The Historic Jeddah Program announced the results of archaeological excavations in the Othman bin Affan Mosque – may God be pleased with him – as part of the results of the first phase of the Archeology Project in Historic Jeddah, where archaeological studies resulted in knowledge of the historical architectural patterns of the mosque, and the discovery of hundreds of remains of archaeological materials, some of which date back To approximately 1200 years.
Archaeological studies revealed successive restoration operations on the mosque during its long history, as all previous construction stages of the mosque belonged to the traditional architecture style known in Jeddah – at that time – which was represented by an open courtyard and a covered prayer hall, while the last stage of construction was excluded, which is represented in its current form. It was built approximately in the 14th century AH (late 20th century AD), while the mihrab and the area of the mosque remained as they were for nearly more than a thousand years.
Studies have confirmed that most of the restoration and renovation operations in the mosque were carried out based on the floor height and its patterns, which varied between clay tiles, plaster and traditional tiles, while the use of tiles continued for 400 years, as studies indicate that since the end of the Mamluk era (15-16th century AD) the The floor masons at each stage of the restoration reused the same tiles extending back to the 14th century AH (early 20th century AD).
Studies indicate that the construction of the ground water tank under the mosque is considered one of the most important changes that occurred in the mosque, as archaeologists found ground tanks filled with pure water that were left by those in charge of building them about 800 years ago. Information also indicates that the construction of ground tanks (tanks) was one of the matters. Common in historic Jeddah due to the city’s limited water supply.
The thousands of archaeological materials discovered in the Othman bin Affan Mosque summarize 1,200 years of its history, as remains of Chinese porcelain in white and blue were found dating back to the 11th century AH (17th century AD), in addition to Chinese “celadon” vessels glazed in gray and green dating back to The fourth and sixth centuries AH (11th and 13th centuries AD), and white, green, and yellow glazed pottery fragments dating back to the third and fourth century AH (ninth and tenth centuries AD), as it is considered one of the oldest artifacts discovered in the mosque, according to experts’ estimation.
It is noteworthy that the archaeological discoveries in the Othman bin Affan Mosque – may God be pleased with him – come within a group of archaeological discoveries announced by the Historic Jeddah Program as part of the results of the first phase of the Archeology Project, which resulted in the discovery of 25 thousand remains of archaeological materials in 4 archaeological sites in Historic Jeddah. It represents a qualitative leap in understanding the cultural succession of the city, highlighting archaeological sites with historical significance, caring for them, and enhancing their historical status.
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