AL-AHSA: Masjid Joatha or Joatha Mosque is a center of attraction in Al-Ahsa with many visitors and tourists thronging the place of worship, which was believed to have been built in the seventh year of Hijri (629 AD).

The mosque has been restored as part of the National Program for Caring for Ancient Mosques, launched by the Heritage Foundation under the supervision of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance.

The program, which began several years ago, aims at caring for the mosques of heritage value in various parts of the Kingdom that require renovation, said Khalid Al-Faridh, a researcher. “The Heritage Foundation has recently ended the restoration of Masjid Joatha, believed to be built in the seventh year of Hijrah, according to the scientific standards for archaeological building restoration under the technical supervision of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH),” he said.

The foundation has prepared an architectural study of the historical mosque to determine the materials used in the original construction and the shape of its doors and windows, and then rebuilt the collapsed parts to preserve its originality and historical value.

Al-Faridh said the restoration works included the east, north, and south of the mosque, along with the arcades and the rectangular alcove.

He said the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY) has established a fund to renovate the old and historic mosques in the Eastern Province, including Joatha, Al-Battaliyah, Al-Tohaimiyah, Al-Uqair and Al-Gabry.

It is located in the village of Al-Kilabiyah, about 12km northeast of Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. It was the earliest mosque built in east Arabia and most of the original structure is in ruins.The site is still used for prayer.

Masjid Joatha was built by the Bani Abd Al-Qays tribe which lived there before and early in the Islamic period. It is believed to be the first mosque built in Eastern Province and where the second Friday congregational prayer was offered, the first being held at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.