Publication Date
First quarter of the 2nd century / first half of the 8th century
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;jo;Mon01;6;ar
Library Location
Al-Fudain is located in Mafraq, which is about 72 km northeast of the city of Amman, Al-Fudain, Jordan
Date
First quarter of the 2nd century / first half of the 8th century
Notes
The site includes two main buildings: a western and an eastern building, built within a rectangular open courtyard with dimensions of 120 x 40 - 50 m. The square is surrounded by thick walls constructed of huge blocks of solid limestone dating back to the 10th century BC. M - the period of prosperity of the Aramaic Kingdom of Damascus. The late periods of settlement at the site date back to two distinct periods: the Byzantine and the Umayyad. The name Al-Fudain, which means fortress in Aramaic, appears at the beginning of the era of Emperor Justin II (565 - 578 AD), to refer to a monastery belonging to monks who believed in the one nature of Jesus Christ. In the Umayyad era, the site became part of the real estate and lands owned by one of the descendants of Caliph Othman bin Affan, whose name was Saeed bin Khalid bin Amr bin Othman bin Affan. It should be noted that one of Sa'id bin Khalid's daughters was the wife of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham bin Abd al-Malik (ruled in the period 105 - 125 / 724 - 743), and another known as Saada was the wife of Al-Walid bin Yazid, who divorced her to marry her sister Salma. At the beginning of the 3rd / 9th century AD during the time of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Ma'mun (reigned 198-218 / 813-833), one of the Umayyads known as Sa'id bin Khalid Al-Fudaini declared a revolt against the Abbasids. A small force was sent under the leadership of Yahya bin Salih, which was able to seize Al-Fudayn while Al-Fudaini fled and took refuge in Hisban. The western building, which has not been excavated, has a rectangular shape, its dimensions are 70 x 45. m, and consists of a central courtyard surrounded by rectangular and square rooms. The northeastern corner is occupied by a small church, the floor of which is paved with colorful mosaics. To the south of the church extends a long corridor, ending at its far end with a gate. It is worth noting here that during excavations that took place in 1987, a unique collection of bronze vessels and pieces made of steatite was found in this corridor, in addition to engraved ivory paintings and pieces. The second, or eastern, building takes the shape of a square with a side length of 40 metres, and consists of a central area surrounded by square and rectangular rooms. The southwestern corner of this building is occupied by a mosque measuring 20 x 10 m. The façade surrounding the mihrab was covered with plaster in which floral shapes and geometric patterns were engraved. Its style appears to date back to the beginning of the Abbasid era - the second half of the 2nd / 8th century. The northeastern side is occupied by a bathroom, the walls of which protrude and extend beyond the walls surrounding the residential unit. What gives special importance to the Al-Fudain site is the collection of utensils and pieces made of bronze, steatite, and ivory. These pieces include a lamp and an incense burner, in addition to two bronze casts, one of a ram and the other of an elephant, a bronze weight unit engraved with the shape of a cross and two Greek letters, and engraved pieces of ivory that include a box and an engraved plate with a lamp hanging from a necklace, a palm tree, and a camel with her baby. Perhaps the most prominent of these discovered pieces is a bronze and iron stove containing six gaskets on which were engraved pornographic images representing a man and a woman in different positions within an arched frame and an apse surmounted by a gable. These images seem to be inspired by the ceremonial processions that accompanied the god of wine, Dionysus, which were characterized by promiscuity and vulgarity. The fireplace was supported at its four corners by the image of a naked woman adorned with a bracelet and necklace, holding a torch, a vase, or a small bird in her outstretched hand.
Sample Text
Ghazi Bisheh “Al-Fudain” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;jo;Mon01;6;ar
