Jawatha Mosque

Jawatha Mosque in Al-Ahsa

Jawatha Mosque (Arabic مسجد جواثا ) (also incorrectly spelled Al-Jawana) is located in the village of Al-Kilabiyah, about 12 km northeast of Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. It was the earliest mosque built in east Arabia and most of the original structure is in ruins.[1] The site is still used for prayer.[2]

Construction

It was built in the seventh year of hijra (c. 629 AD) at the hands of the Bani Abd al-Qays tribe which lived there before and early in the Islamic period. This mosque is believed to be the first mosque built in Eastern Province and is where the second Friday congregation prayer in Islam was offered, the first being held at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.[3] According to legend, when the Hajr Al Aswad, (Black Stone), was stolen from Mecca by the Qarmatians, it was kept in this mosque for nearly 22 years.[4]

Most of the mosque's original structure has been lost and it remains in danger of collapse. Only five small mud-brick arches remain. The visible ruins probably date from around the 9th century AD. The mosque's current structure's design is similar to the design of Masmak fort in Saudi Arabia.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Saudi Arabia. Idārat al-Āthār wa-al-Matāḥif; Roger Wood (1975). An introduction to Saudi Arabian antiquities. Dept. of Antiquities and Museums, Ministry of Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. p. 151. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  2. ↑ John Lawton. The Arab Heartland, saudiaramcoworld.com, November/December 1991; Volume 42, Number 6.
  3. ↑ Jawatha Mosque in danger of going down, Jafariya News, August 24, 2005
  4. ↑ "Day trips; Hofuf". Camels. Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved 2006-03-06.

Coordinates: 25°28′11″N 49°40′43″E / 25.46972°N 49.67861°E / 25.46972; 49.67861


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