2 poles, dating back to over 1200 years, discovered in Othman bin Affan Mosque in Historic Jeddah  

2 poles, dating back to over 1200 years, discovered in Othman bin Affan Mosque in Historic Jeddah  

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