Jami' al-'Adiliyya

Aleppo, Syria

Jami' al-Adiliyya is located in the heart of the old city of Aleppo, south of the Great Mosque and markets, in a neighborhood known as al-Saffahiyya. Its name comes from the fact that it lies close to the historic governor's palace (Dar al-'Adl). It is also known as the Mosque of Dukakinzade Mehmed Pasha after its patron, an Ottoman aristocrat whose father had been grand vizier at the court of Sultan Selim I. An inscription plaque above the mosque's portal dates the structure to 1555-1556/963 AH.

The mosque comprises a large domed prayer hall fronted by a monumental portico on its north side. A minaret rises from the western end of the portico. The entire building is set within a large open forecourt, which is accessed today via narrow streets leading onto the northwestern corner of the compound and onto the eastern side. In the open space on the north side of the mosque adjoining the portico, a hexagonal fountain covered by a canopy provided water for ablutions.

The portico consists of two aisles. The outer aisle wraps around three sides of the inner aisle, which comprises five bays, all covered by domes. The central bay precedes the main portal to the prayer hall, which is elaborately decorated with alternating courses of black and white stone (ablaq) and a muqarnas hood. Flanking the portal are two windows on each side. 

The prayer hall is square in plan, with each side measuring 23 meters. The large central space is covered by a dome, which rests on a drum, which in turn rests on eight pointed arches. The four pointed arches in the corners of the room create shallow pendentives decorated with muqarnas.

Surrounding the mihrab niche is a revetment made of cut marbles in various colors set within a large rectangular frame.