Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab

{{Short description|Mosque in Maicao, Columbia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab

| native_name = Mezquita de Omar Ibn Al-Jattab

| native_name_lang = es

| image = Mezquita Maicao Colombia Yuri Romero Picon.JPG

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| map_type = Colombia La Guajira Department

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| religious_affiliation = Islam

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| location = Maicao, La Guajira, Colombia

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| minaret_height = 37 meters

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The Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (Spanish transcription Omar Iban Al-Jattab) is a mosque in Maicao, La Guajira, Colombia. It is the third largest mosque in Latin America. It is locally known as "La Mezquita" ("The Mosque"), simply because it is the only mosque in the region. Along with the Dar Alarkan School, they are the centers for the Islamic faith and culture in the region.{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Inigo |title=‘A Colombian Wild West’: Inside Maicao’s Arab community |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/2/a-colombian-wild-west-inside-maicaos-arab-community |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}} The mosque was constructed on 17 September 1997,

{{Cite news | title = La Mezquita Omar Ibn Al Khattab, 10 años ligada a la historia de Maicao | url = http://www.el-informador.com/detgua.php?id=20723 | newspaper = El Informador | date = 17 September 2007 | accessdate = 27 October 2009 | language = Spanish | trans-title = The Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, 10 years linked to the history of Maicao | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174900/http://www.el-informador.com/detgua.php?id=20723 | archive-date = 3 March 2016 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}

and named after the second caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. It was designed by the Iranian architect Ali Namazi and built by the civil engineer Oswaldo Vizcaino Fontalvo who used Italian marble for its construction. It can easily accommodate over 1,000 people.

Interior

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At the entrance there is a large open hall decorated with framed Arabic calligraphy. Further on, there is another hall, larger than the first, used by men for prayer. This is also where they meet in order to end periods of fasting. The ceiling of this room has decorative engravings. Facing Mecca, there is a place for the women to pray, elevated and overlooking the men's hall. The minaret dominates the upper parts of the structure.

Below the great stairs exiting the mosque, there is a room for undertaking of the deceased before their remains are taken to the local Muslim cemetery.

See also

{{stack|{{portal|Islam|Colombia}}}}

References

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