Nabi Saeen Mosque, Islamic place of worship in Nazareth, Israel.
The Nabi Saeen Mosque is a two-storey trapezoidal stone building, 20 metres long and 20 metres wide at its base, on Nabi Saeen Hill at 487 metres above sea level. Its northern street front carries an octagonal minaret balcony with four windows around the high tower and a sharp grey spire. The second floor is painted bright green with five arches over small circular windows, and the facade is divided into seven parts with seven pairs of narrow green columns on the first floor.
The mosque began as a prayer space used by Ottoman soldiers; its name is thought to derive from "al-sa'in" (those hastening to prayer). In 1989 a local committee headed by Hajj Ahmad Hammouda al-Za'bi restored it, and a second storey with an extension was added. The minaret was raised in 2009, making it the tallest minaret and mosque in Nazareth.
The mosque shapes the skyline of Nazareth with its distinctive octagonal minaret and reflects the Islamic presence in the city. It serves as a prayer space for the local Muslim community and remains an active part of religious life in the old town.
The mosque sits near the Salesian Basilica and is easily accessible from the old town. The hillside location requires some effort to climb, but offers views of the surrounding area when weather permits.
The mosque's name is thought to derive from a corruption of "al-Sa'in" (the seekers), referring to Ottoman-era Turkish soldiers who used the site as a prayer room. The building was restored in 1989 by a local committee headed by Hajj Ahmad Hammouda al-Za'bi (Abu Nawaf).
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