Mudhaffar Mosque

The Mudhaffar Mosque is a historic mosque and madrasa complex in the old part of Taiz, Yemen. It takes its name from its founder, Sultan al-Malik al-Muzaffar Yusuf ibn Umar, the second ruler of the Rasulid state. From its foundation it served as the great mosque of the city and also housed a madrasa that educated many Islamic scholars. It is counted among the larger mosques of the old city, and many local residents attend its Friday prayers. The complex is also associated with a bathhouse, which visitors from rural areas reportedly used either for healing or as a custom before a wedding.

The mosque and madrasa were built by the Rasulid ruler al-Muzaffar Yusuf ibn Umar. Our record gives the construction year as 1294, while some researchers hold that it was founded in the first half of his reign, around 648 AH (1250 CE).

Various additions and modifications were made to the complex in later centuries. From its foundation it drew the attention of the rulers, as it served as the city's great mosque. It is regarded as one of the earliest examples of a hanging madrasa and as the first model that many later Rasulid madrasas followed.