A magnificent mansion and a rural mosque, one of the most famous in the world, about 1,200 years ago, were unveiled in the city of Rahat in the Negev.
The mosque - the second known of its kind, joins a similar mosque that was uncovered in 2019 in the Antiquities Authority's excavations.
The excavation in Rahat, which is being carried out as part of the city expansion led by the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority in the Negev, sheds light on the beginnings of Islam in the south of the country.
A magnificent mansion and a rare rural-local mosque - one of the most famous ancient sites in the world, about 1,200 years ago, was recently discovered in Rahat in the Negev, as part of extensive archeological excavations conducted by the Antiquities Authority in recent years.
The excavations are being carried out as part of the intention to expand southern Rahat with state funding, through the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority in the Negev.
The excavations paint a picture of the gradual transition that took place in the country in the 9th-7th centuries AD, from the rule of Christianity to Islam.
In an excavation conducted by Oren Shmueli, Dr. Elena Kogan Zehavi, and Noah Michael David of the Israel Antiquities Authority, buildings with Christian characteristics and buildings with Muslim characteristics were discovered not far from each other.
The directors of the excavation said: "We uncovered a farmhouse from the Byzantine period, which was apparently inhabited by Christians engaged in agriculture, and it included a fortified tower and rooms with solid walls that surrounded a courtyard.
On a nearby hill, we found completely different mansions in the manner of their construction;
These, were built about a century later, in the 9th-8th centuries AD - the early Muslim period.
The manor houses, which were probably inhabited by Muslims, were built as a column of rooms, and next to them a large, open courtyard.
Many pottery stoves, which were probably used for cooking food, were exposed in houses and courtyards.
The walls of the houses were relatively thin, and were apparently built of mud bricks that were not preserved.
The identity of the occupants of this manor house is evidenced by an ancient rural mosque, which was the first to be discovered of its kind, in an excavation from 2019, conducted by Shachar Tzur and Dr. Yochanan (John) Seligman of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
In the recent excavation at the site, archaeologists were surprised to discover another rural mosque similar to the one discovered, also from the 7th - 8th centuries AD.
The mosque included a square room and a wall facing Mecca, the holy city in Islam.
A semicircular niche was built in the center of the wall, also facing south.
The unique architectural elements of the building show that it was used as a mosque.
The mosque and its surroundings in aerial photography, Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority
The mosque stood alone at the site and was able to accommodate a few dozen Muslim worshipers, who were apparently local residents.
The mosque stood c. 400 m south of a magnificent mansion, built around a central courtyard.
The manor house included halls, whose floor was paved with stone slabs and marble tiles, and whose walls were decorated with murals in red and yellow.
The wealth of the locals is evidenced, among other things, by fragments of refined tableware and fragments of glassware, on which are paintings of animals and plants.
Investigators from the Israel Antiquities Authority noted that: "The evidence collected so far in all the excavation areas: residential buildings, houses of worship, cooking stoves and tableware, sheds further light on the beginning of the historical process that took place in the northern Negev with the entry of a new religion - Muslim religion, rule and new culture. To the country.
A pottery lamp from the Muslim period found in the excavation,
These, here, established a gradual grip, and inherited the Byzantine rule and the Christian religion, which ruled the Land of Israel for centuries. "
Eli Escozido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority: "The extensive excavation in Rahat contributed to the knowledge of all of us, and also to the residents of Rahat, who in coordination with the developers - the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority in the Negev, will have a combination of unique findings in city development A generation is coming, and the earth stands forever. '
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