The Great Mosque of Samarra, also known as the Samarra Mosque, is one of the most significant examples of early Islamic architecture. Located in Samarra, Iraq, it was constructed in the 9th century during the Abbasid Caliphate. The most distinctive feature of the Great Mosque of Samarra is its spiral minaret, known as the Malwiya Tower. The mosque covered an area of 38,000 square meters (about 9.4 acres), making it one of the largest mosques in the world at the time of its construction. It has a rectangular floor plan, measuring approximately 239 by 156 meters. The mosque was surrounded by a thick outer wall with 44 semi-circular towers along its perimeter. The mosque and the archaeological city of Samarra have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their historical and architectural significance.