The Habib-i Neccar Mosque

The Habib-i Neccar Mosque was built when Antioch fell to the Muslim Arabs in 638. It is considered to be the first mosque built within the borders of present-day Turkey. The mosque of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) located on the street of Liberation. It bears the name of an Antiochite who was the first to believe in Jesus' apostles and gave his life for them. This event takes place in the Qur'an in the Surah Yasin. According to the tradition, in the 40 ⁇ s AD, when Jesus ⁇ assistants came to Antioch and tried to explain that there is only one god, a carpenter (neccar) came at the head of those who believed them. Neccar abandons his Pagan faith and joins them. But the apostles' new sermons infuriate the people. And the king throws the apostles in jail. A new ambassador, Shemun Safa, is then sent to Antioch. Shemun convinces the king with his miracles and saves his friends. But the people are determined not to believe the apostles. He plans to stone them to death because he thinks they bring bad luck. Habib-i Neccar is killed while trying to stop the angry crowd. It is said that his severed head is rolled from the top of Mount Lebanon to where his tomb and tomb are now located. The mosque was built on the site of an old temple during the reign of the Mamluk ruler Baybars. In the northeast corner of the mosque, four meters below the ground, are the tombs of Habib-Negcar and Shemun Safa, and at the entrance are the tombs of John and Paul. It's surrounded by madrassa rooms. The tent in the mosque courtyard is a 19th-century work.