Al-Malwiya Minaret and its mosque in Samarra

The Minaret of al-Malwiya is one of the distinctive landmarks of Iraq due to its unique shape. It is one of the famous ancient relics of Iraq.

The landmark was originally built as a mosque minaret established by the Abbasid Khalifa Al-Moutawakil Bi Allah in 237 AH, at the west side of the ancient city of Samarra, 180 km north of Baghdad. The mosque was considered at that time the largest mosque in the Islamic world.

The 52-meter minaret takes its name from its cylindrical spiral shape (Malwiya in Arabic) and is built of clay bricks.

Al-Malwiya is based on a square base measuring 33 meters in diameter surmounted by ascending spiral conical design with a 399-step spiral staircase.

The minaret's unique spiral design is said by some to be derived from the architecture of the Mesopotamian ziggurats.

Today, the ancient landmark is visited by tourists from all around the world.

 

Photography: Rasool al-Awady