Al-Shafi'i Mosque
Al-Shafi'i Mosque
The old Friday mosque in Harat al-Mazlum, Historic Jeddah. The minaret is dated to the 7th/13th century. Attribution to Umar ibn al-Khattab is common tradition, not a published foundation text.
Plan your visit
Practical information verified separately from the historical record.
Before you go: Check with the operator or a local guide before departure; field access details have not yet been verified.
Why visit?
Fixes an old Friday mosque with a dated minaret, and leaves Umar as tradition.
Al-Shafii — the old Friday mosque — stands in Harat al-Mazlum, near the copper and gold markets. A square plan, an open court, coral stone, sea clay and wood. Specialist notices date the minaret to the 7th/13th century. That is the firmest architectural date.
A first foundation in Umar's time is a Jeddah tradition. It is told, not dug. The name Shafii does not prove that al-Shafii built or prayed here; it is the name the mosque came to bear.
Modern repair is conservation inside Historic Jeddah, not a new founding. The photograph is of this mosque.