🕌 Seraya, Nazareth

The Seraya is a historical building in Nazareth, Israel. It was built around 1740 by the autonomous Arab ruler of the Galilee, Daher al-Umar, during the Ottoman era in Palestine. Daher, who later based himself in Acre, used it as a summer home. The Seraya served other functions, namely that of a governmental headquarters for Nazareth, which was an important town in the area and protected the routes and agricultural lands of the Jezreel Valley. The Seraya contained a stable for horses and a jail. Moreover, because of the absence of mosques in Nazareth at the time of the Seraya's construction, Daher designated a prayer room to substitute for a mosque to serve the town's Muslim residents. It continued in this capacity until the nearby White Mosque was completed in 1812.