Jeffrey Epstein cultivated connections across the Middle East as he pursued business opportunities and acquired rare Islamic artifacts to decorate a structure he referred to as a 'mosque' on his private Caribbean island, according to newly released Justice Department records.
The documents, part of millions of pages made public in January, detail how the disgraced financier and sex offender obtained tapestries from the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam's holiest site, along with tiles from a mosque in Uzbekistan and architectural designs modeled on historic Syrian structures, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, used his network of wealthy and influential contacts to expand both his business ambitions and his collection of artifacts.
Through connections reaching into Saudi Arabia's royal court, he secured a meeting with Mohammed bin Salman, now the kingdom's crown prince, and obtained textiles that had been used inside and outside the Kaaba.
In a 2014 photograph released by the Justice Department, Epstein stands with Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem in his New York townhouse, examining one of the tapestries.
Bin Sulayem later resigned as head of Dubai-based ports operator DP World after his association with Epstein drew scrutiny.
The records also shed light on a blue-and-white-striped building topped with a gold dome on Little Saint James, Epstein's private island.
The structure had been described variously as a pavilion, a chapel, or a music room, but correspondence and interviews indicate Epstein intended it to resemble a mosque.
Epstein, who was Jewish, had long expressed interest in Islamic design.
In 2003, he told Vanity Fair he owned a large Persian rug that he said must have come from a mosque.
While serving time in a Florida jail in 2008 after pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution, he began planning a structure inspired by Middle Eastern architecture.
Early plans included a Turkish-style bathhouse surrounded by Islamic gardens. He later shifted to designing what he called a 'music room,' drawing inspiration from images of historic mosques.
In a 2011 email, he sought tiles from Uzbekistan, writing they would be used for interior walls 'like a mosque.'
Ion Nicola, a Romanian artist who worked on the project, said in an interview that Epstein consistently referred to the building as his 'mosque.'
Epstein also requested designs based on a 15th-century bathhouse in Aleppo, Syria, and at one point suggested replacing Arabic script in decorative elements with his own initials.
Around 2010, Epstein developed a relationship with Norwegian diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen, who helped connect him with figures tied to the Saudi royal court. By 2016, Epstein sought to position himself as a financial adviser to Mohammed as the kingdom considered taking its state oil company public.
Through intermediaries, Epstein arranged a visit to Saudi Arabia and later displayed photographs of himself with the crown prince in his New York office.
At the same time, Epstein's associates coordinated shipments of items described as being for the island "mosque."
Records indicate that three pieces from the Kaaba were sent, including a section of the Kiswa, the black silk cloth that covers the shrine.
The Kiswa is replaced annually and crafted using silk, with gold and silver thread. After removal, portions may be distributed or donated.
In correspondence, an associate described the religious significance of one piece, noting it had been touched by millions of worshippers performing rituals at the Kaaba.
It is unclear how the items were obtained. Representatives for Saudi Arabia and others involved did not respond to requests for comment, according to the records.
In 2017, Hurricane Maria damaged parts of Epstein's island, including items inside the structure. Around the same time, Epstein's efforts to deepen ties with Saudi leadership appeared to stall after Mohammed became crown prince.
Following the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Epstein and Rod-Larsen exchanged messages about the fallout. The crown prince has denied ordering the killing but has said it occurred under his leadership.
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