The New Mosque of Abu Ghosh

Abu Ghosh is an Arab village on the main highway to Tel Aviv about 6 miles west of Jerusalem. It was settled in the Judean Hills and named after the Abu Gosh family because they controlled the pilgrimage route from Jaffa to Jerusalem. This family imposed tolls on all pilgrims right up to the end of the 19th century. One of the most visible aspects of mosque architecture is the minaret, a tower adjacent or attached to a mosque, from which the call to prayer is announced but this mosque was most unusual because it has 4 minarets.

We have traveled a number of times by this mosque but have only seen it from afar. It is a spectacular structure and with Jeff and Joyce Smith as our navigators, we were successful in finding the right road leading up to it. Because it was afternoon and many people are resting in observation of ramadan, there was nobody around to stop us.

The residents of Abu Ghosh claim that their mosque is the second largest in Israel, only smaller than Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. The mosque was originally a private initiative of the village's residents who looked for an appropriate place for worship. However, its construction was halted in 2010, only a year after it had begun due to lack of funds. At that stage, a Chechen-born Jew mediated between the former head of the village's council and government officials of Chechnya, Russia, who eventually agreed to fund the construction.

The mosque is built in an Ottoman-Turkish style and the interior decorations are (Russian) Chechen-influenced. It also features four minarets and a golden dome, making it the only mosque of its kind in Israel. The idea for the construction of this mosque was to strengthen the relationship between Israel and Russia.

Photo: Jeff and Joyce Smith. The lot of 0.86 acres was donated by the Israel Land Authority.

The mosque was inaugurated March 23rd, 2014. Abu Ghosh has become famous for their Middle-Eastern restaurants which are rated the best in Israel and in 2010, the Guinness World Record was set by Abu Gosh for the largest dish of hummus ever made.

Before we entered the mosque, there where shelves to place our shoes and a place to wash ritually. The mosque was beautiful and we felt privileged to be able to be there. Women must cover their heads and Joyce and I were lucky enough to borrow hats from our husbands so we could enter. There was a feeling of serenity inside and I always feel great respect for all places of worship. The interior was beautifully decorated with gold leaf designs. As I stood there silently observing the beauty of the interior, my thoughts turned toward Omer Mohammed, a young Muslim man our family has adopted. I could only imagine how thrilled he would be to be standing in our shoes and our thoughts turned to him. So, Omer, I hope as you read this you will realize the great respect and love we feel for you and for the way you live your life.

Photo: The prayer times are posted on the sign.

Photo: Since I can't read this sign, I surely hope it doesn't say, "No photos!"

Photo: The dome inside was stunningly beautiful and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the center of the dome.

Mosques are also used throughout the week for prayer, study, or simply as a place for rest and reflection. Women are allowed to enter on Fridays for prayers. Because it was not Friday, I was worried I would not be allowed to enter, but a little man inside didn't seem to object. However, women are not allowed to go to the very front of the mosque so I stayed in the back.

The Abu Ghosh mosque is known as the "Mosque of Peace" but it is often referred to as the "big mosque," the "new mosque" or even the "Disneyland mosque." It is especially unique because it has 4 minarets and we were not able to find out why it has four and the significance of them.

Minarets are tall, slender towers attached to mosques from which muezzins call the faithful to prayer five times a day. Every mosque has a minaret along with a dome which are the most characteristic forms of Islamic architecture.

Photo: photo from the web.