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Amman Citadel - Umayyad Mosque

Aerial View of the Citadel in Amman Aerial Photograph of the Northern part of Citadel in Amman with the Umayyad Palace, Structures, and Mosque

APAAME CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
APAAME_20100601_
SES-0235.dng


Introduction
Amman - Introduction Webpage

Aerial Views and Plans
Aerial Views and Plans

Aerial Views

  • Citadel of Amman in Google Earth
    Citadel of Amman in Google Earth

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth

Plans

Normal Size

  • Area Plan of the Citadel
    Amman Citadel

    JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

    from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map
    in Amman from maps-amman.com
  • Fig. 1 - General plan of
    Figure 1

    General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

    Alamgro et al (2000)
    the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
  • Fig. 1 - Congregational
    Figure 1

    Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:

    1. General plan
    2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
    3. View to north of the souq east portico
    4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule


    Arce (2000)
    Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)

Magnified

  • Area Plan of the Citadel
    Amman Citadel

    JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

    from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map
    in Amman from maps-amman.com
  • Fig. 1 - General plan of
    Figure 1

    General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

    Alamgro et al (2000)
    the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
  • Fig. 1 - Congregational
    Figure 1

    Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:

    1. General plan
    2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
    3. View to north of the souq east portico
    4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule


    Arce (2000)
    Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)

Chronology
Mid 8th century CE earthquake

Plans and Figures/Photos

Plans and Figures/Photos

Plans

Normal Size

  • Area Plan of the Citadel
    Amman Citadel

    JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

    from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map
    in Amman from maps-amman.com
  • Fig. 1 - General plan of
    Figure 1

    General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

    Alamgro et al (2000)
    the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
  • Fig. 1 - Congregational
    Figure 1

    Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:

    1. General plan
    2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
    3. View to north of the souq east portico
    4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule


    Arce (2000)
    Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)

Magnified

  • Area Plan of the Citadel
    Amman Citadel

    JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

    from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map
    in Amman from maps-amman.com
  • Fig. 1 - General plan of
    Figure 1

    General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

    Alamgro et al (2000)
    the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
  • Fig. 1 - Congregational
    Figure 1

    Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:

    1. General plan
    2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
    3. View to north of the souq east portico
    4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule


    Arce (2000)
    Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)

Figures/Photos

  • Fig. 2e - Broken water
    Figure 2 e

    Channel broken by the A.D. 749 earthquake.

    Arce (2000)
    channel from Arce (2000)

Discussion

Arce (2000:130) report that the Congregational Mosque collapsed in the A.D. 749 earthquake noting that:
It can be seen in Figure 2e how the displacement of the column base and the foundation socle (as a result of the quake tremor) broke the water channel running beside it. The poor compacting of the fills, as well as the design itself of the building, were the reasons for this displacement of the column foundation and the consequent collapse of the building.
Arce (2000:135-140) reported on the following architectural elements found in A.D. 749 earthquake debris
  • Cornices

  • Small Niches Series and Lateral-Inner Façade Decoration noting 3 new types

    1. This piece combines arch, panel and colonnettes, with the same height but slightly wider (59 centimeters) than the average (48 centimeters). The panel does not have any carved decoration; perhaps a painted or mosaic decoration was applied on it (Figure 3h).
    2. This piece includes also an archivolted arch. The panel bears a huge trefoil motif that occupies the whole area of the arch. The height of the arch is 37 centimeters (Figure 3i).
    3. The panel decoration of this already known piece has a composite tree with a zig-zag stem and alternating half-palmettes, medlar leaves, and a pomegranate on a ground of three semicircles (Northedge 1992: figure 54.4 and plate 28f; Bartoccini 1933: 14, no.i) (Figure 3j).
    4. The panel from this new piece has a composite tree with a central stem and alternating half-palmettes pointing downwards and bunches of grapes. The ground has the typical three semicircles (Figure 3k). A single colonnette of the same series and another small fragment were found in the undisturbed debris from the mosque collapse in the west street/ziyada.

    Arce (2000:135-137) made the following structural conclusions from the niche evidence:
    There is an important characteristic of this set of niches that contrasts with the standard type (consisting of double engaged colonnettes, archivolted arches, and decorated panels). In the standard freezes, the decoration is displayed on a separate panel that is placed between two double-engaged colonnette pieces. Each of these pieces—with colonnettes—support two different neighboring archivolted arches. Therefore, we have an alternating vertical joint building system that provides more strength to the whole. In this other case, the elements are not three but two (and in some cases just one): the archivolted arches and the blocks that bring together the decorated panel are flanked by single colonnettes. Thus each niche stands on its own pair of colonnettes and decorated panel, without any link to the neighbouring ones. The standard set was designed to tie together its pieces as structural weight-carrying elements that formed part of the ashlar masonry fabric. In the small set case, the mechanical characteristics seem not to be so demanding.

    Another important feature is the scale of the pieces and consequently the place they were designed for. After knowledge achieved from the restoration of the vestibule, it can be asserted that the higher or more distant a decorated niche is away from the observer, the bigger it is in size.17 In our case, their smaller dimension would indicate that they were intended to be seen close up, as would be the case in a narrow street. This evidence would indicate that these small-scale pieces could have belonged to the lateral façades of the mosque, or even to its interior, being placed in between the buttresses.

  • Inner Decoration:Carved Stucco - Several pieces of carved stucco were found on the mosque courtyard floor and inside its cisterns. Therefore, it could be inferred that while the outside façades were decorated with carved stone the interior of the mosque was mainly decorated with carved stucco.

  • Carved Inscriptions - Among the collapsed debris from the 749 earthquake at the base of the west wall of the mosque a piece of great interest was found. It is a fragment of a marble slab with a carved Kufic inscription. Each line of the text was alternatively painted with red and pale blue pigments. Being Kufic, the inscription does not have diacritical marks. It has a carved edge that fitted into a supporting groove. On the rear another, much rougher, inscription can be seen, also in Arabic, indicating the block was reused. In both inscriptions the only complete word that can be read is "Allah" (Figures 4i, 4j). Other noticeable inscriptions are those scratched on the third step in front of the mosque; only "Allah 'umma" and also "Illa[..]" can be read.

Seismic Effects
Mid 8th century CE earthquake

Effect Location Image (s) Comments
Displaced Column Base and Broken Water Channel Umayyad Mosque
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:

  1. General plan
  2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
  3. View to north of the souq east portico
  4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule


Arce (2000)
Figure 2 e

Channel broken by the A.D. 749 earthquake.

Arce (2000)
displacement of the column base and the foundation socle (as a result of the quake tremor) broke the water channel running beside it. - Arce (2000)
Debris indicating wall and arch or semi dome collapse Umayyad Mosque
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:

  1. General plan
  2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
  3. View to north of the souq east portico
  4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule


Arce (2000)
Arce (2000) reports that the earthquake debris included Cornices indicating wall collapse, niches indicating arch collapse or semi dome vault collapse, carved stucco decoration from interior walls, and carved inscriptions in marble indicating wall damage or collapse (the inscription would have presumably been attached to a wall)

Intensity Estimates
Mid 8th century CE earthquake

Effect Location Image (s) Comments Intensity
Displaced Column Base and Broken Water Channel Umayyad Mosque
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:

  1. General plan
  2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
  3. View to north of the souq east portico
  4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule


Arce (2000)
Figure 2 e

Channel broken by the A.D. 749 earthquake.

Arce (2000)
displacement of the column base and the foundation socle (as a result of the quake tremor) broke the water channel running beside it. - Arce (2000) VIII +
Debris indicating wall and arch or semi dome collapse Umayyad Mosque
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:

  1. General plan
  2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
  3. View to north of the souq east portico
  4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule


Arce (2000)
Arce (2000) reports that the earthquake debris included Cornices indicating wall collapse, niches indicating arch collapse or semi dome vault collapse, carved stucco decoration from interior walls, and carved inscriptions in marble indicating wall damage or collapse (the inscription would have presumably been attached to a wall) VIII +
The archeoseismic evidence requires a minimum Intensity of VIII (8) when using the Earthquake Archeological Effects chart of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224).

Notes and Further Reading
References

Arce, I. (2000). The Umayyad Congregational Mosque and the Souq Square Complex at Amman Citadel. Architectural Features and Urban Significance. Proceedings of the 2nd ICAANE, Copenhagen.

Wikipedia pages

Amman Citadel in English



Amman Citadel (in Spanish)