Israeli archaeologists discover 7th century mosque in Negev desert

The mosque was discovered during construction work in the town of Rahat

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  An aerial view of a recently discovered mosque in the Bedouin town of Rahat in Israel's southern Negev desert. All photos by AFP

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  The discovery of the site, which dates back to the period between the seventh and eighth centuries, was made during extensive archeological excavations.

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  Palestinian workers of Israel's Antiquities Authority are pictured at around the remains of a recently discovered ancient mosque, which dates back to the early Islamic period, in the Bedouin town of Rahat in Israel's southern Negev desert on June 22, 2022. - The discovery of the site, which dates back to the period between the seventh and eighth centuries, was made in a few years ago during extensive archeological excavations conducted by the Israel as part of a plan to expand southern Rahat with state funding, through the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority in the Negev. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

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  Israel's Antiquities Authority workers pray amid the remains of the mosque.

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  The excavation was part of a plan to expand southern Rahat with state funding, through the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority in the Negev.

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  The site dates back to the period between the seventh and eighth centuries.

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  Workers carefully pick through the remains.

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  The layout of the ancient mosque is easily identified from above.

Israeli archaeologists have unearthed an ancient mosque in the Negev desert that dates back more than 1,200 years.

The structure was uncovered during construction work in Rahat, a majority-Bedouin town in the Negev that was established in the early 1970s.

The Israel Antiquities Authority said the mosque was established during the Muslim conquest of the Levant in the 7th century.

The mosque contains "a square room and a wall facing the direction of [Makkah]", with a half-circle niche in that wall pointing to the south, the authority said.

"These unique architectural features show that the building was used as a mosque."

It said the mosque probably hosted a few dozen worshippers at a time.

A short distance from the mosque, a "luxurious estate building" was also discovered, with the remains of tableware and glass artefacts that gave clues about the wealth of its residents, the authority said.

Three years ago, the authority unearthed a mosque near by that was also from the 7th to 8th centuries.

It has said the two mosques are "among the earliest known worldwide".

The mosques, estate and other homes found near by illuminate "the historical process that took place in the northern Negev with the introduction of a new religion — the religion of Islam, and a new rulership and culture in the region", the authority said.

"These were gradually established, inheriting the earlier Byzantine government and Christian religion that held sway over the land for hundreds of years."

The Muslim conquest of the region occurred in the first half of the 7th century.

The Madain Project, an online archive of Abrahamic history and archaeology, said the age of the site was determined by "traditional archaeological methods, such as identification of pottery styles, coins and oil lamps", which would mean construction occurred "around the end of the 7th and beginning of the 8th century CE, with a margin of 30 to 40 years."

The authority said the mosques found in Rahat would be preserved in their current locations, whether as historic monuments or as active places of worship.