Joatha Mosque

Al-Masjid Ahsa's Joatha, also known as the Joatha Mosque, is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. It is thought to have been constructed in the seventh year of Hijri (629 AD). As part of the National Program for Caring for Ancient Mosques, which was started by the Heritage Foundation and is overseen by the Ministry of Endowment, Islamic Affairs, Call, and Guidance, the mosque has been repaired.

It is situated in the Saudi Arabian town of Al-Kilabiyah, 12 kilometers northeast of Hofuf. The majority of the ancient building, which was the first mosque constructed in east Arabia, is now in ruins. However, prayers are still performed there.

The tribe of Bani Abd al-Qays, who resided there before and throughout the early Islamic era, constructed it. The second Friday assembly prayer in Islam was offered at this mosque, which historians believe to be the first mosque constructed in Eastern Province after the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. The Hajr Al-Aswad (Black Stone), which the Qarmatians allegedly stole from Mecca, is said to have spent approximately 22 years in this mosque. The second Friday congregational prayer—the first having taken place in the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah—was said there, which is thought to be the first mosque to be erected in Eastern Province.

The mosque's original construction has been largely destroyed, and it still poses a threat of collapsing. Only a few of the medieval mosque's arches remain today; they were most likely built around the ninth century. These remnants include three keel-arch niches from the qibla wall and two pointed keel arches from one of the mosque's arcades. The mihrab, which protrudes from the outside side of the wall and is larger than the other two niches on the qibla wall, is located in the center of the structure. These ruins were removed of sand, surrounded by a structure of concrete walls, and covered with a protective roof in modern times, perhaps around 1983. This construction is still in place in the 21st century.

The Janadriyah festival

The Janadriyah festival strives to foster a sense of belonging to such historical sites by the placement of life-size replicas across the festival sites that preserve all of their original architectural details. The provinces were advised by the festival's planning committee to employ replica building materials, like bricks made of local wood, clay, mud, and stone, to promote their cultural heritage.