Al Tawba Mosque
Al Tawba Mosque was built in the fourteenth century during the reign of the Mamluk Sultan Al Nasir Qalawun. It stands in the Dabbagha district on the western bank of the Abu Ali River, near Khan Al Askar.
A local story explains its name, which means “repentance,” through the construction of the Great Mansouri Mosque. The architect is said to have taken part of the funds intended for that larger building, leaving it less ornamented than expected. When the sultan discovered the theft, he ordered the architect to build another mosque in atonement. Al Tawba consequently took the form of a smaller version of the Great Mansouri Mosque.
Its riverside location exposed it to repeated floods. A bronze plaque records the flood of 1021 AH and restoration during the rule of Prince Hussein Bin Yusuf Sayfa.
Compared with Tripoli’s larger Mamluk mosques, Al Tawba is modest in scale and decoration. Its hexagonal minaret and small domes distinguish the exterior; the domes appear simple from outside but contain more elaborate treatment within.
