Al-Tahham Mosque

The al-Tahhâm mosque was built in the early seventeenth century by Prince Younčs al-Maani, the younger brother of Fakhr-ed-Din II. It’s minaret follows the Ottoman traditional style and is octagonal. It rises over a pointed arch portal on the north side with four pyramidal buttresses supporting its base, and four arched windows, each with a carved stone balcony screen. Supporting the buttresses are chain design engaged pillars with stalactite capitals. The upper gallery is an overhanging one decorated with a stalactite cornice and palm-leaf motif frieze. The gallery’s balustrade screens are undecorated as are the eight posts supporting its octagonal red-tiled “Chinese pagoda” roof. Called the “Prince’s Minaret”, it is one of Lebanon’s national treasures . The mosque itself is a plain box-like structure with a marble mosaic fountain and a number of Byzantine granite columns with Corinthian capitals re-used in the structure.