Letter A

1. Abū ‘Ayāt / Abū ‘Ayāteh | أبو عياط

al-Mafraq Governorate

Maqām / Weli Abū ‘Ayāt with masjid

JADIS no. 2419010

MEGA no. 7251

Coordinates: 32° 20’ 43” N, 35° 59’ 06” E

32.345278, 35.985000

 

 

 

 Plan: unknown.

Measurements: unknown.

 Exterior: unknown.

Interior: unknown.

Building Materials: yellowish-brown local limestone.

Construction details: The NE corner was probably chiseled out of the virgin rock, below this corner appears the opening of a natural cave (figs. 1.5-6); in the E vicinity traces of ancient quarrying activities (fig. 1.7).

Preservation: Few remains of a church on the top of the Tell (fig. 1.2) had been reported by Muheisin and Turshan in 1991. The Islamic mausoleum is entirely destroyed by bulldozing and illicit digging. The location of the maqām is still surrounded by several old terebinth (buṭm) trees (fig. 1.1).

Inscription(s): To the N of the sanctuary extends an old cemetery, the area to the NW is still in use for burials. One of the old graves has a headstone on the W end on which faint traces of an incised cursive Kufi script are visible. It might be possible that this is a reused boulder of the Islamic mausoleum:

 

 

Translation: “In the name of Allāh, the Merciful, the Compassionate (bismillāh) [....] Allāh [.    ]” (reading

and facsimile copy by HAJ and MF 2020). Date(s): Probably Pre-Ottoman.

Traveler Reports: “Am Nordende von Sa’d erhebt sich der weli abû ‘ajât mit einer Gruppe alter Terebinthen.“ (Schumacher 1901); “Nordwestlich unterhalb des Tell liegt das weli abū ‘ajât (998 m) mit einer Gruppe schöner, uralter butm, die von der Hand der Zerstörer noch nicht angegriffen sind... Bei dem Weli finden sich ferner die Ruinen eines arabischen Gebäudes, wohl einer dschâmi‘...” (Steuernagel 1927).

Bibliography: Schumacher 1901, 5; Steuernagel 1927, A. 135. 368; 

Muheisen - Turshan 1991, 18-19.

 

Fig. 1.1 General view of the site of the maqām surrounded by terebinth trees, in the foreground left cemetery, in the background Tell, from W (TMW-K 2020).
Fig. 1.2 Ruins of a church on Tell Abū ‘Ayāt (Muheissin – Turshan 1991, 18).
Fig. 1.3 Site of the destroyed shrine with rock-cut NE corner above a cave from W (TMW-K 2020).
 
Fig. 1.4 Site of the destroyed shrine from N (TMW-K 2020).
Fig. 1.5 Rock-cut NE corner above the shrine from W (TMW-K 2020).
Fig 1.6 idem, close-up detail, from W (TMW-K 2020).
Fig 1.7 Traces of quarrying activities near the destroyed maqam (TMW-K 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

Figures

[Fig. 1.1]
General view of the site of the maqām surrounded by terebinth trees, in the foreground left cemetery, in the background Tell, from W (TMW-K 2020).

[Fig. 1.2]
Ruins of a church on Tell Abū ‘Ayāt (Muheissin – Turshan 1991, 18).

[Fig. 1.4]
Site of the destroyed shrine from N (TMW-K 2020).

[Fig. 1.5]
Rock-cut NE corner above the shrine from W (TMW-K 2020).

[Fig 1.6]
idem, close-up detail, from W (TMW-K 2020).

[Fig 1.7]
Traces of quarrying activities near the destroyed maqam (TMW-K 2020).