregational mosque in 1365 CE. [3] However, the mosque was also built over a demolished Assyrian Christian church that marked Jonah's grave. [4] [5]

In 1924, the minaret was added to the mosque building by a Turkish architect. During Saddam Hussein's rule, the mosque was renovated and expanded. [1]

The mosque had one minaret and a conical ribbed dome. The floors of the mosque were built out of Alabaster and the prayer rooms had arched entrances that were inscribed with Quranic verses. [5]

The alleged tomb of Jonah [1] was located at a corner of the mosque. The sarcophagus believed to be that of Jonah had a wooden zarih built around it.

In addition to Jonah's tomb, a modern shrine which contains the tomb of Shaykh Rashid Lolan is present next to the mosque. [6] This shrine dates from the 1960s. [6]

2014 destruction

On 24 July 2014, the building was blown up by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, [7] [8] damaging several nearby houses. ISIL stated that "the mosque had become a place for apostasy, not prayer." [7]

Archeological discovery

In March 2017, after ISIL was driven out, a system of tunnels, approximately one-kilometre-long (zero-point-six-two-mile) were found under the mosque. Although all moveable items had been removed, there were still Assyrian reliefs, structures and carvings along the walls. [1]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Other names include the Tell Nabī Yūnus, the Nabī Yūnus, the Nabi Yunus, and the Tell Nebi Yunus.
  2. ↑ Academic research suggests that Yunus was not buried there. [1] [2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Jameh Nabi Yunus (Mosul)". madainproject.com. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  2. ↑ al-Natsheh, Yusuf (2025). "Mosque of Nabi Yunus (Prophet Jonah)". Discover Islamic Art. Museum With No Frontiers . Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  3. ↑ "I07: Mosque of al-Nabi Yunus". January 20, 2020. Archived from the original on January 20, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  4. ↑ Lloyd, Anthony (March 20, 2017). "Inside the Assyrian palace revealed in fight for Mosul" . The Times . Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Tomb of Jonah (now Nabi Yunis Mosque), Mosul, Iraq". archive.diarna.org. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "I67: Shaykh Rashid Lolan". January 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Tawfeeq, Mohammed; Ford, Dana (July 24, 2014). "Extremists destroy Jonah's tomb, officials say". CNN. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Mosul, Iraq: Destruction of Nebi Yunis (Tomb of the Prophet Jonah)" (Satellite imagery of the site during July and August 2014). American Association for the Advancement of Science. 2025. Retrieved June 28, 2025.

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