This mosque is located in the center of Beirut, in the East side of Al-Omari Great Mosque, at the entrance of the Souk of Sursock, facing the Southern-eastern angle of the Municipal Palace. It is also known under the name of the Mosque of Emir Mansour Assaf (who ruled from Nahr al-Kalb to Hama between 1552 and 1580). They also call it As-Saraya Mosque because it is very close to the serail of Emir Assaf. In fact it must have been built by Emir Assaf in the 16th century in the same place of a Byzantine church dedicated to the Saint Savior.
However, some references find it more credible to assign this mosque to Emir Turkmène Muhammad, son of Emir Mansour Assaf. As for the name “Dar Al-Wilaya Mosque” (the governor’s palace), it was given to this mosque because it is close to the palace built by Emir Fakhreddine II, governor of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, in order to serve as a headquarters to the government.
