Mosque Name: Khirbet Sabata (Sabta)
Country: Jordan
City: Sabata
Year of construction (AH): 600-699
GPS: 32.292694 35.851925
Gibson Classification: Petra 187°
Rebuilt facing Mecca: Never
Description:
The general plan is a broad rectangular shape with entrance from the E, qibla wall in the South resting on high substructions of an older date. The miḥrāb, which was formerly in the middle of the S wall, is not clearly visible anymore due to illegal excavation.
The substruction of the mosque consists of large solid cubic limestone blocks in header-and stretcher bondage of probably Hellenistic or early Roman origin, some of the blocks have been chiseled with rustication. According to surface pottery this site was active in Umayyad, Ayyubid- Mamluk to Ottoman periods.
More information can be found on pages 383 in: Islamic Heritage Sites in Jordan, A Student’s Gazetteer, prepared by the MA-Students of The German-Jordanian University, in Architectural Conservation School for Architecture and Built Environment Academic Years, 2017 - 2020, edited by Thomas M. Weber-Karyotakis & Ammar Khammash with Hussein al-Aza‘at, Nader Atiyeh, Catreena Hamarneh, Khairiyeh al-Kukhun & Robert Schick. GJU, Amman 2020
In 2021 Dr. Peter Harremoes visited this site and reported that due to illegal excavations, the qibla direction could not be determined.
Sabta Mosque is now in ruins.
The exterior of the south wall can still be seen in this photo. The mihrab is on the other side of this wall.
Sabata Mosque Photo by Dr. Peter Harremoes 2021
Sabata Mosque Photo by Dr. Peter Harremoes 2021
Sabata Mosque Photo by Dr. Peter Harremoes 2021
Sabata Mosque Photo by Dr. Peter Harremoes 2021
Sabata Mosque Photo by Dr. Peter Harremoes 2021
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