Minaret of the Grand Mosque in Unaizah
The minaret of the Grand Mosque in Unaizah is one of the heritage sites in Unaizah Governorate, in the Qassim Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was built in 1890 by a person named “Ibn Suwaileh.” It has a height of twenty-three m and is one of the elements composing the Grand Mosque. It was built of mud and is located in the southeastern corner of the mosque.
Status of the minaret of the Grand Mosque in Unaizah
The minaret of the Grand Mosque in Unaizah was a school for teaching religion and Fiqh. Religious lectures and lessons were held therein, where they were presented by scholars who previously served in Unaizah. Abdullah Bin Ahmed Bin Udaib was the first to hold such lectures in the city of Unaizah. His students subsequently spread knowledge and awareness among the people. Saleh Bin Othman Al-Qadi was the last scholar who studied in the minaret.
Elements of the minaret of the Grand Mosque in Unaizah
The minaret of the Grand Mosque consists of four floors, in addition to the ground floor, which has a diameter of 5.75 m and a 1.75 m diameter at the top. The wall thickness is about one m. A spiral staircase connects between the floors and reaches the top of the minaret. The ground floor houses a wide area that was dedicated to the school for teaching youth the Holy Quran and basic related sciences, including Fiqh, religion, as well as principles of arithmetic and calligraphy. Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdulaziz Al-Damgh was the last person to study therein.
The second floor houses a room for teaching senior scholars and older students. It also has a small room for the scholars' retreat during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The third floor includes a fire pit and seating areas, while the remaining floors consist of landings supporting the spiral staircase.
Minarets of mud and heritage mosques
More than 6,200 mosque minarets rise in the Qassim Province, some of which date back to 200 years ago. They were built by the people of Qassim using mud and brick, which were the only construction tools back then. The height of the minaret mostly ranges between ten m and thirty m. They feature various geometric designs. The minarets of mud and heritage mosques that were built of mud following the ancient construction method include Al-Ma'arek Mosque in Buraydah, Muhammad Ibn Uthaymeen Mosque in Unaizah Governorate, and Al-Tanumah Mosque in Al-Asyah Governorate.
Minarets' bases in Qassim
The base of minarets in Qassim takes a shape closer to the diameter of a circle whose area expands at first and then narrows as the minaret building rises. It is usually decorated with Islamic ornamentations made of gympsum. They feature openings of various shapes. These openings allow air circulation. The construction of the minaret involves several materials, including the use of blocks (concrete blocks), modern cement, and gypsum. These materials allow the architect to shape the minaret according to modern designs that could be covered with stone, marble, and plaster ornamentations before adding designs and inscriptions made of irons and involving the use of laser cutters to engrave Islamic inscriptions that further highlight the external aesthetics of the minaret.