The Tsingoni Mosque in Mayotte Would Date Back to the 13th Century According to New Excavations
Radiocarbon dating analysis conducted by Inrap pushes back the origins of the building, which has been classified as a historical monument since 2015 and was restored in 2023, further into the past than previously believed.
The Tsingoni Mosque in Mayotte, considered the oldest in France, would date back to the 13th century, according to scientific work cited by Le Monde. This dating results from excavations and analyses conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap).
Listed as a historical monument since 2015, the building underwent restoration between July and September 2023. According to the information reported, it was during the course of these works that Inrap scientists were able to access the building and conduct new samples.
The researchers used radiocarbon dating, a scientific method for estimating the age of organic materials, in order to revise the age of the building. The results obtained would establish the mosque's origins in the 13th century, a period earlier than the one commonly accepted until now for this religious building located on the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
This new dating would thus confirm the status of the Tsingoni Mosque as the oldest Muslim place of worship still in use on French territory, according to information reported by Le Monde.
Sources
- A Mayotte, des fouilles révèlent que la mosquée de Tsingoni, la plus vieille de France, date du XIIIᵉ siècle — Le Monde — Une
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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