The small mosque of al-Muallaq is set in the dense fabric of Old Acre surrounded by relatively tall residential buildings. The mosque was built by Shaykh Suhayl during the reign of Dhahir al-Umar in the mid-18th century. It was built on the site of a synagogue that had served the Jewish community of Acre at the time. The synagogue was confiscated and a new site was given in return, its structure was incorporated into the mosque's complex and some of its features such as a place for the Holy Ark and inscriptions in Hebrew have remained. The elevated and slim minaret was torn down around 1950 by the municipality of Acre that considered it a risk to public safety. Today, only the base of the minaret and an oblique view of the dome inform passers-by of the existence of a mosque.
The spaces of al-Muallaq are set in a linear sequence perpendicular to the street. The entrance to the mosque is under the base of the minaret, a flight of steps under a covered passage leads up into the courtyard, elevated about 2m above street level. From the square courtyard one can either climb to the minaret or a roof porch, or proceed into the triple-domed portico, the threshold to the prayer hall itself. The prayer hall consists of a square room, covered by a large dome and a smaller cross-vaulted room.
Sources:
Dichter, Bernhard. 2000. Akko-Sites from the Turkish Period. Haifa: University of Haifa, 95-97.
Schur, Nathan. 1990. A History of Acre. Tel Aviv: Dvir Publishing House, 196.
Petersen, Andrew. 2001. A Gazetteer of Buildings in Muslim Palestine: Part 1.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 81-82.
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