Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Jeddah Historic District Program announced the discovery of two poles made of ebony wood in the historic site of Othman bin Affan Mosque that date back to over 1200 years during the first and second centuries AH (7th and 8th centuries AD). The two masts are classified as among the oldest artifacts discovered at the site so far.

The excavation teams found two octagonal columns made of rare ebony wood in the mosque’s niche, and they are likely to date back to the early Islamic era, specifically during the first and second centuries, according to laboratory analyses, while scientists believe that the two poles date back to an earlier stage during the construction of the mosque, where the lower sides of the mihrab were placed as decorative elements.

Scientific studies conducted at the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin indicate that the two poles are of the finest types of rare ebony wood, as its original habitat is considered to be the island of Ceylon (at present Sri Lanka) in the Indian Ocean. Archaeologists also transferred more than 250 other wooden samples from 52 historical buildings for study in specialized international laboratories to determine their habitats and ages.

The number of architectural phases discovered in the Othman bin Affan Mosque so far has reached seven chronological phases, as preliminary results of existing scientific studies indicate that the oldest part of the mosque dates back to the period of the 3rd and 5th centuries AH.

It is noteworthy that the discovery of the two masts in the Othman bin Affan Mosque comes within a group of archaeological discoveries announced by the Jeddah Historic District Program as part of the results of the first phase of the archaeological project.

This resulted in the discovery of 25,000 fragments of artifacts from four archaeological sites in Historic Jeddah, which represents a qualitative leap in understanding the cultural succession of the city, highlighting archaeological sites with historical significance, taking care of them and enhancing their historical status.