The Imam Ali Mosque, also called the Old Mosque, is the first mosque built in Basra. It was founded around 635 during the era of the second Caliph Umar at Basra’s outskirt right before the city’s conquest. Initially, the building was built from palm canes, but a fire later burned it down. After that, the mosque was reconstructed from the mud during the 3rd Umayyad Caliph Umar II era. And again, it was destroyed during the Abbasid era by a flood. Due to the religious importance of the mosque, the site became a place of many massacres of Arab pilgrims, especially during the Zanj Rebellion. It is considered that the first madrasa for fiqh studies, hadith studies, and philosophy was established within the mosque. Some important figures of early Islamic history were educated here, including Abd Allah ibn Abbas and Wasil ibn Ata.
Parking location – Basra: 30.399630N 47.731995E