Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein has spent years building connections across the Middle East, as well as acquiring rare Islamic artefacts for an unusual building on his private Caribbean island. According to The New York Times, this has been revealed in millions of pages released by the US Justice Department in January this year. The documents show how Epstein focused on Islamic art and architecture as he built relationships with wealthy and powerful figures in the region.
Rare artefacts from sacred and historical sites
According to records, Epstein acquired highly significant religious and cultural objects, including tapestries embroidered with Quranic verses that were sent from the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site.Other items include tiles from a mosque in Uzbekistan and a golden-domed structure designed to mimic the architectural style of ancient Syria, The New York Times reports. One document described how Epstein found three pieces belonging to the Kaaba, including sections of the kiswa, the black cloth that covers the sacred shrine and is changed every year.Kiswa is produced in a royal workshop in Saudi Arabia using thousands of pounds of silk and gold and silver thread. After replacement, parts of the clothing are sometimes distributed to institutions or individuals.
‘Mosque’ on Epstein’s private island
The material was created for a distinctive blue-and-white-striped building topped with a golden dome on Epstein’s private island, Little St. James.Over the years, the structure has been described in various ways including as a music room, pavilion, chapel or even a secret place. However, correspondence and interviews cited in the documents show that Epstein repeatedly referred to it as a ‘mosque’.For Epstein, the building was not intended as a place of worship, but as an architectural and artistic project inspired by Islamic design.According to The New York Times, an artist involved in the project confirmed in an interview that Epstein regularly called the structure his ‘mosque’.
Design schemes and symbolism
The inscriptions show Epstein’s deep interest in Islamic architecture, including references to historical Middle Eastern structures such as bathhouses and mosques.In the email, he instructed colleagues to design interiors inspired by traditional Islamic patterns and even suggested replacing Arabic religious inscriptions with his own initials.He also requested authentic tiles from Uzbekistan and shared architectural references from Syria as design inspiration for the building.Records show Epstein met with individuals associated with the Saudi royal court and took advantage of advisory opportunities related to Saudi economic reforms and the planned listing of state-owned oil company Aramco.
Kaaba artifacts
The documents detail the shipment of religious artifacts from Saudi Arabia, including textiles and ceremonial pieces associated with the Kaaba.An email described the cultural and spiritual significance of the temple’s black cloth, noting that millions of pilgrims had touched it during religious rituals.
Decline and final years
Records also show that Epstein Island suffered damage during Hurricane Maria in 2017, affecting parts of the so-called ‘mosque’ structure and its contents.During the same period, Epstein’s relations with some of his international contacts deteriorated due to changing political developments in Saudi Arabia.Epstein was later arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019.Shortly after being taken into custody, Epstein transferred ownership of his island to a private trust. He was later found dead in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial.