The Great Mosque of Aqrah(Akre), in the city of Aqrah(Akre), 635 AD.
The Great Mosque of Aqrah (Mizgefta Mezina Akrê) in the city of Aqrah (Aqrah) of the Dohuk Governorate in the Bahdinan region is considered one of the oldest historical mosques in Kurdistan. The Great Mosque of Aqrah was built, according to some sources, in the year 14 AH / 635 AD, during the reign of the Caliph (Abdullah bin Omar bin Al-Khattab), And that was after the conquest of Kurdistan and the spread of Islam in it. And the historical sources agree that the Great Mosque of Aqrah was built mainly on the ruins of Zardashti Temple or Ezdi Temple, where the people of Kurdistan embraced the ancient Kurdish religions such as Yazidi, Zoroastrianism, and Yarsani before the spread of the Islamic religion in Kurdistan. Commercial and social contracts and social reconciliations in the region were concluded inside the Aqrah Great Mosque, Later, a religious school was built near the mosque, which played a major role in spreading Islamic culture and sciences in the region. The mosque includes a library in which many valuable records and manuscripts dating back centuries are kept. The Great Mosque of Aqrah was built according to Islamic architecture, with bricks. The area of ​​the mosque is more than 3000 square meters, and it was reconstructed and restored several times, the last of which was in 1384 AH / 1965 AD, under the supervision of the Iraqi Ministry of Endowments, and with the help of the people of Aqrah. The mosque includes one dome and one minaret, its height is about 56 meters, and the original minaret of the mosque, before its restoration, was built of stone. One of the most famous scholars who assumed the position of imam and preacher in Aqrah Grand Mosque is Sheikh Ibrahim Haj Muhammad Rishkeh, The Great Mosque of Aqrah currently contains an official religious school, and next to it is an Institute of Islamic Sciences that grants a diploma. The mosque has international fame, as it is visited by many scholars and students of knowledge. In addition, it is an ancient cultural symbol dating back to the beginning of the spread of Islam in Kurdistan. The Friday prayers, the two Eid prayers, and the five daily prayers are currently being held there.[1] [2]