Jawatta Arabic Inscription

Jawatta Arabic Inscription
Jawatta Arabic Inscription (Sinhala: ජාවත්ත අරාබි සොහොන්ගල් සෙල්ලිපිය) is one of the Arabic Inscriptions in Sri Lanka . This is considered the first Arabic epigraph found in the country (Dasanayaka, 2017). A tombstone This stone slab which has been identified as a tombstone is said to have been discovered in a cemetery in Jawatta (probably Jawatta Mosque Premises ) in Colombo District (Kalus & Guillot, 2006). Around 1787, the slab was moved along with other stones to be used as a walk in the house of a Dutch official [(Collector of Colombo) Dasanayaka, 2017; Kalus & Guillot, 2006]. There are no clear reports about the original inscription and only a facsimile by Sir Alexander Johnston is remaining today (Johnston, 1826; Kalus & Guillot, 2006). The slab is believed to be rectangular in shape and its dimensions are not known (Kalus & Guillot, 2006). The writing has been engraved within a rectangular frame with an arch-shaped top. Fifteen lines of writing are visible on the …