Mosque of Segesta
The Mosque of the Archaeological Park of Segesta , located in an uninhabited area of Monte Barbaro on the same plateau as the Church of San Leone, is the only ancient mosque known so far in Sicily.
The mosque was divided into two naves, parallel to the qibla wall, which indicates the direction of prayer, towards Mecca. At the center of this wall opens the niche of the mihrab , an element present in all ancient and modern mosques.
The Mosque of Segesta can be dated with certainty to the 12th century, at the height of the Norman domination , and was certainly built by the Muslim community that settled on the top of Monte Barbaro at that time. To this same community can also be attributed some houses and the Muslim rite cemetery found behind the auditorium of the theater.
Given the small size of the building, it is plausible that it is a congregational mosque where all the adult males of the community for solemn prayer.
The mosque was destroyed after just a century of life, at the beginning of the 13th century, following the arrival of a Christian lord who built the nearby castle.
