Jawatha Mosque


Jawatha Mosque, also incorrectly spelled Al-Jawan, is located in the village of Al-Kilabiyah, about northeast of Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. It was the earliest known mosque built in eastern Arabia, and most of the original structure is in ruins. Nevertheless, the site is still used for prayer.

Construction

It was built in the seventh year of the Hijrah, or c. 636 CE, at the hands of the Bani Abd al-Qays tribe, which lived there before and early in the Islamic period. This mosque is believed to be the first mosque built in Eastern Province and where the second Friday congregation prayer in Islam was offered, the first being held in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. According to legend, when the Hajr Al-Aswad was stolen from Mecca by the Qarmatians, it was kept in this mosque for nearly 22 years.
Most of the mosque's original structure has been lost and it remains in danger of collapse. Only five small mud-brick arches remain. The visible ruins probably date from around the 9th century AD. The mosque's current structure's design is similar to the design of Masmak fort in Saudi Arabia.