The White Mosque was first built in the 8th century A.D. The remnants we see today date from the end of the 12th century A.D., when the building was renovated upon orders by Sultan Saladin, and also from the time of Mamluk rule in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The White Tower rises to a height of 30 meters. Its erection was ordered by the Mamluk sultan Muhammad Ibn Khalhoun, to be completed in 1318. Apparently, it served as a watch tower, since even today, its top offers a panoramic view of the entire area, from the Mediterranean coast in the west (including Tel Aviv) to the foot of the Judean Mountains and Samaria in the east.
There are researchers who claim that the tower was possibly built as a minaret, an architectural structure serving the muezzin when he calls the Moslem faithful to prayer five times a day.
