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Nevertheless, it is generally agreed in some
history books that the minaret once formed
part of this important mosque in Aden. The
Portugese invasion pictures of
for Aden show that the minaret was
part of the mosque.
This minaret once
used for calling the faithful to
prayer is situated opposite the
basketball stadium at the far
end of a small park adjacent to
Crater's Post Office. It has a zig-zag staircase made of
86 steps that lead to the level where
the muezzin stood for azan, five times
each day.
Some recent scholars expressed their thoughts
that the surrounding base was
not built till after the 1940's.
However, the greyscale photo lower down
in this page was taken c. 1935 and it
clearly shows the base. There
was concern that the minaret was
liable to fall so no one was able
till then to ascend it on foot.
Local research affirms
the possibility that the foundation of
the basement structure is related to the
era before the birth of Islam. Many of
the findings affirmed that this minaret
is the only remnant of the "Big Mosque"
that had once been erected in the
location, but was demolished due to its
age, and other natural occurrences
which affected it.
It might be that the Mosque's wings and halls
once stretched from the front of, what
is now, the Board of Commerce building,
right up to the newly built basketball
stadium or Al-Hubaishi football ground.
During the 1960's during some
civil-works diggings, four
arched-pillars of an Islamic decorated
pattern were found in the location
of the football stadium. This indicates
that the demolished "Big Mosque" was
located very close to the space occupied
now by Al-Hubaishi Stadium.
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