History
Ma'arat al-Nu'man developed as a major caravan stop on the north-south corridor between Aleppo and Damascus and later became an Arab stronghold on the eastern side of the Orontes valley opposite the western string of Crusader castles. The mosque signified a rapidly growing site of political and geographical importance. All that remains of the mosque today is the square minaret that bears a close resemblance -in form and ornamentation- to the minaret of the Great Mosque of Aleppo. The architect Hassan Ben Mukri al-Sarman, built the mosque in Ma'arat al-Nu'man to rival the Great Mosque in Aleppo. In 1099, however, during the Crusader siege of Ma'arat al-Nu'man a massacre of 20,000 of its residents severely diminished the town's aspirations of further development.
Read more about this topic: Great Mosque Of Maarrat Al-Numan
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