Letter U

399. ‘Ulēqūn, Khirbet | خربة عليقون

al-Balqā’ Governorate

Masjid and Maqām / Weli Shēkh Muḥammed ‘Ulēqūnī

JADIS no. 2217005

MEGA no. 5808

Coordinates: 32°09'34.0"N 35°46'04.7"E

32.159444, 35.767972

 

 

Plan: rectangular with entrance in N wall; S wall with miḥrāb. To the E another smaller rectangular room, probably the funeral chamber, has been added.

Measurements: 42.2 m2 (mosque); 37.4 m2 (maqām)

Exterior: ca. 14 x 8.80 m.

Interior: 7.80 x 5.40 m, mosque alone: 4.80 x 7.80 m.

Building Materials: reused older limestone blocks, partly well dressed, laid in horizontal courses with smaller dark-red stand stone flakes as filling of the joints; no use of mortar.

Construction details: In the prayer room a transversal arch spans perpendicularly from E to W in the middle of the long walls, resting on pilasters. The added E-room has an analogous transversal arch but resting on wall imposts.

Preservation: ruined, not in use for Muslim prayer.

Inscription(s): none known.

Date(s): ‘Abbasid - Mamluk - Ottoman; in the environs large amount of green glazed Ottoman wares and painted Ayyubid-Mamluk sherds as surface pottery. One bowl sherd of bright turquoise glazed and black decoration of ‘Abbasid “Raqqa”-Ware (figs. 399.9-10).

Traveler Reports: none known.

Bibliography: For taxation of the village in the Ottoman registers see Hütteroth-Abdulfattah 1977, 169 s.v. Nāhiya Salt, pādīshā, 'Ilāqūn; for antiquities cf. DeVaux 1938, 415 no. 39; Gordon - Villier 1983; Khammash 1986, 52-53

 
Fig. 399.1 Sketch ground plan (TMW-K, redrawn by SaJ 2018).
Fig. 399.2 Exterior N-elevation from N (TMW-K 2018).
Fig. 399.3 Exterior from SW (TMW-K2018).
Fig. 399.4 Exerior E elevation (TMW-K 2018).
Fig. 399.5 Interior SE corner (TMW-K 2018).
 
Fig. 399.6 Panoramic view on Khirbet ‘Uleiqūn from SE (TMW-K 2018).
Fig. 399.7 Interior S wall with miḥrāb (TMW-K 2018).
Fig. 399.8 Exterior foundation level at NW corner (TMW-K 2018).
 
Figs. 399.9-10 Surface pottery assemblage Glazed Ottoman and pain- ted Ayyubid-Mamluk sherds, fragment of turqoise-painted ‘Abbasid “Raqqa-Ware” (TMW-K 2018).

Figures

[Fig. 399.1 ]
Sketch ground plan (TMW-K, redrawn by SaJ 2018).

[Fig. 399.2 ]
Exterior N-elevation from N (TMW-K 2018).

[Fig. 399.3 ]
Exterior from SW (TMW-K2018).

[Fig. 399.4 ]
Exerior E elevation (TMW-K 2018).

[Fig. 399.5 ]
Interior SE corner (TMW-K 2018).

[Fig. 399.6 ]
Panoramic view on Khirbet ‘Uleiqūn from SE (TMW-K 2018).

[Fig. 399.7 ]
Interior S wall with miḥrāb (TMW-K 2018).

[Figs. 399.9-10 ]
Surface pottery assemblage Glazed Ottoman and pain- ted Ayyubid-Mamluk sherds, fragment of turqoise-painted ‘Abbasid “Raqqa-Ware” (TMW-K 2018).