Out and About the Kingdom
Mustatils: Mysterious structures visible from space
Strange patterns near Khaybar potentially predate the pyramids.
A study published in the April edition of Antiquity, a peer-reviewed archaeology journal, provided insights on ancient, mysterious rock structures, commonly called Mustatils, which means “rectangle” in Arabic. When observed from the sky or space, the Mustatils form interesting geometric shapes, essentially composed of rectangles with angles usually capped by a circle.
Theories abound for the purposes of building the Mustatils, as there are 1,000 of these structures located across 200,000 km2 in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, and they are mostly concentrated in the Alula and Khaybar governorates, with the latter having more than the former.
From field work in the Alula and Khaybar governorates, researchers have concluded that these stone structures are architecturally complex, containing chambers and entranceways. From animal remains found in one of the excavated Mustatils, scientists dated the structures to the sixth millennium B.C., potentially predating the pyramids.
The Mustatils near Khaybar are not open to the public; however, people can explore the aerial views via Google maps or similar websites. After all, this is how the ancients, intentionally or not, made them to be perpetually admired.
Researchers have concluded that these stone structures are architecturally complex, containing chambers, entranceways. Theories abound for the purposes behind building the Mustatils. (Images from Google Map)
To view images on Google Maps, click on the links below:
