Habib-i Neccar Mosque

Habib-i Neccar Mosque

Located in Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey, the Habib-i Neccar Mosque is a historic mosque that was built in honor of Habib the Carpenter. Positioned to the east of the Asi River, the mosque's origins can be traced back to a pagan temple that was later converted into a church during the Christian era.

Habib-i Neccar Mosque

The city of Antakya has been subject to multiple invasions, including those by the Rashidun Caliphate in 637, the Byzantine Empire in 969, the Seljuk Turks in 1084, the Crusaders in 1098, and the Mamluk Sultanate under Baibars in 1268.

During each of these invasions, the status of the building changed from a church to a mosque and vice versa. However, according to an inscription found at the mosque, it was rebuilt in 1275 soon after Baibars had converted it into a mosque. The mosque was destroyed in the 1853 earthquake, but was later reconstructed by the Ottomans. Although the mosque's minaret is older and still stands today, the shadirvan (ablution fountain) is a more recent addition.