The mosque was built in 1916 at the northern boundary of Arab Jaffa, and its history is closely bound up with the various stages of the Arab–Jewish conflict.

The mosque's minaret was often used by Arab snipers to shoot at Jewish forces in Tel Aviv and Manshiya, in the months preceding the British withdrawal.

[citation needed] The Hassan Bek Mosque lay derelict and neglected for many years, its empty shell used on some occasions by vagabonds and drug addicts.

[3][4] The authorities gave permission for the Jaffa Arabs to restore the minaret, using volunteer work and funds provided by the governments of Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

[5] In 1923 the mosque was already the object of politically motivated renovations ordered by the Supreme Muslim Council,[5] and its overall area was substantially expanded in the 1980s.

The current minaret was rebuilt at twice its original height as part of the renovation in the 1980s; extremely tall and slender, it contrasts with the square prayer hall.