Mosque of 17 Ramadan, Sunni and Shia mosque in Rusafa district, Baghdad, Iraq.
The Mosque of 17 Ramadan covers 5,000 square metres in Karrada, opposite al-Firdos Square. Its prayer hall holds over 2,500 worshippers, with a women's chapel, an imam's house, a garden and the Ahl al-Qur'an Center. A tall two-balcony minaret is clad in blue Karbala tile, and Hashem Muhammad al-Baghdadi's calligraphy faces the qibla.
This mosque was established in the mid-twentieth century and went through several name changes that reflected the country's political shifts. It became an important religious landmark during major transformations in Baghdad's development.
The mosque's qibla wall carries calligraphy and painting by Hashem Muhammad al-Baghdadi, an Iraqi master calligrapher; the inscriptions face the mosque gardens. His work here is often counted among his greatest. Friday prayers are held for both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.
The building sits in a central area of Baghdad and is reachable on foot by navigating the surrounding streets. Adjacent public squares provide reference points for finding your way through the neighborhood.
In 1959 Abd al-Karim Qasim unveiled Iraq's first Monument of the Unknown Soldier in al-Firdos Square, directly in front of the mosque, as a shrine where visiting statesmen laid wreaths. The monument was demolished in 1981 and replaced by a statue of Saddam Hussein, which was pulled down during the 2003 invasion.
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