White Mosque

The White Mosque is Nazareth's oldest mosque, built in the early 19th century in the center of the old market quarter. Its slender pencil minaret and pale limestone walls are distinctively Ottoman in character. The mosque is still an active place of worship; non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times.

It sits in the Harat al-Ghama quarter, which means "mosque quarter" — the mosque gave the neighborhood its name. A short walk from here through the covered souk lanes leads to the caravanserai ruins and the old market.

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A story
The White Mosque is the oldest mosque in Nazareth, built in the early 19th century under the auspices of Abdallah Pasha of Acre. Its pencil-thin minaret and cream-colored walls became the visual signature of the old city's skyline long before the Catholic basilica's dome appeared on the hill above. The mosque sits in the heart of the old market quarter, which explains its name — Masjid al-Abiad, "the White Mosque," standing out against the grey stone of the surrounding buildings.

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