Khamis Mosque

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is part of the series on: History of Bahrain
Ancient Bahrain
Dilmun
Tylos and Mishmahig
Awal

Historical region
Islam in Bahrain
Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami



Qarmatians







Portuguese occupation
Muqrin ibn Zamil
Antonio Correia



Safavid hegemony (1602-1717)

1717 Oman invasion of Bahrain
Al Khalifa and the British Protectorate
1783 Al Khalifa invasion of Bahrain
Perpetual Truce of Peace and Friendship (1861)
First Oil Well (1932)

20th Century Bahrain
March 1965 Intifada
1981 coup d'état attempt
Uprising 1994-2000

2000s in Bahrain
Forum for the Future
Topical
Military history of Bahrain
Timeline of Bahrain history

The Khamis Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الخميس; transliterated: Masjid al-Khamys) is believed to be the first mosque in Bahrain, built during the era of the Umayyad caliph Umar II. The identical twin minarets of this ancient Islamic monument make it easily noticeable as one drives along the Shaikh Salman Road in Khamis. It is considered to be one of the oldest relics of Islam in the region, and the foundation of this mosque is believed to have been laid as early as 692 AD. An inscription found on the site, however, suggests a foundation date sometimes during the 11th Century. It has since been rebuilt twice in both 14th & 15th centuries, when the minarets were constructed. The Khamis mosque has been partially restored recently.

Islam was propagated to Bahrain in the 7th century AD when Muhammad sent an envoy Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami, preaching Islam to the Governor of Qatar and Bahrain at the time, Munzir ibn Sawa Al Tamimi.