Letter S
316. Saḥm al-Kfarāt | سحم الكفارات
Irbid Governorate
Jāmi‘
JADIS no. 2322021
MEGA no. 16365
Coordinates: 32°41'56.0"N 35°46'32.2"E
32.698889, 35.775611
Plan: “Measuring 16.5 x 9 m externally, this elongated, single chamber mosque is surmounted by a tripartite superstructure: a central groin vault flanked by two barrel- vaulted wings. Constructed of double-faced, earthand-rubble-filled masonry, the walls are notably thicker on the north and south sides, which absorb the pressure of the vaults above, than on the east and west ends. The exposed external stonework on the S (qibla) wall is interrupted only by a blind, bull’s-eye window frame, located high in the wall and noticeably E of center. A large rectangular window pierces the W wall, which has been partially reconstructed in the mid-20th century incorporating modem building materials. The door and external stair on the opposite east wall may be relatively modem features as well. On the N side, the mosque has recently suffered serious collapse, likely the result of heavy winter rains. It is here that the main entrance to the prayer hall was located, opposite the deep, concave miḥrāb inside. Today this entrance is entirely lost. Fortunately, however, photographs published by Dr. Yusuf Ghawanimah of Yarmouk University document its former appearance: a pointed-arched recess flanked by quarter-round stonebuilt benches, surrounding a segmental arched doorway around which ran a striking carved molding. Architecturally, the Sahm Mosque fits squarely within the tradition of late Ottoman village architecture in the region. Its bull‘s-eye window frame is a feature encountered frequently in late Ottoman buildings of Umm Qeis and elsewhere in the vicinity. Its tripartite vaulting is a device characteristic of Palestine and found somewhat less commonly in northern Jordan during the same period. The closest comparison for the entrance decor is found at a late Ottoman residence in Nablus. These elements all converge to point to the late 19th century - a moment in the region‘s history when skilled, professional stonemasons from the West Bank were being engaged to implement the construction of public village architecture” (Walker - Kenney 2006). For the 19th - early 20th century circular windows compare especially the masājid ‘Ain Zatūt at Salṭ (no. 322) and al-Azbākh at Wādī Sīr (no. 429) as well as the maqamāt al-Khidhr at al-Kerak (no. 194) and Ja’far at-Ṭayyār at Mazār al-Janubīyeh (nos. 248-249).
Measurements: 66 m2
Exterior: 16.5 x 4 m
Interior: unknown.
Buildings Materials: limestone blocks with mortar.
Construction details: mentioned above.
Preservation: intact, after maintenance (whitewashed plaster in the interior) permanently in use for Muslim prayer.
Inscription(s): none known.
Date(s): Ayyubid [MEGA]. For the groin vaults combined with lateral barrel vaults see the Mamluk constructions at Abū Makhtūb (no. 5), al-Kerak (no. 190), Jel‘ād (no. 175), Sārfaḥ (no. 339) and Salt (no. 326). Renovation in the late 19th century (Walker- Kenney 2006).
Traveler Reports: none known.
Bibliography: Walker-Kenney 2006, 3-4; Hattab 2015, 188-189; Ta‘an 2019, 113-115 figs. 3. 100-103.
