In the heart of Tripoli’s old city, where the walls breathe tales of centuries, stands the “Mosque of the Camel” (Jama’ al-Naqa) majestically, as the oldest mosque in Libya. It serves as a religious beacon that has encapsulated the transformations of civilizations within its stones, dating back to over a thousand years ago. This Islamic edifice is considered – according to historians’ accounts – older than the “Al-Azhar Mosque” in Cairo, and one of the most prominent testimonies to early Islamic architecture in North Africa, where the patterns of its Fatimid, Ottoman, and Maghrebi construction intertwine in a unique tableau.
A Tale of a Name Drenched in Legends
Narratives vary regarding the origin of the mosque’s enigmatic name. While one suggests that it refers to the camel of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, which stopped at the building site refusing to proceed, another links the name to the conquest of Tripoli by Amr ibn al-Aas in 643 AD, when a camel laden with gold was presented to him as ransom, according to some sources. However, the renowned traveler al-Tijani, who visited the city in the early fourteenth century, recounts a third version connecting the name to the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah, who – during his visit to Tripoli in 973 AD – gifted a camel carrying treasures to expand the mosque after a warm reception from the locals.
Architecture that Mimics the Book of History
The simple facade of the mosque – hidden behind the shops of the ancient markets – does not conceal the grandeur of its interior design, which includes 42 domes rising above 49 pillars, and an open courtyard inspired by the Maghrebi style. A stone inscription inside the mosque documents its restoration by the Ottoman governor “Safer Day” in 1610, after a century of deterioration, while the decorative details reveal successive imprints from the Fatimid to the Ottoman eras.
The Ordeal of Survival in an Age of Oblivion
Despite being classified as Libya’s most prominent religious landmarks, the mosque – like other Tripoli monuments – faces the challenges of preserving its historical identity amidst the encroachment of modern buildings and the scarcity of restoration projects. Archaeological researcher Ali al-Fitouri tells the “Cultural Observatory”: “The mosque is an architectural treasure that needs urgent intervention, as its walls carry ciphers of rare Islamic arts.”
Today, while the doors of the “Mosque of the She-Camel” remain open to worshippers, this steadfast edifice continues to stand as a testament to the genius of the place, and a guardian of the memory of a city that geography has transformed into a meeting point of civilizations.