The oldest mosque in Asir

According to the official statistics of the “National Program for the Care of Historic Mosques,” which was launched in partnership between the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, 470 historical mosques were preserved throughout the governorates of the Asir Region in Sarat and Tihama in their old architectural style, including 100 mosques in which prayers are still held until now.

Prominent among these mosques is the “Sadwan” Mosque in the center of Ballasmar, north of Asir Region (80 km from Abha), which a report by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage indicates was built by the great companion Muaz bin Jabal in the ninth year of the noble Prophet’s migration on his way to Yemen. It is built of stone, and the five daily prayers are still performed in it.

It is known to many historians that the oldest mosque in Asir is located in Jerash (it was called Mikhlaf of Jerash).

It was built in the year 10-11 AH after the return of the Azd delegation from Mecca, led by the great companion Al-Sard bin Abdullah, obedient and willing Muslims, which began in the year 10 AH and continued until the beginning of the caliphate of Abu Bakr (11-13 AH), when Mikhlaf took charge of Jerash during the reign of Abu Bakr Abdullah bin Thawr Al-Azdi.

May God be pleased with them all. One of the most prominent historical mosques in which prayers are still held, and whose current status was documented and studied by the project’s technical committees, is “Raydah Mosque,” which researcher Ali Al Qutb suggests was built around the year 1238 AH/1823 AD.

It is located in the historic “Raydah” village below the “Raydah” obstacle in Tihama Asir, and it can be reached through small corridors in the village from the eastern side and by vehicle from the western side, and the mosque is a prayer hall. With dimensions of (20*6 m) and a ceiling height of 3.4 m, it was built of polished stones and has 9 columns of juniper wood carrying 9 wooden masts and a complete wooden roof.

The mosque has two entrances from the south and west sides, and it has a relatively spacious courtyard, as this courtyard is located to the west and south of the mosque, and contains a gallery that was a place for teaching Islamic sciences. In one of the suburbs of the city of Abha, there is another mosque called the “Al-Makhd” Mosque. It is located in the historic “Al-Makhd” village of the villages of Bani Mazen, west of the city of Abha (about 9 kilometers).

The mosque can be reached through small pedestrian paths in the village. It is a prayer hall with dimensions (14*4 m) and a ceiling height of (2.9 m). Its construction is made of stone, and all the “poles” are wooden from juniper and there is a minaret in it. It contains some ancient inscriptions, and prayers are still held there today.

Heading east, we find the “Al Khalaf” village mosque, which is located in the “Al Khalaf” village in Sarat Abidah Governorate (120 kilometers from Abha).

Although there is no precise date for the construction of the mosque, some historians who studied the village of “Al Khalaf” indicate that it dates back to 5 centuries ago. The mosque is a prayer hall with dimensions of (10*5 m) and a ceiling height of 2.9 m. It is built of stone and has columns of juniper wood. It contains some ancient inscriptions, and the water pool in it is still in good condition. But prayers are no longer held there now.

In the Ahad Rafidah Governorate, which is about 50 kilometers away from the city of Abha, there is the “Al-Fara’in” Mosque, which is located in the Al-Fara’in Center in the Ahad Rafidah Governorate and is about 85 kilometers away from Abha. The mosque can be reached through small paths in the village and by vehicle. It is a prayer hall with dimensions (7*6 m) and a ceiling height of 2.9 m. It is built of stone and clay and has no columns.

The “masts” are made of juniper and have a full wooden roof. Prayers are no longer held in this mosque In the center of "Ballahmar" (40 kilometers north of Abha), there is the "Al-Qun Mosque" in the village of "Al-Qun", which is approximately 1.4 km away from the main road (Abha - Taif Road) and can be reached by vehicle. The mosque is a prayer hall with dimensions (10 * 6.7 m) and a ceiling height of 2.5 m.

It is built of stone and has 3 columns of juniper wood that support 3 wooden masts and a complete wooden roof. It is not unlikely that there are mosques older than those mentioned above, including, for example, the ancient mosque in Mana'a, which has two qiblahs, but they require the efforts of archaeologists to discover them.

Al-Masqi Mosque was mentioned by Al-Hamdani, saying, “Al-Qaraa is a gray-haired goat, and they have a large village with a comprehensive mosque, and it is called Al-Masqi.” In Bani Rezam, “the Souq Mosque, known as the Grand Mosque of Bani Rezam...

It is believed that its chronological age is approximately three hundred years.” Here are some of the oldest mosques in Asir Region: The name of the mosque and its location Construction history comments Jerash Mosque 10 - 11 AH It is the first mosque built during the reign of Al-Sard, which began in the year 10 AH Al-Makhd Mosque 70 AH Tamniah Mosque 105 AH Sadr Aid Mosque in Bani Amr 110 AH Ahl Dhuboub Mosque in Ballasmar 120 AH Al-Saqqa Mosque, west of Abha 169 AH

Imam Ayed bin Mar’i renewed

it in 1263 AH Al-Masah Mosque 169 AH Al Yazid Mosque 169 AH As recorded on the ceiling of the mosque Barzan Mosque in Abha 170 AH Newly aged Al-Masqi Mosque 170 AH Dhahban Mosque 175 AH Al-Aasara Mosque in Bani Amr 190 AH Al Harajah Mosque in Qahtan 191 AH Al-Haifa Mosque in Bisha 201 AH Al-Jahwa Mosque 250 AH Rijal Almaa Mosque 1001 AH Adada village mosque in Asir 1195 AH

Within the framework of the care and attention given by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Houses of God in various parts of the earth, comes the project of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense - may God protect him - to rehabilitate and develop the historical mosques in the

Kingdom and take care of them, to paint a new picture of preserving and caring for the Houses of God and restoring their life by establishing prayers, performing voluntary prayers, and raising the call to prayer for every obligatory prayer over time.

Five mosques in Asir were able to join the first phase of the project of His Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to develop historical mosques, among 30 historical mosques in 10 regions of the Kingdom, at a cost exceeding 50 million riyals, so that the voice of truth can once again be uttered from the mosques of

Asir, and they remain clearly defined, compact, and full of prayer after the worshipers are directed around them to the modern mosques in light of the urban development that is taking place.

Its area expanded in every direction, which led to the abandonment of some of it despite its historical status and long life, to live in its last ruins, between the Asiry of reaching it or the disappearance of its features, and these mosques: 1 - Sadr Aid Heritage Mosque in Al Namas: The Sadr Aid Heritage Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the Asir Region in the south of the Kingdom.

It was established during the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid in the year 170 AH in the center of the old town of Sadr Aid, north of the Al Namas Governorate. It is still crowded with worshipers. We find in its mihrab an inscription on one of the stones of the building, with the following written in Arabic before dotting it: {God is God, servants of God. Nothingness comes before regret, giving comes before taking, repentance comes before death, and haste in waiting.

God is God, servants of God.

Work and work is accepted, and the pens are like this. God, God, servants of God, I advise you and myself to fear God. Asceticism in the lands of disappearance and desire for the lands of standing. Whatever you put forward, you will do it. Do you not see that you are turning to God? Then every soul will be repaid for what it has done, and they will not be wronged. Indeed, God and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet.

O you who have believed, pray upon him and grant him peace.

It was written by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman in the month of Rabi` al-Akhir in the year one hundred and seventy, and he asks God for Paradise by His power and seeks refuge in Him from Hell by His glory. I finish It is considered one of the oldest heritage buildings in Al Namas. It is built of stone and clay and its roof is made of juniper tree trunks.

The mosque consists of a prayer house, an external courtyard, a stone ablution, a water well, and two rooms, one for hospitality and the other for a quarantine for any passerby who carries a certain disease and needs isolation. After the current development, it included the prayer house, bathrooms, ablution places, and a water well.

Sadr Aid Mosque is located in the middle of the heritage village of Sadr Ayd, which is 3 km away from Al Namas Governorate, and about 250 m from the road linking the city of Abha and the Al Bahah region. It is distinguished by its construction in the Sarat style, and its area is about (138 m2) and can accommodate about (46) worshippers.

The mosque is attributed to the village of Sadr Ayd, whose name goes back to “Sadr Wadi Ayd,” as the village is located in the middle of Wadi Ayd Mountain.

The village is considered one of the oldest archaeological villages in the south of the Kingdom, and its construction is estimated to be more than 3,000 years old. It was the only mosque in the region where Friday prayers were held, and people from neighboring villages used to come to pray in it.

2- Historical Monument Mosque: The Historical Monument Mosque is located in the center of the city of Abha within the Historical Monument District, whose buildings are distinguished by the style of the ancient buildings of the city of Abha. The neighborhood contains many palaces, old buildings, and corridors that were characterized by construction in the “raqf” method. The mosque has maintained its original state until the present time.

The mosque is about 300 meters north of King Faisal Road.

The mosque is distinguished by its construction in the Sarat style. Its area is about (281 square meters) and can accommodate about (87) worshipers. The mosque consists of the old prayer hall, which is the heritage part of the mosque. It was built of stone and clay and its roof is made of juniper tree trunks, and the modern prayer hall, which is located south of the heritage mosque, and was built of blocks and concrete, and an unfinished courtyard.

Roofed, the mosque also has toilets, places for ablution, a warehouse and a guard’s room, in addition to a square-shaped minaret with a height of about 11.92 metres. The mosque was founded by Muhammad Al Mufarreh I in the year 1101 AH, and the mosque remained under the care and supervision of the Al Mufarreh family until the present time.

The mosque was rebuilt again in 1279 AH by his grandson, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Mufarreh, under whose supervision the mosque remained, along with his son Sheikh Ahmed bin Abdullah, the two former sheikhs of the Banu Mughid tribes, until God passed away. He continued to take care of the mosque since the year 1357 AH: Sheikhs Saad bin Abdullah and Ahmed bin Saad, then Sheikh Muhammad bin Ahmed and Abdullah bin Ahmed.

Prayer stopped in the mosque for a period of time, then it was resumed again after Ali bin Abdullah Al-Mufarreh - may God have mercy on him - added the modern prayer hall to the mosque in the year 1420 AH. After the current development of the Heritage Monument Mosque, the Heritage Mosque included a prayer house, restrooms, places for ablution, and the mosque’s courtyard, and the mosque now has the capacity to accommodate (117) worshippers.

3 - Al-Madfat Historical Mosque: It is located in the center of Ballasmar, north of the city of Abha, at a distance of more than 80 kilometers, and its construction exceeds more than 400 years, according to what has been documented in the pages of history of that region in which it is located and what has also been transmitted by the narratives and stories of previous generations.

The mosque consists of a prayer hall with dimensions ranging from 6 meters in width to 20 meters in length, with a ceiling height of 3 meters raised on 5 columns of juniper trees, tied with three poles or what is known locally as the “malqaf”, while 92 of the trees for which the region is famous are used to cover the roofs and preserve the soil from falling.

The prayer hall has an entrance from the southern side, an external sanctuary, a separate room for hospitality, and an old minaret to which the muezzin ascends with a flight of stairs. The sanctuary, and the ablutions are still in good condition. The Al Birkah was removed in old restoration work, and a modern water tank was installed.

Friday and Tarawih prayers were performed in this mosque, and the people of the neighboring villages gathered there, including the village of Al-Muslim, Al-Khathim, Al-Madmak, Al-Darras, Al-Risa’, Al-Dhawalif, and

Al-A’idh, and the number of worshipers exceeded 100 worshipers at that time, pointing out that the people of the place allocated 12 agricultural plots as an endowment, the proceeds of which went back to the mosque, including five “irrigated” farms, which are irrigated with well water.

And 7 others are “Athari”, which rely on irrigation with rainwater, as their crops are used to provide the mosque’s services and needs, including providing meals and honoring passing guests, who are accommodated in the room designated for hospitality, which is considered one of the components of the mosque. 4- Al-Saro Historical Mosque: It is located in the center of Al-Sarh, north of Al Namas.

The historic Al-Sarw Mosque is located in the center of Al-Sarh, specifically in the village of Al-Sarw, north of Al Namas Governorate. It is very old, but the date of its construction is unknown. It occupies an area of ​​60 meters along with an outdoor courtyard called the Haram, side rooms, ablutions, a “porch,” and a minaret about 3 meters high. Stones, clay, and wood that are characteristic of the region’s terrain were used in its construction.

The mosque brought together the villagers and was a gathering destination for travelers, guests, and shoppers who would travel for the purpose of buying, selling, and trading grains and dates from various regions to the Rabu al-Sarru market. 5 - The historic Aksa Mosque in Al Namas Governorate: The historic Aaksa Mosque is located in the old village, next to an ancient castle and old houses.

Its building is considered very old, as indicated by information from the branch of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage in the Asir Region. The mosque was built of stones and pears and covered with juniper trees. It is very similar to other historical mosques in the region. Its area is 72 square meters, and it has an outdoor courtyard.

In the eastern part of it is located a pool for ablution, and it is connected by a small stream that feeds the ablution basins.

A statistical report from the General Authority for Statistics, citing the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, stated that the number of mosques in the Asir Region far exceeds areas with a population similar to the population of the Asir Region, such as the capital, Riyadh, and the holy capital, Mecca.

Statistics confirm the presence of 20,453 mosques and mosques in the Asir Region, compared to 18,073 mosques and mosques in Riyadh and 177,263 in Mecca, and more than 6 regions combined (the northern border). Al-Jawf, Najran, Al-Baha, Tabuk, Hail) 15,612 mosques and mosques.