337. Ṣānfaḥa | صنفحة

aṭ-Ṭafīlah Governorate

Jāmi‘

JADIS no. none

MEGA no. none

Coordinates: 30°50'30.0"N 35°33'37.5"E

30.841667, 35.560417

Plan: long rectangular, in the middle of the S wall miḥrāb facing the door in N wall, the latter flanked on both sides by a window (the E one is today covered by the room added recently in the SE corner of the courtyard). The prayer hall has three perpendicular transversal arches which carry the flat roof; in the spaces of the E wall between the arch imposts four narrow rectangular windows; an angular external staircase leaning at the NW and W enclosure wall of the courtyard leads up to the roof top.

Measurements: 132 m²

Exterior: 20.5 x 10.5 m

Interior: 14.4 x 9.20 m (mosque alone); 6.0 x 9.20m (courtyard)

Building Materials: light brown to orange limestone slabs as revetment of the old masonry. This consists of large limestone ashlars (visible at the SE exterior corner, fig. 337.2) The roof construction is made of peeled juniper beams carrying mats of cane, thorn shrubs, earth and a layer of a mixture of levigated mud with hay (called sōmaqa in the local dialect). The door and the window frames are timberwork with glass; the miḥrāb isclad with dark green glazed ceramic tiles.

Construction details: The original exterior walls and the transversal arches consist of semi-dressed local limestone in horizontal rows with smaller flakes and mud in the joints. The flat roof rests on three transversal arches constructed on low pilasters. The segmental curves of the arches make a bulky impression. All walls have been covered by a concrete plaster which is whitewashed and painted in the interior. The N façade has been clad in 1942 with a revetment of industrially fabricated rustica limestones of regular sizes imitating isodomic bondage. The rectangular door is surmounted by a semicircular lunette, while the lateral windows end in segmental arches with protruding keystones.

Preservation: After renovations still intact and used regularly for Muslim prayer. The eastern half of the courtyard has recently overbuilt by a concrete room for storage and an ablution hall with toilets in the NE corner. Before that, the old fountain building (bīr fādhel) of the village has served this purpose. These recent additions have been overbuilt with a muṣallā for women’s prayer. This room is accessible from the exterior via a concrete staircase attached to the courtyard wall.

Inscription(s): Three recent inscriptions can be seen at the exterior N wall of the courtyard (1-2) and in the revetment of the N elevation of the mosque (3), to the right of the lunette of the door (all transcriptions and translations by NAt):

(1) to the left of the entrance gate to the courtyard in the exterior N wall; square orange limestone slab with Arabic inscription in flat relief, four lines, painted with blue color:

Translation: “In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, Most Compassionate, the mosques of Allāh shall be visited and maintained by those who believe in Allāh and the Last Day” (Nat).

(2) square slab of light brown with an Arabic inscription of the same size, in flat relief, four lines, painted blue (weathered):

Translation: “Constructed in the time of the reign of His Highness Prince ‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Ḥussein under the care of Mufleḥ ‘Awajān in the year 1362 (H)” (NAt).

(3) square slab of orange limestone between the door’s lunette and the segmental arch of the right window frame; Arabic inscription in flat relief, five lines, repainted with black color.

Translation: “In the name of Allāh, the most Gracious, most Compassionate, the mosques of Allāh shall be visited and maintained by those who believe in Allāh and the Last Day. In the 29 (...) of the year 0 [sic!] 136(1) and 8^th of Tishrīn (scil: October = Tishrin al-awwal or November = Tishrīn al-thānī) 1942 AD” (NAt).

Date(s): The inscriptions (2-3) date a major renovation phase (rebuilding of the courtyard wall with gate and revetment of the N façade to H 1361 (= AD 1942/43). The mosque is, without doubts considerably older. The plan compares with Fatimid prototypes, but the determination of a more precise date can only be achieved by a study of the village context.

Traveler Reports: none known.

Bibliography: Arabia Petraea II, 318 (without mentioning the mosque); Schick 2020, no. 108.

1st phase (before 1942)

2nd phase (1942)

3rd phase (after 1942)