The Mahmoudiya Mosque is the largest mosque in Jaffa, built in 1812 by Muhammad Abu Nabbut, the Ottoman governor of the city. It stands on Yefet Street near the Clock Tower and the entrance to Old Jaffa, its minaret a landmark of the Jaffa skyline.
Abu Nabbut
Muhammad Abu Nabbut (“Father of the Mace” — named for the club he reportedly carried) served as the Ottoman governor (mutasallim) of Jaffa from approximately 1810 to 1820. He was a forceful ruler who undertook major construction projects in the city, and the mosque is his most enduring legacy. He also built two ornate sabils (public drinking fountains) nearby, decorated with calligraphic inscriptions, as charitable works providing free water to passersby and travelers. The sabils, dating to 1815–1816, are among the finest examples of Ottoman public architecture in Jaffa.
Architecture
The mosque features a central courtyard, arched colonnades, and a prominent minaret built in late Ottoman style with local stone. The interior includes columns — some of them spolia, ancient columns reused from earlier structures, a common practice across the region’s history. The prayer hall has vaulted ceiling sections and the courtyard provides a quiet retreat from the bustle of Yefet Street outside.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Mahmoudiya Mosque is part of the Ottoman layer of Jaffa’s history. Hoshen Tours passes the mosque, the sabils, and the Clock Tower on the walk into Old Jaffa, telling the story of the Ottoman centuries that shaped the city between the Crusades and the modern era.