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 .