Dhaka, July 20 -- Archaeologists working in Israel's Negev desert have discovered an ancient rural mosque, thought to be one of the earliest in the world.

The mosque, which dates back to the 7th or 8th century, was discovered by researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority as they prepared to build a new neighborhood in the southern Israeli Bedouin city of Rahat, reports CNN.

The archaeologists said in a statement that large mosques from the period have been found in Mecca and Jerusalem but that it was rare to find such a building in the area, which is north of the city of Beer Sheva.

Researchers excavated the remains of a rectangular open-air mosque with a prayer niche facing south toward Mecca The mosque, they said, would be "a ...