جامع السيدة بنت احمد في ذي جبلة - Lady bint ahmed mosque in zi jabalah

جامع السيدة بنت احمد في ذي جبلة

مدينة جبلة من اجمل المدن التي شيدها الصليحيون .وهي مدينة متدرجة ترتفع حوالي (2000م) عن مستوى سطح البحر ، وتمتاز بطيب هوائها وخصوبة أراضيها وجمال عمائرها سميت قديما بمدينة النهرين وتغنى الشعراء بجمال الطبيعة فيها فقد قال الشاعر عبد الله بن يعلى قصيدة منها

:مامصرما تبريز ما طبرية بمدينة قدحفها نهران

خد لها شام وحب مشرق والتعكر العالي المنيف يمان

لقد اتخذها الصليحيون عاصمة لهم منذ (458هـ /1066م ) ويعد جامع الملكة الحرة السيدة بنت احمد من أهم الآثار الباقية ، نظرا لتكامل ملامح العمارة الصليحية فيه بعد أن قطعت اليمن شوطا كبيرا من حيث المؤثرات المعمارية والفنية بينة وبين معظم العمائر الدينية الفاطمية في مصر .
شيد هذا الجامع فوق المبنى القديم المعروف بدار العز (الأولى ) والذي لا تزال إثارة ظاهرة في أسفل الجامع الحالي ، ويتم الدخول إلية عبر سلم حجري يؤدي إلى دهليز طويل ممتد من الجنوب إلى الشمال تطل واجهة الجامع من الناحية الشرقية عليه .
يتكون الجامع من صحن مكشوف في الوسط أبعادة (20*17.8م) تحيط به الأورقة من جميع الجهات ، وتطل هذه الأورقة على الصحن بعقود مدببة مختلفة الأشكال ترتكز على أعمدة حجرية اسطوانية الشكل لها قواعد وتيجان مربعة ، أما بيت الصلاة (البنية ) فهو مستطيل الشكل أطواله (31.60 * 16.20م) وتغطيه مصندقات خشبية تزينها مجموعه من التصاميم الزخرفية المنفذة بعناية وإتقان ، وعندما توفيت السيدة بنت أحمد عام (532 هـ / 1137 م ) دفنت في الركن الشمالي الغربي من بيت الصلاة ، إذ خصص لقبره مساحة (3.50 * 3.70 م) وقد أحيط التابوت الخشبي بسور نفذت عليه زخارف جصية متنوعة عكست ماوصل إليه الفن الإسلامي في اليمن أثناء فترة الحكم الصليحي ، ويتوسط جدار القبلة محراب مجوف تشغل حنيتة وواجهته زخارف كتابية لآيات من الذكر الحكيم كتبت بخط كوفي مورق جميل ، كما وضع إلى يمين المحراب منبر خشبي نفذت علية زخارف محفورة لعناصر نباتية قوامها أشكال متطورة من الرقش العربي ( الأرابيسك ) ، ويوجد في بيت الصلاة كرسي للحديث يرجع تاريخه إلى عام (1218هـ / 1803م )
مما لاشك فية أن زيارة واحدة لهذا الجامع ستوضح للزائر أحد الطراز الفنية الإسلامية التي عرفت في عصر الدولة الصليحية والمتمثلة في العمارة والفنون الزخرفيه المنفذه على الجدران ، وفي الأعمدة وتيجانها والعقود والمآذن والقباب والمصندقات الخشبية والزخارف المنفذة على المنبر والمحراب والتي نفذت بطابع ذي طراز راق ومتميز

Lady bint ahmed mosque in zi jabalah
The city of jabalah is one of most beautiful citries that was founded by the salahites situated 2000 meters above sea level , it has a graded shape and is characterized by its mild weather , fertile soil and beautiful buildings. It was known in the past as the city , and to quote abdullah bin ya,ala :
No egypt ,no tabriz no their capital city flanked by two rivers it is not compared to the levant ; or the love of orient but the love of yemen .
The salahites took jabalah as their capital city since 1066 a.d. The lady bint ahmed mosque is considered a prime example of the magnificent salahite architecture of yemen , much like the religious buildings of the fatimids are to egypt.
The mosque was built on the old building known as dar al ezz (the first) whose remains are still there at the bottom of the present mosque . It is entered through a stone staircase leading to a long vestibule that extends from the south to the north , and overlooks the mosque's frontage from the east .
The mosque has an open nave in the middle (20*17.8meters) and is surrounded by porticos from all directions from all directions the porticoes overlook the nave with pointed knots of different shapes that rest on cylindrical stone columns whith squares bases . The prayer place is also rectangular shaped (31.60*16.20meters) , and covered whith wooden boxes decorated with a group of accurately done engravings . When lady bint ahmed passed away in 1137 a.d., she was buried in the northwest corner of the prayer place . Hertomb occupied a space of 3.50*3.70 meters , and her wooden coffin was enclosed by a fence with various gypsum inscriptions that reflect the techniques of this islamic art of yemen under the salahites . In the middle of the kiblah wall , there is a hollow mihrab with decorations and inscriptions of koranic verses written in the kufi font in its frontage . To the right of the mihrab , there is a wooden pulpit with an arabic arabesque of plant element . The preacher's chair in the prayer place dates back to 1803 a.d.
A singl visit to the mosque is all that is required to give a visitor an impression of the islamic art techniques that were prevalent during the salahit state these are represented in the architecture, arts ,wall inscription columns capitals, minarets, domes , wooden boxes and pulpit and mihrab decorations which were all superbly and uniquely executed.
E beacons of knowledge they first lit in the city of zabid, continu to shine to the present day .

Jibla City The Capital Of The Sulaihide Dynasty

The sultan Abdullah Bin Al Sullaihi founded the city of Dhi Jibla in 457 Hegira i.e. 1065 AD at the order of his brother King Ali Bin Mohammad Al Sullaihi to announce it as a capital at a later date. It was named Jiblah in attribution to the name of one of the artisans who was manufacturing pottery in the area where the Sultan built the First Izz castle. Jiblah used to be called the two river city as it is on a hilltop between two flowing perennial rivers.

The history of Jiblah city was liked to the Sulaihide Dynasty which ruled Yemen as from 1047 till 1138 Ad. Its founder was Ali Bin Mohammed Al Sulaihi who started his call in Jabal Masar in Haraz region. From the fort of Masar after his call prevailed he controlled all the Mikhlafs of Yemen, fortresses, citadels, towns and plains. His control was from Mecca to Hadhramawt and from Aden to Sa’adah. The Sulaihides adopted Sana’a as his capital where he built many castles and made all the Yemeni Kings under one banner after he organized the administration of the country through equipping the important forts of Yemen with garrisons.
He continued in reign for twenty years as of 1047-1067. During this period he was able to achieve stability for the establishment of the young state. After his death, his son Al Mukararm Ahmed Bin Ali Bin Mohammed Al Sulaihi took charge in running the affairs of the state and reinforced the achievements of his father after quenching all the and unified the Yemeni Currency. At the last year of his life he was afflicted with a disease and thus became the affairs of the state within the hands of his wife Queen Arwa Bin Ahmed Al Sulaihi. With her wit she saw that jiblah was appropriate as capital for the dynasty and thus advised her husband about the transfer of the capital from Sana’a to Jiblah because it is better and more reassuring let alone the security to be obtained. The new capital is amid the main parts of Yemen. Its climate is moderate and life is rather at ease .The king was convinced by the reasons offered by his wife and thus adopted Jiblah as his Seat of Rule and Residence and lived in Dar Al Aizz Castle in Jiblah. The disease became more serious and passed away in 1085 AD after having ruled for 18yrs. After him came the era of the rule of Queen Arwa Bin Ahmed Al Sulaihi. During her era Yemen witnessed a new age of civilization development in all walks of life for she excelled in righteousness honesty, knowledge and wit which made her run her kingdom wisely to the extent that she allured the hearts of her subjects to the extent that the Yemenites used to call her” Our lady, the Free Queen” “ in honor and respect for her. She used to be called also “ Little Bilqis” i.e. Little Queen of Sheba due to her sagacity dexterousness. She began to take interest in creating convenient infrastructure for civilization development in RY Educational Affairs, through construction of schools in all the parts and granted her subjects the freedom of belief and built mosques and religious schools and for the sake of knowledge spends huge amount of money.
She paid attention to commerce and agriculture as she leveled roads and was the first to level roads in Yemen so as to facilitate the affairs of agriculture and the transport of the crops.
In Military domains she revamped the Sulaihide forts in the summits of the Yemenite Mountains, widened them constructed fortress and enlarged seaports, the main of which was Aden. She created a fully fledged civilization State extracting its strength and permanence from the power of its economy which was achieved under her successful management of the affairs of her Kingdom.
She was also attentive to putting many of the Kingdom endowments for the service and repair of Knowledge school and assistance of those involved in schooling whether teachers as students. Thus the Yemenite history in the medieval era turned an illuminating page which still illuminating all over the Yemenite territory and mind represented in the period of her rule which continue for more than fifty three Years beginning in 1085 AD-1138 AD.
The reign of the Sullaihydes as an independent state showing allegiance in name to the Fatimides in Egypt. Jiblah is distinguished for its architectural style like that of old Ibb. It further prospered as a center of science and thought for many centuries like Zabid, Sana’a, Tareem Sa’adah and Dhamra etc.
Many of its surrounding fertile land are an endowment property for those involved in Islamic schooling, teachers and students. One of the schools of Jiblah is still standing as subordinate of the queen’s mosque which houses her tomb.