Why in News:

• Israeli archaeologists unveiled a rare ancient mosque in the country’s south that the antiquities officials said sheds light on the region’s transition from Christianity to Islam.

About

• The remains of a mosque, believed to be more than 1,200 years old, were discovered
• The mosque located in the Negev desert contains “a square room and a wall facing the direction of Mecca”, with a half-circle niche in that wall pointing to the south
  • It was discovered during works to build a new neighbourhood in the Bedouin city of Rahat

Reference

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/israel-uncovers-rare-early-mosque-in-negev/article65554270.ece