ISRAELI ARCHEOLOGISTS UNEARTH A 1,200-YEAR-OLD LUXURY MANSION WITH STRIKING FEATURES

The luxury home has a courtyard and features four wings with several rooms. (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority) Photograph:( Twitter )

Wed 24 August 2022:

Archaeologists have uncovered a 1,200-year-old home in Israel’s southern Negev desert, where a mosque was recently discovered, with remarkable underground buildings that helped its owners beat the summer heat. It provides a unique insight into the life of wealthy Negev residents, according to the country’s antiquities authority.

ONE OF THE OLDEST MOSQUES IN THE WORLD DISCOVERED BY ARCHEOLOGISTS IN ISRAEL

The discovery was unearthed in the Bedouin settlement of Rahat and dated to the early Islamic period in the 8th or 9th century.

The sprawling property is believed to have been owned by a wealthy landowner. The luxury home has a courtyard and features four wings with several rooms. Walls and floors were adorned with finely coloured frescoes in one of the wings, while other rooms featured very large ovens that were most likely used for cooking. Shards of decorated glass serving dishes were also discovered.

However, the most striking feature of the mansion are the subterranean stone vaults which were supposedly used to escape the harsh heat and store items at cooler temperatures. An opening from the vaulted rooms also leads to a cistern where cool drinking water could be accessed by the residents.

“The luxurious estate and the unique impressive underground vaults are evidence of the owners’ means. Their high status and wealth allowed them to build a luxurious mansion that served as a residence and for entertaining,” the excavation directors said in a statement.

Eli Eskosido, the director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said the discovery was generating “interest and excitement” among the local community. Eskosido said the IAA and the Authority for the Development and Settlement of the Bedouin are planning to “conserve and exhibit the finds to the general public.”