The Great Mosque covers an area of approximately . While its facade is relatively simple, the mosque is easily recognized by its prominent minaret and main northern gate, which are the only remains of the Christian church that existed on the site. Some scholars hold that the preexisting church was converted into a mosque with only minor Mamluk modifications, rather than being largely new construction; these views, however, are not widely accepted and are primarily based on outdated 19th-century
Orientalist scholarship. Crusader craftsmanship is especially visible in the main entrance's design and ornamentation: This rectangular door is framed by a series of arches featuring alternating plain and zigzag stone moldings, which rest on two slender white marble
colonnettes and four narrow wall segments. The entrance is preceded by a cross-vaulted passageway. The zigzag motif, known as "chevron" or "dogtooth," has a clear
Norman origin and was introduced to the Levant by the Crusaders. A closer examination reveals distinctive elements that clarify the doorway’s origins. Behind the main entrance, a row of spiky quatrefoil rosettes decorates the inner side of the arched entryway. These rosettes are not found in Muslim decorative tradition, making it unlikely that a Muslim architect would create them for an Islamic arch. In contrast, identical rosettes appear in Western architecture from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, particularly in Crusader structures in
Syria and
Palestine. Similar four-petaled rosettes can be seen in Norman architecture throughout Europe, including some Norman buildings in the Levant. The layout of the Great Mosque follows a traditional Islamic arrangement, featuring a central courtyard bordered by single porticoes on the north, east, and west sides, the porticoes consist of identical low arches, complemented by a continuous corridor with simple cross-vaulting behind. The courtyard's
qibla side is bordered by a double-vaulted portico leading to the mosque's prayer hall. In line with tradition, the mosque has three axial entrances aligned to the north, east, and west, supplemented by two additional entrances flanking the prayer hall. English architectural historian
K. A. C. Creswell posits that the three axial entrances are characteristic of Syrian architecture, originating by chance in the
Umayyad mosque in
Damascus. Upon entering the courtyard, visitors will notice two
granite columns rising from the pavement to the right of the main entrance. These remnants from classical times appear to serve no practical or decorative purpose, similar to the two columns in front of Taynal's mosque and the Madrasa Saqraqiyya. The
riwaqs were constructed by al-Malik al-Nasir in 1314 when he completed the mosque. At the center of the courtyard, the three-tiered
wudu fountain consists of two adjoining square units, one of which is topped with a dome. Al-Nabulsi, who visited Tripoli in 1700, described the fountain as "having a huge dome and pillars so large that four men would be needed to embrace them." The prayer hall measures by and occupies the entire
qibla side of the mosque. It is divided into two aisles by six large piers, creating fourteen areas—thirteen covered by simple cross-vaults and the area in front of the
mihrab topped by a small dome. The
qibla wall features three
mihrabs: a main axial
mihrab with a rosette above it, accompanied by two side
mihrabs and a
minbar. The
minbar is wooden, adorned with intricate geometric carvings. Above it, a painted rosette—reused from an earlier context—displays the word
Allah in its center, with decorative motifs similar to those found at the main entrance. The rosettes in relief surround the circumference of the roundel, with a zigzag pattern forming circles within. This decorative rosette, akin to the style seen at the entrance, likely originated from the same Crusader church.
The minaret The square-towered minaret, consisting of four levels, has undergone numerous restorations. Over the last level, an octagonal topped by a conical dome, was added in later times. The minaret's first floor is windowless, the second floor features two arched windows with a central column on each of its four sides. The third and fourth floors have three arched windows on the north and south sides, and two on the east and west ones. The minaret likely belonged to the Crusader Church of St. Mary, which is known to have stood near the base of the Citadel. Although Arab historical records do not detail its distinctive characteristics, Western scholars have debated its unusual form since the 19th century. French diplomat and historian
Marquis Melchior de Vogüé, and Swiss historian
Max van Berchem diplomat and historian, noted the resemblance between the tower and Christian bell towers of Lombardy in Italy.
Inscriptions The building features four inscriptions, two of which document the construction date and the names of its founders. The first inscription, located above the main entrance lintel, measures by , and is composed of three lines written in
naskh script. It reads: In the left corner between the main entrance lintel and the arch, three short additional lines are tightly inscribed. They mention the name of the mosque architect and read: The second inscription is located on the eastern wall of the arcade surrounding the mosque's courtyard and marks the mosque's completion. It is inscribed on a white marble plaque, featuring ten lines of naskh script. The inscription reads: A third inscription, found on a secondary
mihrab to the left of the main
mihrab, contains four lines of naskh. It records that in 1478, Usindamur ordered the marble revetment of the
mihrab: The fourth inscription is located on the mosque's
minbar, featuring two lines in naskh script. It identifies the donor as Amir Qaratay, the twice-governor of Tripoli, from 1316 to 1326 and from 1332 to 1333, and dates the
minbar’s construction to 1326. The inscription reads: == Relics ==