Great Mosque of Hama (جامع حماة الكبير) is the most impressive religious site in the city, despite being almost entirely reconstructed after the 1982 conflict. Dating back to the 7th century, the mosque was converted from a Byzantine church under Abu Aabideh Bin al-Jarah (أبو عبيدة بن الجراح) during the Umayyad period. That 6th century church was converted from an even earlier Roman temple, originally …
One of the most attractive residential buildings in Syria is Qasr al-Azem (قصر العظم) of Hama (حماة). It was constructed in 1740 as the residence of Assad Basha al-Azem (أسعد باشا العظم), an Ottoman governor of the city. Only three years later he was promoted to governor of Damascus (دمشق), where he built the more well-known palace of the same name. While the building was …
al-Nuri Mosque (جامع النوري) was constructed in 1163 during the reign of Nur al-Din Mahmoud Zenki (نور الدين محمود زنكي). Acknowledging the important role that Hama (حماة) played in establishing his rule over both Aleppo (حلب) and Damascus (دمشق), Nur al-Din (نور الدين) endowed the city this mosque. He also had several monuments damaged in a 1157 earthquake rebuilt. The mosque was expanded during the …
The city of Hama (حماة) has several historic mosques worth visiting in addition to the famed Great Mosque of Hama (جامع حماة الكبير) and the al-Nuri Mosque (جامع النوري), both covered separately. Numerous other mosques can be found surrounding the remains of the former citadel. Most of these buildings were constructed during the late Seljuq and early Mamluk periods on a relatively modest scale. The …
Much of the historic center of Hama (حماة) was destroyed by armed conflict in 1982. The Syrian government launched a major offensive against the city, then a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood, in February of that year. Subsequent reconstruction of the city largely ignored its architectural heritage, much of which was replaced by modern development. Only a small area of the old city has survived, …
