The name of the historical city in the Al Jawf Province in northwestern Saudi Arabia is Dumat Al-Jundal. Since this was the region of Dumah, one of Ishmael's twelve sons, the name Dumat Al-Jandal correctly translates as 'Dumah of the Stone.' Adummatu was the city's prehistoric Akkadian name. Since it is one of the hottest cities in the province, it has a dry, hot climate.
The village of Dumat Al-Jandal is a significant junction of historic trade routes connecting Mesopotamia, Syria, and the Arabian Peninsula. This city is home to the mosque of Omar Bin Al-Khattab. The mosque was erected during 634-644. The mosque is made of stone, just like the other historic structures in the city. It consists of a courtyard to the south that precedes the main prayer hall and another area that is utilized for prayer to the north. The prayer hall's southwest corner features a minaret that crosses a street. A door in the qibla wall, close to the minaret, is used to enter the mosque. Three rows of stone pillars, parallel to the qibla wall, constitute the prayer hall. The stone strata supported by the pillars are roofed with mud-plastered acacia and palm trunks. The pillars are all supported by wooden lintels.
A comparable niche with three built-in stone stairs to its right serves as the mihrab's definition. It is a small, sharply pointed niche in the middle of the qibla wall. The lowest portion of the qibla wall, the minbar, and the mihrab are all plastered white. The mihrab and minbar can be seen peeking out from the qibla wall when viewed from the outside. A stairway made of exposed stone ascends to the mud roof along the qibla wall from the street side is also visible. The rectangular minaret shaft has a tapered upward end with a pyramidal roof. A now-demolished spiral staircase that was reached from the mosque provided access to the four internal floors of the shaft. A rectangular window illuminates the inside of the minaret with a stone lintel on each floor and on either side.
Al Dar'i Quarter is thought to be one of the ancient monuments of Dumat Al-Jandal's ancient city that has survived the demolition shovels that struck the city's historic market 25 years ago. According to Dr. Khalil Al Meaigil, the quarter's amenities, which date to the Islamic era, were built over layers of antiquities and are based on archaeological activities from the middle of the first millennium BC. There are other homes in the Al Dar'i Quarter that we hope will receive the necessary upkeep and renovation. It's important to note that the ancient quarter was constructed over the remains of earlier revivals, which are visible on many levels and the appearance of the district's original road beneath the current structures.
Duration RequiredAl Jowf, Saudi Arabia
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