Ancient Mosque Discovered in Saudi Arabia
Archaeologists have uncovered a mosque dating back to the first century of the Hijri calendar (circa 622–719 CE) at the Al-Ma’mala site in the Al-Baha region of Saudi Arabia. This remarkable structure stands among the oldest Islamic buildings found on the Arabian Peninsula and is linked to a mining community that extracted gold, silver, and copper.
Constructed from finely worked granite, the mosque measures approximately 16 meters from north to south and 10 meters from east to west. Key architectural features include:
- a mihrab indicating the direction of prayer;
- three entrances located on the eastern, western, and southern sides;
- a minaret positioned in the southeast corner of the complex.
Surrounding the mosque are eight adjacent rooms believed to have supported the mosque’s religious functions and the daily life of the settlement.
Inscriptions with religious phrases and Quranic verses were discovered both inside and on the mosque’s exterior walls. The community around this site engaged in mining activities that began prior to Islam but intensified between the late 6th and 9th centuries CE.
Ongoing Excavations Reveal Additional Historic Treasures
Excavations at Al-Ma’mala continue as part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to document and preserve its archaeological heritage. In a separate discovery to the north of the country, researchers found a 2,550-year-old inscription attributed to Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, dating to the 6th century BCE. This basalt engraving depicts Nabonidus holding a scepter alongside four symbolic images—a snake, a flower, and a crescent moon among them—and includes roughly 26 lines of cuneiform text, providing rich historical insights.
These findings—the ancient mosque at Al-Ma’mala and the Nabonidus inscription—highlight the importance of archaeological research in Saudi Arabia. They shed light on the region’s vibrant historical connections through trade and culture, expanding our understanding of early Islamic civilization and its role in shaping societal development across the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.