Othman bin Affan Mosque, a 1200-Year-Old Building in Historic Jeddah

The Jeddah Historic District Program unveiled the findings of the archaeological excavations at Othman bin Affan Mosque as part of the first phase of the Archaeology Project in Historic Jeddah. (SPA)
The Jeddah Historic District Program unveiled the findings of the archaeological excavations at Othman bin Affan Mosque as part of the first phase of the Archaeology Project in Historic Jeddah. (SPA)
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Othman bin Affan Mosque, a 1200-Year-Old Building in Historic Jeddah

The Jeddah Historic District Program unveiled the findings of the archaeological excavations at Othman bin Affan Mosque as part of the first phase of the Archaeology Project in Historic Jeddah. (SPA)
The Jeddah Historic District Program unveiled the findings of the archaeological excavations at Othman bin Affan Mosque as part of the first phase of the Archaeology Project in Historic Jeddah. (SPA)

The Jeddah Historic District Program unveiled the findings of the archaeological excavations at Othman bin Affan Mosque as part of the first phase of the Archaeology Project in Historic Jeddah, according to a press release from the program SPA said on Monday.
The excavations unearthed significant details about the mosque's history, including numerous artifact fragments, some dating back nearly 1,200 years.
The release stated that the archaeological excavations revealed that the mosque underwent numerous renovations and reconstructions over its long history. Aside from its latest, modern form, which was constructed sometime during the 14th century AH (late 20th century AD), all previous architectural phases followed the traditional style of mosques in the region at that time, with an open courtyard leading to a roofed prayer hall.
The mosque's size, orientation and mihrab niche remained essentially unchanged for over a thousand years.
Changes in the mosque primarily occurred in the elevation and flooring style. Clay tile and plaster flooring eventually led to flagstone, which remained in use for approximately 400 years. The floor level was periodically elevated during renovations, and the same flagstone flooring was reused until the early 20th century AD.
Moreover, alongside the significant changes that occurred in the mosque was the construction of an underground cistern system beneath the building. Archaeologists found cisterns "sealed and filled with crystal-clear water, left untouched by their builders for almost 800 years," the press release added. The construction of such underground cisterns was commonplace in historic Jeddah, given the city's scarce water supply.
The 1200-year-long history of the Othman bin Affan Mosque is illustrated by thousands of archaeological finds discovered during the excavation, from fragments of the 11th century AH (17th century AD) Chinese blue and white porcelain and 4th-6th century AH (11th-13th century AD) Chinese so-called Celadon ware with a pleasing soft green-grey colored glaze.
One of the earliest artifacts unearthed in the mosque are fragments of white, green and yellow glazed pottery dated by experts to the 3rd- 4th century AH (9th-10th century AD).



UN Puts 4th Century Gaza Monastery on Endangered Site List

The Saint Hilarion complex dates back to the fourth century. Mahmud HAMS / AFP/File
The Saint Hilarion complex dates back to the fourth century. Mahmud HAMS / AFP/File
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UN Puts 4th Century Gaza Monastery on Endangered Site List

The Saint Hilarion complex dates back to the fourth century. Mahmud HAMS / AFP/File
The Saint Hilarion complex dates back to the fourth century. Mahmud HAMS / AFP/File

The Saint Hilarion complex, one of the oldest monasteries in the Middle East, has been put on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in danger due to the war in Gaza, the body said Friday.
UNESCO said the site, which dates back to the fourth century, had been put on the endangered list at the demand of Palestinian authorities and cited the "imminent threats" it faced.
"It's the only recourse to protect the site from destruction in the current context," Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, told AFP, referring to the war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
In December, the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict decided to grant "provisional enhanced protection" -- the highest level of immunity established by the 1954 Hague Convention -- to the site.
UNESCO had then said it was "already concerned about the state of conservation of sites, before October 7, due to the lack of adequate policies to protect heritage and culture" in Gaza.
The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 39,175 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which does not give details of civilian and militant deaths.