The El -Jazar mosque is a mosque that is located on the El Jazar Street
in the north part of the ancient city of Akko. It is named after its founder,
the governor of the northern part of the
land of Israel on behalf of the ottoman empire in the end of the 18th
century, Ahmed El -Jazar.
The mosque is the biggest fanciest and most important of the eight mosques that
stand today in the ancient city of Akko, and is the main mosque that serves the
Muslim community in town.
The mosque is located in the center of a yard, which is surrounded from all
three sides with an arcade that carries a
barreled dome.
In the arcade there are fixed openings that lid to three rows
with 45 little rooms are located that used to be for the mosque's workers, its pilgrims
and its students. On the southern side the mosque's yard borders with a Turkish
bazaar.
In the center of the Yard, in front of the main entrance to the prayer house,
there is a fountain that is used for "vedu", the Islamic bathing
ritual.
There is also a sun clock that was used to determine prayer hours.
The graves of Ahmed El- Jazar, of Suleiman Pasha Heir and their families reside
in a small structure in the yard, west of the prayer house, which is decorated
with two domes.
The prayer house dome itself and the minaret are highly visible from the midst
of the city. Today the dome is painted green, and so is the minaret's castle
top.
A bunch of hair that is attributed to the prophet Muhammad is kept in a chest
in the mosque, and is publicly exhibited once a year, at the Aid El Peter
holiday.