The Malwiya
A ramp wrapping to the top.
Chris Hoare — CC BY 2.0 · Safa.daneshvar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Safa.daneshvar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ali756115 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ekhlas Sami — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Great Mosque of Samarra is an old Abbasid mosque, now in partial ruins, in the city of Samarra north of Baghdad, known for its famous spiral minaret, the Malwiya. It lies within the Samarra Archaeological City on the UNESCO list since 2007. It is among the most distinctive sights in Iraq, as the minaret resembles nothing else you will see. Caliph al-Mutawakkil ordered it built in 848, and it was completed in 851. In its day it was the largest mosque in the world, covering about 165,886 square metres with room for more than 60,000 worshippers. It fell out of use as the city declined after the caliphate returned to Baghdad, leaving only the walls and minaret standing. You see the conical minaret, 52 m high and 33 m wide at the base, wrapped by a ramp that climbs to the top. Behind it run long outer walls with semicircular buttresses, while the interior has vanished. The scene is at its best before sunset, when the brick turns a warm gold. It is about 1 km in a straight line from central Samarra and about 107 km from central Baghdad. The ramp is mostly unfenced, so do not climb in strong wind. Dress modestly. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to this area, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.
A ramp wrapping to the top.
Long semicircular buttresses.
Brick in warm gold.
North of central Samarra, Salah al-Din Governorate, Iraq
The ramp exists but is mostly unfenced, so take care and check for any limits on site.
Check official guidance first, as the UK Foreign Office advises against travel to this province.