Large portions of Erwah Palace located in Wadi Al-Aqeeq in Madinah have been excavated, a spokesman for the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) announced yesterday. The historic palace was first discovered last year and an SCTA team has been working on it since.

The palace dates back to the first century Hijrah (the 7th century) and its total surface area measures approximately 40 by 30 meters. Khaled bin Mohammad Ascoby, team leader, said recent excavations have unveiled the palace’s third courtyard, a number of rooms and a kitchen.

The palace was built on a high hill overlooking Wadi Al-Aqeeq. Its walls and foundations were made of cut stones brought from nearby mountains and from the mountains surrounding Madinah. The door of the building is located on the southern side, while the building’s utility areas are located inside the three inner courtyards.

“The most important archaeological items that have been discovered during the third excavation season include glassware, pottery, stone tools, ship building tools, soapstone and ceramics with metallic shining,” the SCTA spokesman said.

This proved that the Islamic ceramic industry developed during the 7th and 8th century. A large amount of glass fractures was also found on the site, in addition to some metal tools.

Wadi Al-Aqeeq is a part of Madinah’s history. The valley has been mentioned in many historical, geographic and religious sources.