Umm al-Qura Mosque

The mosque cost 7.5 million to build, the mosque's cornerstone was laid on Saddam Hussein's 61st birthday on 28 April 1998. It was formally completed on 28 April 2001 in time for the ten-year anniversary of the Gulf War. The association became a de facto al-Qaeda ally; its leader Harith Suleiman al-Dhari, who operated out of the mosque, is said to have played a key role in mobilizing insurgents during the 2004 fighting in Fallujah, west of Baghdad. In 2004, the mosque saw a gathering of around 200,000 Muslims, both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, to denounce the US-led occupation and pledge solidarity with the people of Fallujah as well as the uprising led by the Shi'a cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr. Dr. Harith al-Dhari, the preacher of the Mosque at the time, gave a speech denouncing the US-led occupation and democracy. Reportedly, al-Dhari was seen crying due to what was happening at Fallujah at that time. After the gathering was over, a boycott of American and British goods was called into action. In 2007, the association was expelled by the Sunni Endowment, a quasi-governmental agency responsible for Sunni mosques in Iraq, which took control of Umm al-Qura. On 28 April 2023, a fire broke out inside the mosque after the burning of three caravans surrounded by weed and plants. The fire department fought the fire. == Architecture ==

The mosque is built of white limestone with blue mosaic decorations. Many architectural features of the mosque and the surrounding complex allude to Saddam Hussein or to the Gulf War (1990–1991). Western observers have described the mosque's eight minarets as resembling weapons, but the Iraqi government rejects that interpretation. The mosque has four minarets surrounding the dome, and four more at the outer corners of the complex. The inner minarets are said to resemble Kalashnikov rifle barrels, while those on the perimeter are described as looking like Scud ballistic missiles. Other features clearly refer to Saddam and his politics. The outer minarets are reportedly each 43 meters (140') high, commemorating the 43 days of "U.S. aggression" in January–February 1991, during the Gulf War. The other four minarets are 37 meters (120') in height, commemorating Saddam's birth in 1937. At the center of the mosque is a pool "shaped like the Arab world." A Qur'an written in ink made of Saddam's blood was formerly displayed within the mosque complex. Red, white and black Iraqi flags are painted on the peaks of the inner minarets. == See also ==