Umayyad market place
| Name of structure: | Umayyad market place |
| Extended name of structure: | Umayyad market place in Bet Shean |
| Type of structure: | gateway |
| Country or main area: | Israel |
| Region within country or main area: | North District |
| City or area within region: | Beit She'an |
| Date of structure: | Umayyad period (661-750) |
| Century of structure 1: | 7 AD |
| Century of structure 2: | 8 AD |
| Specific place of mosaic: | A pair of framed mosaic inscriptions, one on each side of the upper area of a stone portal spanning the entrance to a passageway between shops |
| Brief descriptive contents of mosaic: | 1. On right pier, 84x116cm: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, there is no God but Allah, One, without associate. Muhammad is the envoy of Allah. 2. On left pier, 135x120cm: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate the Merciful. Ordered this building the servant of Allah Hisham, Commander of the Faithful, [to be built] by the governor Ishaq bin Qabisa (completed in?) the year [ ] and one hundred. |
| Date of mosaic: | December 737-December 738 |
| Century of mosaic 1: | 8 AD |
| Century of mosaic 2: | 8 AD |
| Silver tessera at site: | |
| Gold tessera at site: | Yes |
| Colour tessera at site: | Yes |
| Were other materials found at site (i.e., glass cakes)? | |
| Has analysis been done? | Yes |
| Samples taken from where? | |
| Excavation and restoration campaigns: | Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and presented at a lecture given during the 1997 Israel Archaeological Conference. |
| Bibliography of mainly technical resources: | Elias Khamis, 'Two Wall Mosaic Inscriptions from the Umayyad Market Place in Bet Shean/Baysan', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 64.2 (2001), 159-176 |
| URLs: | |
| Comments: | Mosaics are not extant. The market collapsed in the earthquake of 749. |
| Record Incomplete | |