Acre
There was an important library at the Jazzar Mosque.
Aleppo
The library at the Karawibi Mosque was founded by Mufti Muhammad al-Kawakibi. It contained rare manuscripts on law, literature, language, and other books. However, much was lost because of negligence.
The library of the Mumkuli-Buga Mosque was founded in 767/1365. Books were kept in closets and high-quality artistic showcases.
The Grand Umayyad Mosque had the Sufiya Library, the largest and oldest in the city. Prince Sayf al-Dawla bequeathed 10,000 volumes to the library’s collection. The library had its own curators.
Damascus
The largest and oldest mosque in the city, founded about 96/714 and still in existence, is the Umayyad, constructed by al-Walid Ibn Abd al-Malik. This mosque had several book collections within three categories. The first was libraries belonging to study-circles. The second included smaller collections that were deposited by educated citizens of the city. The third was libraries established in the schools in the mosque.
The library of Qubbat al-Mal at the Umayyad Mosque survived the tragedies of the city. It remained locked until 1317/1899 when Ottoman Sultan Abd al-Hamid II ordered it opened on the suggestion of German Emperor Wilhelm II. Many books, codices, and documents were found in it. They were Islamic, Jewish, and Christian, written in several languages. The Sultan gave the Emperor much of the collection. The rest was distributed in Istanbul and Damascus.
There were several other mosque libraries, including those at the Mosque of Darb al-Madaniyyin, the Siyaghushiya, and the Yalbagha Mosque.
Hamath
The library of the Shaikh Ibrahim Mosque contained the valuable collection of Nuri Pasha al-Kilani.
The library of the Dahsha Mosque received a very large collection from Abu al-Fida.
Jerusalem
The Aqsa Mosque, built by Caliph Umar Ibn ab-Khattab in 24/644, had a large book collection in several schools. The Nasriya Madrasa received a large book collection from King Isa al-Ayyubi when the library was rebuilt. The Farisiya Madrasa, founded by Prince Faris al-Bakki, was virtually a central book depository for the mosque.
Tripoli
The Grand Mansuri Mosque, founded in 693/1294, had a large library. It received a large gift of books from Mustafa al-Miqati in 1088/1677.
(This page was updated in December 2012.)
