The Mudhafaria Minaret: Erbil’s Medieval Tower
- Sherko Sabir
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
The Mudhafaria Minaret — known to the people of Erbil as the Choli Minaret — is the great medieval tower of the city, a tall, slender shaft of decorated brick that has stood for more than eight centuries. Raised in the days when Erbil was a flourishing princely capital, it is the most important surviving monument of the city after its famous Citadel, and a proud reminder of a golden age of Kurdish and Islamic history.
Standing today in a green park below the Citadel, the minaret links modern Erbil to its medieval past. This profile looks at the tower, its builder, and its significance.
Key Takeaways
• The Mudhafaria Minaret (Choli Minaret) is the great medieval minaret of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan.
• It was built in the late 12th century, during Erbil’s princely golden age.
• It is associated with the ruler Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri.
• The tower is the most important medieval monument of Erbil after the Citadel.
• It is famed for its elegant decorated brickwork.
Quick Facts
Name: Mudhafaria Minaret (Choli Minaret)
Type: Medieval minaret
Country / Region: Iraq (Bashur / Kurdistan Region)
City: Erbil
Built: Late 12th century
Associated With: Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri
Material: Decorated brick
Significance: Erbil’s great monument after the Citadel
Contents
Where Is the Minaret?
The Mudhafaria Minaret stands in the city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, in a park below the great mound of the Erbil Citadel. Erbil itself is the heart of a region that reaches out to the mountain towns of Rawandiz and Koya, and the minaret rises near the centre of this ancient city, a landmark visible across its surrounding gardens.
A Tower of the Middle Ages
The minaret dates from the late twelfth century, a time when Erbil was a wealthy and powerful princely city. It originally rose beside a great mosque that has long since vanished, leaving the tower standing alone as the sole survivor of that vanished complex. Tall and tapering, set on an octagonal base, it has endured earthquakes, neglect, and the passing of centuries, and has in modern times been carefully restored to secure its future. It remains the finest medieval monument of the city after the Citadel itself.
The Age of Gökböri
The minaret belongs to the reign of Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri, the ruler who governed Erbil around the turn of the thirteenth century and gave the monument its name. Gökböri was a famous figure of his age — a son-in-law and ally of the great Saladin, and a prince celebrated for his lavish public works and for the grand festivals he held in Erbil. Under his rule the city flourished as a centre of culture and learning, and the minaret stands as the proud emblem of that golden era in Erbil’s long history.
Brick and Beauty
The minaret is a masterpiece of brickwork. Its shaft is wrapped in intricate patterns of moulded and laid brick, divided by balconies that once allowed the call to prayer to ring out over the city. The geometric ornament, the careful proportions, and the warm colour of the brick make it a beautiful example of the architecture of its time, when builders across the region turned humble brick into works of art. Even weathered by the centuries, its elegance is plain to see.
The Minaret Today
Today the Mudhafaria Minaret stands in a pleasant public park, restored and protected as one of the treasures of Erbil. Together with the Citadel above it, the minaret anchors the city’s sense of its own deep history, and it features proudly in the image of Erbil as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. For the people of the Kurdistan Region, it is a cherished link to a brilliant chapter of their past.
Timeline
late 12th c. — The minaret is built beside a great mosque in princely Erbil.
c. 1200 — Erbil flourishes under the rule of Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri.
later centuries — The mosque vanishes, leaving the minaret standing alone.
modern era — The leaning, weathered minaret is restored and protected.
today — It stands in a park as Erbil’s great monument after the Citadel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mudhafaria Minaret?
It is the great medieval brick minaret of Erbil, built in the late 12th century, also known as the Choli Minaret — the city’s most important monument after the Citadel.
Who built the Mudhafaria Minaret?
It is associated with Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri, the ruler of Erbil around 1200, an ally of Saladin famed for his public works and festivals.
Where is the minaret?
It stands in a park in the city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, below the historic Erbil Citadel.
Why is it important?
It is the finest surviving medieval monument of Erbil after the Citadel, a beautiful work of brick architecture and a symbol of the city’s golden age.
Related People, Places, and Topics
References and Further Reading
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