Al-Bahr Mosque is situated on the Ha`aliya Hashniya harbor. The northern slope of Old Jaffa rises to its south and the Mediterranean opens to its north. A painting from 1675, by the Dutch painter Lebrun, might indicate that al-Bahr Mosque, Jaffa's oldest extant mosque, dates to at least as early as mid 17th century. The original date of construction remains unclear, as does the date of the addition of a second floor and the upper part of its minaret. In 1997 the mosque was renovated after a long period it stood in desolation.
The mosque was used by fishermen and sailors frequenting the port of Jaffa and by nearby inhabitants of the surrounding area. It is said that the wives of sailors living in Jaffa used to come regularly to the mosque and pray for the safety of their beloved ones.
Sources:
Or, Even, Peder, Shimon and Shaham, Zvi. 1988. Midrakhon Yafo: Madrikh leSiyur Azmi. Tel Aviv: Israel Museum.
Petersen, Andrew. 2001. A Gazetteer of Buildings in Muslim Palestine: Part 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 166.
Regev, Ofer. 1999. Touring in Tel-Aviv Jaffa (Hebrew). Tel Aviv:Misrad ha-Bitahon - haHotsa'a la-Or; ha-Mo`atsah le-shimur mivnim ve-atare hityashvut; Hakhevra le-Haganat ha-Teva, 50.
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