Jalil Khayat Mosque • جامع جليل الخياط
Completed in , Jama Jalil alKhayat is the largest mosque in Erbil. The main gate is 25m high. Two minarets stand 75m high. The total area is 15,000m2. The big hall is 1,200m2 and holds 1500 to 2000 people. There is also a smaller hall for daily prayers. For Friday prayers or during special religious ceremonies like Mawlood, the big halls receives men and the smaller hall is opened for women.
It was commissioned by Jalil Khayat, a wealthy Hawleri who brought in Turkish, Egyptian and other experts. His sons saw the project as a gift to the community and oversaw that it was completed after Khayat passed away in . The mosque opened after many years of construction. The mosque is a fusion of styles. It is reminiscent of the Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo, and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. In fact, a Hawler local mistook it for the Blue Mosque when I showed them a photo and asked for directions, and they told me that the mosque was in Istanbul.