<<

in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Temple in Coordinates: 31.77765, 35.23547 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to Part of a series of articles on ,שדקמה תיב :The or Holy Temple (Hebrew a series of structures located on the (Har HaBayit) in the of Jerusalem. Historically, two and navigation temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in . According to classical Main page Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of 's presence (Heb.

Contents "shechina") in the physical . Featured content Current events The First Temple was built by King in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960 [1] [2] Who is a ? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture Random article BCE. It was the center of ancient Judaism. The Temple replaced the of and the at , Nov, and Givon as the central focus of Jewish faith. This First Temple was destroyed by Religion search the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed Texts 520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of , Ethnicities Go Search rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later, Population this was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the Denominations interaction Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple Languages About Wikipedia itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the of the complex was Community portal the only wall standing. History Recent changes Politics Contact Wikipedia An Islamic , the , has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and Donate to Wikipedia the al­Aqsa , from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard. v • d • e Help Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The in Jerusalem associated with the coming of toolbox The , and thus, adherents of Orthodox and anticipate a Third Temple. What links here On August 30, 2007, what appears to be the remains of the Second Temple were discovered during the installation of pipes in the compound. [3] Related changes Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4] Upload file Special pages Contents Printable version 1 Etymology Permanent link 2 First and Second Temples Cite this page 3 Building a Third Temple languages 4 Physical layout The Temple in the writings of the prophets 5 ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Български 6 Temple services Català 7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden Česky 8 Role in Jewish services Dansk 8.1 Deutsch 8.2 Conservative Judaism Eesti 8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism Español Esperanto 9 Archaeological evidence Euskara 9.1 2004 artifact controversy The Temple in 10 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 11 See also Furlan 12 References Galego 13 External links 한국어 14 Further reading Bahasa Italiano [Etymology [edit תירבע Kiswahili Latviešu The given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House", Lietuvių and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a Македонски variety of other names in the , such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply Nederlands Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House). 日本語 The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King , by Norsk (bokmål) Norsk (nynorsk) God. David had hoped to build it, but was told by God that his son would be the one to assemble the first temple. During his reign, David began to collect most of the raw materials Polski Português used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver, Русский bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the , Shqip and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of , as a place where any man Simple English could worship the God of Israel. Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members Српскохрватски of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon. Svenska Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of Tiếng Việt tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah, Ezekiel 40­47 Türkçe and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The Українська second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile שידִיי by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn 中文 apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.

First and Second Temples [edit]

Main articles: Solomon's Temple and Second Temple Two distinct Temples stood in succession on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Solomon's Temple was built in the 10th century BCE and has been dated astronomically to 957 BCE[5] to replace the Tabernacle. It was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, and thus stood for about 375 years; Talmudic tradition gives the number as 410 years. The building of the Temple of Solomon plays a prominent role in Masonic tradition, as

well. The Second Temple was built after Cyrus allowed the Jews to return from the . The return took place around 537 BCE, and, after a number of delays, the Temple was completed in 516 BCE. The dimensions of the Temple Mount were then 150 metres x 50 metres.[6] A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The Second Temple was destroyed by Roman Empire troops under general Titus in 70 CE. This second Temple had been desecrated by Pompey, when he entered it after taking Jerusalem in 63 BCE. According to Josephus (living at the Court of the Roman Emperor), Pompey did not remove anything from the Temple or its treasury. He did, however, massacre the who attempted to block his entry to the sanctuary. Pompey subsequently lost all his power and died as a hunted fugitive. This is seen by many Jewish people as Divine punishment. (See article on Pompey in the ). Around 19 BCE, King Herod began a renovation of the Temple Complex in order to conceive a larger and grander version. Scarcely had the Temple's renovations been completed, however, when it was completely destroyed ­­ down to the foundations ­­ by

the Roman Empire.[7] During the last revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 132­135 CE, Simon bar Kokhba and Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba's revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. A further effort at rebuilding the Temple took place in 363 CE when Julian the Apostate ordered the restoration of the Jewish Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in . sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.

Building a Third Temple [edit]

Main article: The Third Temple Ever since the Second Temple's destruction, a prayer for the construction of a new Third Temple has been a formal part of the thrice­daily services. However, the question of whether and when to construct the Third Temple is disputed both within the Jewish community and without; groups within Judaism argue both for and against construction of a new Temple, while the expansion of Abrahamic religion since the 1st century CE has made the issue contentious within Christian and Islamic thought as well. Furthermore, the complicated political makes initiation of reconstruction presently difficult, while the traditional physical location of the historic Temple is presently occupied by the Al­Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Physical layout [edit]

According to the , the Temple had an Ezrat Nashim (Women's Court) to the east and main area to the west. The main area contained the butchering area for the sacrifices and the Mizbaeach (Outer ) on which portions of most offerings were burned and blood was poured or dashed. An edifice contained the Ulam (antechamber), the Heichal, and the Kodesh Kodashim (). The Heichal and the Kodesh Kodashim were separated by a wall in the First Temple and by two curtains in the Second Temple. The Heichal contained the Menorah, the table of Showbread and the Incense Altar. The main courtyard had thirteen gates. On the south side, beginning with the southwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Ha'Elyon (the Upper Gate) Shaar HaDelek (the Kindling Gate), where wood was brought in Shaar HaBechorot (the Gate of Firstborn), where people with first­born animal offerings entered and fathers and children entered for the ceremony Shaar HaMayim (the Water Gate), where the Water Libation entered on . On the north side, beginning with the northwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Yechonyah (The Gate of Yechonyah), where kings of the Davidic line enter and Yechonyah/Yehoyachin left for the last time to captivity Shaar HaKorban (The gate of the Offering), where priests entered with kodshei kodashim offerings Shaar HaNashim (The Women's Gate), where women entered into the Azara or main courtyard to [8] perform offerings Excavated steps on the South side of the Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the entered with their musical instruments Temple Mount On the east side was Shaar Nikanor, between the Women's Courtyard and the main Temple Courtyard, which had two minor doorways, one on its right and one on its left. On the western wall, which was relatively unimportant, there were two gates that did not have any name.

The Temple in the writings of the prophets [edit]

The Biblical prophets describe visions of a mysterious presence of God occupying the Temple. Isaiah wrote "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple." (Isaiah 6:1). implored "Do not dishonor the throne of your glory" (Jeremiah 14:21) and referred to "Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, Thou place of our sanctuary" (Jeremiah 17:12). Ezekiel spoke of "the glory of the God of Israel was there [in the Sanctuary], according to the vision that I saw in the plain." Isaiah spoke of the importance of prayer as well as sacrifice in Temple, and of a universal purpose:

Even them will I bring to my My holy mountain, and make joyful in My house of prayer, Their burnt­offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7, JPS translation). "My House shall be a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)

Temple services [edit]

The Temple was the place where offerings described in the course of the Hebrew Bible were carried out, including daily morning and afternoon offerings and special offerings on and . Levites recited at appropriate moments during the offerings, including the Psalm of the Day, special psalms for the new month, and other occasions, the during major Jewish holidays, and psalms for special sacrifices such as the "Psalm for the Thanksgiving Offering" (Psalm 100). As part of the daily offering, a prayer service was performed in the Temple which was used as the basis of the traditional Jewish (morning) service recited to this day, including well­known prayers such as the Barchu, the Shema, and the . The Mishna describes it as follows:

The superintendent said to them, recite the Barchu, and they read the , and the Shema, "And it shall come to “ pass if you will hearken", and "And [God] spoke...". They pronounced three benedictions with the people present: "True and firm", and the "Avodah" {"Accept, Lord our God, the service of your people Israel, and the fire­offerings of Israel and their prayer receive with favor. Blessed is He who receives the service of His people Israel with favor" (similar to what is today the 17th blessing of the ), and the Priestly Blessing, and on the they recited one blessing; "May He who causes His name to dwell in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship" on behalf of the weekly Priestly Guard that departed. ” —Mishna Tamid 5:1

The Temple as the Garden of Eden [edit]

The Temple courtyards were full of trees, flowers, and fountains, because the Temple was meant to be a model and re­creation of the Garden of Eden. (See "Jerusalem as Eden," by Lawrence Stager, Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2000).

Role in Jewish services [edit]

Main article: Jewish services El Escorial, in , was constructed from a plan based on the As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part descriptions of Solomon's temple.[9] surrounding the Shema prayer, is essentially unchanged from the daily worship service performed in the Temple. In addition, recitation of the Amidah prayer, which traditionally replaces the Temple's daily tamid and special­occasion Mussaf (additional) offerings, must be recited today during the times that the offerings they substitute for were performed in the days of the Temple, in both Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. The Temple is mentioned extensively in Orthodox services, and, to a lesser degree, in Conservative ones as well.

Orthodox Judaism [edit] Mentions in Orthodox Jewish services include: A daily recital of Biblical and Talmudic passages related to the korbanot (sacrifices) performed in the Temple. (See korbanot in ). References to the restoration of the Temple and sacrificial worships in the daily Amidah prayer, the central prayer in Judaism. A traditional personal plea for the restoration of the Temple at the end of private recitation of the Amidah. A prayer for the restoration of the "house of our lives" and the shekhinah (divine presence) "to dwell among us" is recited during the Amidah prayer. Recitation of the Psalm of the day; the psalm sung by the Levites in the Temple for that day) during the daily morning service. Numerous psalms sung as part of the ordinary service make extensive references to the Temple and Temple worship. Recitation of the special Jewish holiday sacrifices, and prayers for the restoration of the Temple and their offering, during the Mussaf services on Jewish holidays. An extensive recitation of the special Temple service for during the service for that holiday. Special services for Sukkot (Hakafot) contain extensive (but generally obscure) references to the special Temple service performed on that day. The destruction of the Temple is mourned on the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av. Three other minor fasts (Tenth of Tevet, 17th of Tammuz, and Third of Tishrei), also mourn events leading to or following the destruction of the Temple.

Conservative Judaism [edit] Conservative Judaism retains mentions of the Temple in Jerusalem, but removes references to the restoration of sacrifices. The study session of Temple sacrifices is removed or replaced, the passages in the daily Amidah, the weekday service, and elsewhere referring to restoration of the Temple are retained ­ but references to sacrifices are removed. References to sacrifices on holidays are retained, but made in the past tense, and petitions for their restoration are removed. Special holiday services, such as special prayers at Yom Kippur and Sukkot, are retained, but are often abbreviated or omitted by Conservative congregations. Siddur Sim Shalom, the prayer book(s) used in most Conservative , has alternate versions of the Amidah prayer: a version mentioning sacrifices in the past tense and one without reference to sacrifices at all. Conservative Judaism has retained the four fasts relating to the destruction of the Temple, although only Tisha B'Av is widely observed.

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism [edit] Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism have removed all direct references to the Temple, although some indirect or ambiguous references (e.g. "Happy are those who dwell in your House", Psalm 84:5) are retained. For a number of years the Reform movement in the called its places of worship not synagogues or shuls but temples. This is due to their belief that prayer replaced sacrifice as the main mode of Jewish worship, and that in a world where that is the case, there is no need for The Temple, only temples. has, in fact, repudiated animal sacrifice, and now refers to a "sacrifice of the heart." [citation needed]. Now, however, the Reform movement does refer to its main places of worship as synagogues. Temple has come to be used strictly as a term referring to the first and second Temples.

Archaeological evidence [edit]

Archaeological excavations have found one hundred mikvaot (ritual immersion pools) surrounding the Temple Mount or Har HaBayit. This is strong evidence that this area was considered of the utmost holiness in ancient times and could not possibly have been a secular area. However, it does not establish where exactly within the area was the Temple

located.[citation needed] There are basically three theories: The Temple was where the Dome of the Rock is now located. The Temple was located a little to the north of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Asher A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the Kaufman). Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007). the Second Temple. Other theories have the Temple either to the north or to the south of the Temple Mount. Scholars generally reject more outlandish theories that claim the Temple was located somewhere else than Jerusalem or even outside the Land of Israel.

2004 artifact controversy [edit] On December 27, 2004, it was reported in the Toronto­based The Globe and Mail that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem concluded that the ivory that everyone believed had once adorned a scepter used by the high in Solomon's Temple was a fake. This artifact was the most important item of biblical antiquities in its collection. It had been part of a traveling exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 2003. Experts fear that this discovery is part of an international fraud in antiquities. The thumb­sized pomegranate, which is a mere 44 mm in height, bears an inscription incised around the shoulder of the pomegranate in small paleo­Hebrew script. Only 9 characters remained complete, and were incomplete – if any sense were to be made of the inscription, it seemed likely that several more were missing. The surviving part of the inscription was (.he remain ה Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the) יבל...םנהכ שדק ה transcribed םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל :The following restoration of missing letters was proposed This reconstruction resulted in the following transliteration, now accepted by the vast majority of scholars: lby[t yhw]h qdš khnm, which led to the translation: "[Belonging] to the Temp[le of YaHW]eH, holy [or, consecrated] to the priests." The notion that the artifact is fake derives from the conclusion that it belongs to the Bronze Age rather than the Iron Age. Also, strokes of the inscribed letters do not continue directly into a broken­off section of the piece, suggesting that the inscription was added after the piece was broken. However, there are theories that the Temple of Solomon was built in the Bronze Age. If this is correct, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the ivory pomegranate. By the end of 2008, Professor Yitzhak Roman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem concluded that the inscription on the ivory pomegranate is authentic.[10]

The Temple in Islam [edit]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

The Last Prophet of Islam, originally ordered to pray and prostrate toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs). It is also mentioned in the Qur'an] as 'Bayt Al­Maqdes' which is an version of the Hebrew word 'Beit HaMikdash' (meaning 'The Holy House'). Since at least Mishnaic times (200 CE), Jews face the temple mount in Jerusalem while praying. The speaks about this in (Talmud) chapter 4, 5 and 6 and this practice is even found as early as I Kings 8:35­36. In Islam, this only lasted for seventeen months after Muhammad's arrival in ,[11] after which the Qiblah became oriented towards the in . According to historical accounts from the prophet Muhammad's companions contained in the , the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in a mosque in Medina. Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received a revelation from instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah as in the Qur'anic verse 2:144 which reads, "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the : now Shall We turn thee to a that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is God unmindful of what they do.". According to the accounts, Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem during the prayer, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so. After this, the mosque in which this incident occurred came to be known as Masjid al­Qiblatain (i.e. 'Mosque of the Two Qiblahs'). For some hundreds of years after the Muslim conquest, Jerusalem was still known to the Arabic speakers as 'Illya' which is the Arabic version of its Roman name ''. Bayt Al­Maqdes later became synonymous with Jerusalem and was eventually shortened to simply 'al Quds' ('The Holy'). When Khalif ibn al­Khattāb (Umar) came to Jerusalem he asked the Patriach of Jerusalem to lead him to the site of the Temple. The area was filled with debris because it was considered the quarry and the dump site of the city during Christian times. A Jewish rabbi turned Muslim was with Umar: "Ka'ab al­Ahbar". He, armed with his religious knowledge, led Umar first to the site of the Temple (The area where used to pray) where indeed Umar discovered the foundations' ruins, where Umar built a mosque made of reed on the example of The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina (roof was also made of reed). Umar prayed with 10,000 people for the first time since the fall of the temple in 70 CE. Umar prohibited offering sacrifices in the temple. Then while Umar was searching for "the Rock" that Muhammad ascended atop of, with , to in his night journey to Heaven "Isra and Mi'raj" just less than 20 years ago (as the prophet related), Ka'ab was also searching for the site of the Holy of Holies. While removing the debris from the expected site of the Holy of Holies, to everybody's amazement, a large rock was revealed, then more of it was exposed by more cleaning. Umar built a fence around the rock because he saw Ka'ab walking on it barefoot ("to see how it felt," as Kaab related later). A later Khalif built The Dome of the Rock over the Rock. The Dome was a monumental engineering project that lasted decades in construction, hiring the best architects and master masons in the world (from Byzantium) because the Umayyad Khalif and Muslims in his territories were unable to go to Mecca for because another anti­Umayyad Khalif declared himself in Mecca for decades "Abd­Allah ibn al­Zubayr", and they needed an alternative pilgrimage destination so his subjects wouldn't riot if he did not allow them to go to Mecca where his rival Khalif resided.

See also [edit]

Great Jewish Revolt Siege of Jerusalem Leontopolis

References [edit]

1. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. "The Temple of Solomon ". Retrieved on 2008­11­12. 2. ^ Books of Chronicles, 1 Chronicles, chapter 22 ­ 29 3. ^ Possible remains of second temple found in Jerusalem 4. ^ Finds on Temple Mount from First Temple 5. ^ Erwin Reidinger: "The Temple Mount Platform in Jerusalem from Solomon to Herod: An Archaeological Re­Examination." In Assaph, Studies in Art of History, Volume 9, 2004, 1­64. 6. ^ Hecateus of Abdere or pseudo­Hecateus of Abdere, transmitted by Josephus and Eusebius of Caesarea (Contra Appium : 1/22 ; Evangelic. Preparation : 9/4) 7. ^ Josephus, Judaic Antiquities : 15/14 8. ^ Sheyibaneh Beit Hamikdash:Women in the Azarya? 9. ^ Juan Rafael de la Cuadra Blanco (2005). «King Philip of Spain as Solomon the Second. The origins of Solomonism of the Escorial in the Netherlands», en The Seventh Window. The King's Window donated by Phillip II and Mary Tudor to Sint Janskerk (1557), p. 169­180 (concept & editing Wim de Groot, Verloren Publishers, Hilversum ed.). ISBN 90­6550­822­8. 10. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review Special News Report, December 16, 2008, "Leading Israeli Scientist Declares Pomegranate Inscription Authentic ". 11. ^ In the Lands of the Prophet, Time­Life, p. 29

External links [edit]

Seek Out the Welfare of Jerusalem Analytical studies by the Lubavitcher , Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the Rambam's rulings concerning the construction and the design of the Beis HaMikdosh. visit of Museum in Jerusalem conducted by Israel Ariel Video tour of a model of the future temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40­49 from a Christian perspective. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

Further reading [edit]

Biblical Archaeology Review, issues: July/August 1983, November/December 1989, March/April 1992, July/August 1999, September/October 1999, March/April 2000, September/October 2005 Ritmeyer, Leen. The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. ISBN 965­220­628­8 Hamblin, William and David Seely, Solomon's Temple: Myth and History (Thames and Hudson, 2007) ISBN 0500251339 Yaron Eliav, God's Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place and Memory (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)

v • d • e Jews and Judaism

Schisms ∙ Intra­Jewish relations ∙ Orthodox ∙ (Haredi ∙ Hasidic ∙ Modern Orthodox) ∙ Conservative ∙ Reform ∙ Reconstructionist ∙ ∙ Denominations Rabbinic ∙ Karaite ∙ Samaritan ∙ Humanistic

Principles of faith ∙ Chosen people ∙ Eschatology ∙ Ethics ∙ ∙ Messianism ∙ ∙ Philosophy Mussar Movement ∙ Names of God ∙ Seven Laws of

Tanakh (Torah ∙ Nevi'im ∙ ) ∙ Arba'ah Turim ∙ ∙ Kuzari ∙ ∙ Rabbinic works ∙ Religious texts ∙ Siddur ∙ Talmud ∙

Abraham ∙ ∙ Moses ∙ Deborah ∙ Ruth ∙ David ∙ Solomon ∙ ∙ Hillel ∙ Shammai ∙ Judah haNasi ∙ Saadia Gaon ∙ Rashi ∙ Isaac Alfasi ∙ ibn Ezra ∙ Tosafists ∙ Rambam ∙ Nahmanides ∙ ∙ Gersonides ∙ Joseph Albo ∙ Yosef Karo ∙ Shem Tov ∙ Shneur Zalman of Liadi ∙ Vilna Gaon ∙ Leopold Zunz ∙ Israel Jacobson ∙ Abraham Geiger ∙ Ben Ish Chai ∙ Avrohom Mordechai Alter ∙ Ovadia Yosef ∙ ∙ Elazar Shach ∙ Menachem Schneerson

Who is a Jew? ∙ Bar and Bat ∙ Bereavement ∙ ∙ Etymology of the word Jew ∙ Marriage ∙ Wedding ∙ ∙ Pidyon HaBen ∙ Life and culture Secular

Four Holy Cities (Jerusalem ∙ ) ∙ ∙ Gabbai ∙ ∙ Maggid ∙ Mashgiach ∙ Mikvah ∙ ∙ Rabbi ∙ Rebbe ∙ Roles and places Rosh ∙ Temple ∙ Tabernacle ∙ Western Wall

Aleinu ∙ Amidah ∙ ∙ Hallel ∙ ∙ Ma Tovu ∙ Menorah (Hanukiah) ∙ ∙ Prayer ∙ Religious articles ∙ Services ∙ /Yarmulke

Jewish views of religious pluralism ∙ ∙ Christianity (Catholicism ∙ Christian­Jewish reconciliation ∙ Judeo­Christian ∙ Mormonism) ∙ Other religions Islam ∙ ∙ Judeo­Paganism ∙ Others

Languages Hebrew ∙ Judeo­Arabic ∙ Judeo­Aramaic ∙ Judeo­Persian ∙ Ladino ∙

Ancient ∙ Temple in Jerusalem ∙ Babylonian captivity ∙ Jerusalem (Significance ∙ Timeline) ∙ Hasmonean ∙ Herod ∙ ∙ Saducees ∙ ∙ First Jewish­Roman War ∙ Bar Kokhba revolt ∙ Diaspora ∙ Middle Ages ∙ Muslim rule ∙ ∙ Emancipation ∙ History The Holocaust ∙ ∙ Israel (History) ∙ Arab­Israeli / Israeli­Palestinian conflicts ∙ Land of Israel ∙ ∙ History of the Jews in Jamaica

Zionism (General ∙ Labor ∙ Religious ∙ Revisionist) ∙ Political movements (Jewish left ∙ Jewish right ∙ Jewish anarchism) ∙ General Jewish Labor Union ∙ Politics ∙ Politics of Israel

Antisemitism History ∙ Persecution ∙ New ∙ Racial ∙ Religious ∙ Secondary

Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 20:50. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Temple in Jerusalem Coordinates: 31.77765, 35.23547 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to Part of a series of articles on ,שדקמה תיב :The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two Jews and Judaism navigation temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical Main page Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.

Contents "shechina") in the physical world. Featured content Current events The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960 [1] [2] Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture Random article BCE. It was the center of ancient Judaism. The Temple replaced the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacles at Shiloh, Nov, and Givon as the central focus of Jewish faith. This First Temple was destroyed by Religion search the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed Texts 520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra, Ethnicities Go Search rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later, Population this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the Denominations interaction Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple Languages About Wikipedia itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was Community portal the only wall standing. History Recent changes Politics Contact Wikipedia An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and Donate to Wikipedia the al­Aqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard. v • d • e Help Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of toolbox The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple. What links here On August 30, 2007, what appears to be the remains of the Second Temple were discovered during the installation of pipes in the compound. [3] Related changes Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4] Upload file Special pages Contents Printable version 1 Etymology Permanent link 2 First and Second Temples Cite this page 3 Building a Third Temple languages 4 Physical layout The Temple in the writings of the prophets 5 ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Български 6 Temple services Català 7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden Česky 8 Role in Jewish services Dansk 8.1 Orthodox Judaism Deutsch 8.2 Conservative Judaism Eesti 8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism Español Esperanto 9 Archaeological evidence Euskara 9.1 2004 artifact controversy The Temple in Islam 10 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 11 See also Furlan 12 References Galego 13 External links 한국어 14 Further reading Bahasa Indonesia Italiano [Etymology [edit תירבע Kiswahili Latviešu The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House", Lietuvių and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a Македонски variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply Nederlands Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House). 日本語 The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by Norsk (bokmål) Norsk (nynorsk) God. David had hoped to build it, but was told by God that his son would be the one to assemble the first temple. During his reign, David began to collect most of the raw materials Polski Português used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver, Русский bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant, Shqip and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man Simple English could worship the God of Israel. Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members Српскохрватски of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon. Svenska Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of Tiếng Việt tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah, Ezekiel 40­47 Türkçe Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The Українська second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile שידִיי by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn 中文 apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.

First and Second Temples [edit]

Main articles: Solomon's Temple and Second Temple Two distinct Temples stood in succession on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Solomon's Temple was built in the 10th century BCE and has been dated astronomically to 957 BCE[5] to replace the Tabernacle. It was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, and thus stood for about 375 years; Talmudic tradition gives the number as 410 years. The building of the Temple of Solomon plays a prominent role in Masonic tradition, as

well. The Second Temple was built after Cyrus allowed the Jews to return from the Babylonian captivity. The return took place around 537 BCE, and, after a number of delays, the Temple was completed in 516 BCE. The dimensions of the Temple Mount were then 150 metres x 50 metres.[6] A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The Second Temple was destroyed by Roman Empire troops under general Titus in 70 CE. This second Temple had been desecrated by Pompey, when he entered it after taking Jerusalem in 63 BCE. According to Josephus (living at the Court of the Roman Emperor), Pompey did not remove anything from the Temple or its treasury. He did, however, massacre the Priests who attempted to block his entry to the sanctuary. Pompey subsequently lost all his power and died as a hunted fugitive. This is seen by many Jewish people as Divine punishment. (See article on Pompey in the Encyclopaedia Judaica). Around 19 BCE, King Herod began a renovation of the Temple Complex in order to conceive a larger and grander version. Scarcely had the Temple's renovations been completed, however, when it was completely destroyed ­­ down to the foundations ­­ by

the Roman Empire.[7] During the last revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 132­135 CE, Simon bar Kokhba and Rabbi Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba's revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. A further effort at rebuilding the Temple took place in 363 CE when Julian the Apostate ordered the restoration of the Jewish Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome. sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.

Building a Third Temple [edit]

Main article: The Third Temple Ever since the Second Temple's destruction, a prayer for the construction of a new Third Temple has been a formal part of the thrice­daily Jewish prayer services. However, the question of whether and when to construct the Third Temple is disputed both within the Jewish community and without; groups within Judaism argue both for and against construction of a new Temple, while the expansion of Abrahamic religion since the 1st century CE has made the issue contentious within Christian and Islamic thought as well. Furthermore, the complicated political status of Jerusalem makes initiation of reconstruction presently difficult, while the traditional physical location of the historic Temple is presently occupied by the Al­Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Physical layout [edit]

According to the Talmud, the Temple had an Ezrat Nashim (Women's Court) to the east and main area to the west. The main area contained the butchering area for the sacrifices and the Mizbaeach (Outer Altar) on which portions of most offerings were burned and blood was poured or dashed. An edifice contained the Ulam (antechamber), the Heichal, and the Kodesh Kodashim (Holy of Holies). The Heichal and the Kodesh Kodashim were separated by a wall in the First Temple and by two curtains in the Second Temple. The Heichal contained the Menorah, the table of Showbread and the Incense Altar. The main courtyard had thirteen gates. On the south side, beginning with the southwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Ha'Elyon (the Upper Gate) Shaar HaDelek (the Kindling Gate), where wood was brought in Shaar HaBechorot (the Gate of Firstborn), where people with first­born animal offerings entered and fathers and children entered for the Pidyon HaBen ceremony Shaar HaMayim (the Water Gate), where the Water Libation entered on Sukkot. On the north side, beginning with the northwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Yechonyah (The Gate of Yechonyah), where kings of the Davidic line enter and Yechonyah/Yehoyachin left for the last time to captivity Shaar HaKorban (The gate of the Offering), where priests entered with kodshei kodashim offerings Shaar HaNashim (The Women's Gate), where women entered into the Azara or main courtyard to [8] perform offerings Excavated steps on the South side of the Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments Temple Mount On the east side was Shaar Nikanor, between the Women's Courtyard and the main Temple Courtyard, which had two minor doorways, one on its right and one on its left. On the western wall, which was relatively unimportant, there were two gates that did not have any name.

The Temple in the writings of the prophets [edit]

The Biblical prophets describe visions of a mysterious presence of God occupying the Temple. Isaiah wrote "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple." (Isaiah 6:1). Jeremiah implored "Do not dishonor the throne of your glory" (Jeremiah 14:21) and referred to "Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, Thou place of our sanctuary" (Jeremiah 17:12). Ezekiel spoke of "the glory of the God of Israel was there [in the Sanctuary], according to the vision that I saw in the plain." Isaiah spoke of the importance of prayer as well as sacrifice in Temple, and of a universal purpose:

Even them will I bring to my My holy mountain, and make joyful in My house of prayer, Their burnt­offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7, JPS translation). "My House shall be a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)

Temple services [edit]

The Temple was the place where offerings described in the course of the Hebrew Bible were carried out, including daily morning and afternoon offerings and special offerings on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Levites recited Psalms at appropriate moments during the offerings, including the Psalm of the Day, special psalms for the new month, and other occasions, the Hallel during major Jewish holidays, and psalms for special sacrifices such as the "Psalm for the Thanksgiving Offering" (Psalm 100). As part of the daily offering, a prayer service was performed in the Temple which was used as the basis of the traditional Jewish (morning) service recited to this day, including well­known prayers such as the Barchu, the Shema, and the Priestly Blessing. The Mishna describes it as follows:

The superintendent said to them, recite the Barchu, and they read the Ten Commandments, and the Shema, "And it shall come to “ pass if you will hearken", and "And [God] spoke...". They pronounced three benedictions with the people present: "True and firm", and the "Avodah" {"Accept, Lord our God, the service of your people Israel, and the fire­offerings of Israel and their prayer receive with favor. Blessed is He who receives the service of His people Israel with favor" (similar to what is today the 17th blessing of the Amidah), and the Priestly Blessing, and on the Sabbath they recited one blessing; "May He who causes His name to dwell in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship" on behalf of the weekly Priestly Guard that departed. ” —Mishna Tamid 5:1

The Temple as the Garden of Eden [edit]

The Temple courtyards were full of trees, flowers, and fountains, because the Temple was meant to be a model and re­creation of the Garden of Eden. (See "Jerusalem as Eden," by Lawrence Stager, Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2000).

Role in Jewish services [edit]

Main article: Jewish services El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part descriptions of Solomon's temple.[9] surrounding the Shema prayer, is essentially unchanged from the daily worship service performed in the Temple. In addition, recitation of the Amidah prayer, which traditionally replaces the Temple's daily tamid and special­occasion Mussaf (additional) offerings, must be recited today during the times that the offerings they substitute for were performed in the days of the Temple, in both Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. The Temple is mentioned extensively in Orthodox services, and, to a lesser degree, in Conservative ones as well.

Orthodox Judaism [edit] Mentions in Orthodox Jewish services include: A daily recital of Biblical and Talmudic passages related to the korbanot (sacrifices) performed in the Temple. (See korbanot in siddur). References to the restoration of the Temple and sacrificial worships in the daily Amidah prayer, the central prayer in Judaism. A traditional personal plea for the restoration of the Temple at the end of private recitation of the Amidah. A prayer for the restoration of the "house of our lives" and the shekhinah (divine presence) "to dwell among us" is recited during the Amidah prayer. Recitation of the Psalm of the day; the psalm sung by the Levites in the Temple for that day) during the daily morning service. Numerous psalms sung as part of the ordinary service make extensive references to the Temple and Temple worship. Recitation of the special Jewish holiday sacrifices, and prayers for the restoration of the Temple and their offering, during the Mussaf services on Jewish holidays. An extensive recitation of the special Temple service for Yom Kippur during the service for that holiday. Special services for Sukkot (Hakafot) contain extensive (but generally obscure) references to the special Temple service performed on that day. The destruction of the Temple is mourned on the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av. Three other minor fasts (Tenth of Tevet, 17th of Tammuz, and Third of Tishrei), also mourn events leading to or following the destruction of the Temple.

Conservative Judaism [edit] Conservative Judaism retains mentions of the Temple in Jerusalem, but removes references to the restoration of sacrifices. The study session of Temple sacrifices is removed or replaced, the passages in the daily Amidah, the weekday Torah service, and elsewhere referring to restoration of the Temple are retained ­ but references to sacrifices are removed. References to sacrifices on holidays are retained, but made in the past tense, and petitions for their restoration are removed. Special holiday services, such as special prayers at Yom Kippur and Sukkot, are retained, but are often abbreviated or omitted by Conservative congregations. Siddur Sim Shalom, the prayer book(s) used in most Conservative synagogues, has alternate versions of the Amidah prayer: a version mentioning sacrifices in the past tense and one without reference to sacrifices at all. Conservative Judaism has retained the four fasts relating to the destruction of the Temple, although only Tisha B'Av is widely observed.

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism [edit] Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism have removed all direct references to the Temple, although some indirect or ambiguous references (e.g. "Happy are those who dwell in your House", Psalm 84:5) are retained. For a number of years the Reform movement in the United States called its places of worship not synagogues or shuls but temples. This is due to their belief that prayer replaced sacrifice as the main mode of Jewish worship, and that in a world where that is the case, there is no need for The Temple, only temples. Reform Judaism has, in fact, repudiated animal sacrifice, and now refers to a "sacrifice of the heart." [citation needed]. Now, however, the Reform movement does refer to its main places of worship as synagogues. Temple has come to be used strictly as a term referring to the first and second Temples.

Archaeological evidence [edit]

Archaeological excavations have found one hundred mikvaot (ritual immersion pools) surrounding the Temple Mount or Har HaBayit. This is strong evidence that this area was considered of the utmost holiness in ancient times and could not possibly have been a secular area. However, it does not establish where exactly within the area was the Temple

located.[citation needed] There are basically three theories: The Temple was where the Dome of the Rock is now located. The Temple was located a little to the north of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Asher A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the Kaufman). Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007). the Second Temple. Other theories have the Temple either to the north or to the south of the Temple Mount. Scholars generally reject more outlandish theories that claim the Temple was located somewhere else than Jerusalem or even outside the Land of Israel.

2004 artifact controversy [edit] On December 27, 2004, it was reported in the Toronto­based The Globe and Mail that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem concluded that the ivory pomegranate that everyone believed had once adorned a scepter used by the high priest in Solomon's Temple was a fake. This artifact was the most important item of biblical antiquities in its collection. It had been part of a traveling exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 2003. Experts fear that this discovery is part of an international fraud in antiquities. The thumb­sized pomegranate, which is a mere 44 mm in height, bears an inscription incised around the shoulder of the pomegranate in small paleo­Hebrew script. Only 9 characters remained complete, and were incomplete – if any sense were to be made of the inscription, it seemed likely that several more were missing. The surviving part of the inscription was (.he remain ה Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the) יבל...םנהכ שדק ה transcribed םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל :The following restoration of missing letters was proposed This reconstruction resulted in the following transliteration, now accepted by the vast majority of scholars: lby[t yhw]h qdš khnm, which led to the translation: "[Belonging] to the Temp[le of YaHW]eH, holy [or, consecrated] to the priests." The notion that the artifact is fake derives from the conclusion that it belongs to the Bronze Age rather than the Iron Age. Also, strokes of the inscribed letters do not continue directly into a broken­off section of the piece, suggesting that the inscription was added after the piece was broken. However, there are theories that the Temple of Solomon was built in the Bronze Age. If this is correct, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the ivory pomegranate. By the end of 2008, Professor Yitzhak Roman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem concluded that the inscription on the ivory pomegranate is authentic.[10]

The Temple in Islam [edit]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

The Last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad originally ordered Muslims to pray and prostrate toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs). It is also mentioned in the Qur'an] as 'Bayt Al­Maqdes' which is an Arabic version of the Hebrew word 'Beit HaMikdash' (meaning 'The Holy House'). Since at least Mishnaic times (200 CE), Jews face the temple mount in Jerusalem while praying. The Mishnah speaks about this in Berakhot (Talmud) chapter 4, Mishnahs 5 and 6 and this practice is even found as early as I Kings 8:35­36. In Islam, this only lasted for seventeen months after Muhammad's arrival in Medina,[11] after which the Qiblah became oriented towards the Kaaba in Mecca. According to historical accounts from the prophet Muhammad's companions contained in the Hadith, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in a mosque in Medina. Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received a revelation from Allah instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah as in the Qur'anic verse 2:144 which reads, "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is God unmindful of what they do.". According to the accounts, Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem during the prayer, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so. After this, the mosque in which this incident occurred came to be known as Masjid al­Qiblatain (i.e. 'Mosque of the Two Qiblahs'). For some hundreds of years after the Muslim conquest, Jerusalem was still known to the Arabic speakers as 'Illya' which is the Arabic version of its Roman name 'Aelia Capitolina'. Bayt Al­Maqdes later became synonymous with Jerusalem and was eventually shortened to simply 'al Quds' ('The Holy'). When Khalif Omar ibn al­Khattāb (Umar) came to Jerusalem he asked the Patriach of Jerusalem to lead him to the site of the Temple. The area was filled with debris because it was considered the quarry and the dump site of the city during Christian times. A Jewish rabbi turned Muslim was with Umar: "Ka'ab al­Ahbar". He, armed with his religious knowledge, led Umar first to the site of the Temple (The area where Israelites used to pray) where indeed Umar discovered the foundations' ruins, where Umar built a mosque made of reed on the example of The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina (roof was also made of reed). Umar prayed with 10,000 people for the first time since the fall of the temple in 70 CE. Umar prohibited offering sacrifices in the temple. Then while Umar was searching for "the Rock" that Muhammad ascended atop of, with Angel Gabriel, to Heaven in his night journey to Heaven "Isra and Mi'raj" just less than 20 years ago (as the prophet related), Ka'ab was also searching for the site of the Holy of Holies. While removing the debris from the expected site of the Holy of Holies, to everybody's amazement, a large rock was revealed, then more of it was exposed by more cleaning. Umar built a fence around the rock because he saw Ka'ab walking on it barefoot ("to see how it felt," as Kaab related later). A later Khalif built The Dome of the Rock over the Rock. The Dome was a monumental engineering project that lasted decades in construction, hiring the best architects and master masons in the world (from Byzantium) because the Umayyad Khalif and Muslims in his territories were unable to go to Mecca for pilgrimage because another anti­Umayyad Khalif declared himself in Mecca for decades "Abd­Allah ibn al­Zubayr", and they needed an alternative pilgrimage destination so his subjects wouldn't riot if he did not allow them to go to Mecca where his rival Khalif resided.

See also [edit]

Great Jewish Revolt Siege of Jerusalem Leontopolis

References [edit]

1. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. "The Temple of Solomon ". Retrieved on 2008­11­12. 2. ^ Books of Chronicles, 1 Chronicles, chapter 22 ­ 29 3. ^ Possible remains of second temple found in Jerusalem 4. ^ Finds on Temple Mount from First Temple 5. ^ Erwin Reidinger: "The Temple Mount Platform in Jerusalem from Solomon to Herod: An Archaeological Re­Examination." In Assaph, Studies in Art of History, Volume 9, Tel Aviv 2004, 1­64. 6. ^ Hecateus of Abdere or pseudo­Hecateus of Abdere, transmitted by Josephus and Eusebius of Caesarea (Contra Appium : 1/22 ; Evangelic. Preparation : 9/4) 7. ^ Josephus, Judaic Antiquities : 15/14 8. ^ Sheyibaneh Beit Hamikdash:Women in the Azarya? 9. ^ Juan Rafael de la Cuadra Blanco (2005). «King Philip of Spain as Solomon the Second. The origins of Solomonism of the Escorial in the Netherlands», en The Seventh Window. The King's Window donated by Phillip II and Mary Tudor to Sint Janskerk (1557), p. 169­180 (concept & editing Wim de Groot, Verloren Publishers, Hilversum ed.). ISBN 90­6550­822­8. 10. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review Special News Report, December 16, 2008, "Leading Israeli Scientist Declares Pomegranate Inscription Authentic ". 11. ^ In the Lands of the Prophet, Time­Life, p. 29

External links [edit]

Seek Out the Welfare of Jerusalem Analytical studies by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the Rambam's rulings concerning the construction and the design of the Beis HaMikdosh. visit of the Temple Institute Museum in Jerusalem conducted by Rav Israel Ariel Video tour of a model of the future temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40­49 from a Christian perspective. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

Further reading [edit]

Biblical Archaeology Review, issues: July/August 1983, November/December 1989, March/April 1992, July/August 1999, September/October 1999, March/April 2000, September/October 2005 Ritmeyer, Leen. The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. ISBN 965­220­628­8 Hamblin, William and David Seely, Solomon's Temple: Myth and History (Thames and Hudson, 2007) ISBN 0500251339 Yaron Eliav, God's Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place and Memory (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)

v • d • e Jews and Judaism

Schisms ∙ Intra­Jewish relations ∙ Orthodox ∙ (Haredi ∙ Hasidic ∙ Modern Orthodox) ∙ Conservative ∙ Reform ∙ Reconstructionist ∙ Jewish Renewal ∙ Denominations Rabbinic ∙ Karaite ∙ Samaritan ∙ Humanistic

Principles of faith ∙ Chosen people ∙ Eschatology ∙ Ethics ∙ Halakha ∙ Holocaust theology ∙ Kabbalah ∙ Kashrut ∙ Messianism ∙ Minyan ∙ Philosophy Mussar Movement ∙ Names of God ∙ Seven Laws of Noah ∙ Tzedakah ∙ Tzniut

Tanakh (Torah ∙ Nevi'im ∙ Ketuvim) ∙ Arba'ah Turim ∙ Chumash ∙ Kuzari ∙ Midrash ∙ Mishnah Berurah ∙ Mishneh Torah ∙ Piyyut ∙ Rabbinic works ∙ Religious texts Shulchan Aruch ∙ Siddur ∙ Talmud ∙ Tosefta ∙ Zohar

Abraham ∙ Isaac ∙ Jacob ∙ Sarah ∙ Rebecca ∙ Rachel ∙ Leah ∙ Moses ∙ Deborah ∙ Ruth ∙ David ∙ Solomon ∙ Elijah ∙ Hillel ∙ Shammai ∙ Judah haNasi ∙ Saadia Gaon ∙ Rashi ∙ Isaac Alfasi ∙ Abraham ibn Ezra ∙ Tosafists ∙ Rambam ∙ Nahmanides ∙ Asher ben Jehiel ∙ Gersonides ∙ Joseph Albo ∙ Jewish leadership Yosef Karo ∙ ∙ Shneur Zalman of Liadi ∙ Vilna Gaon ∙ Leopold Zunz ∙ Israel Jacobson ∙ Abraham Geiger ∙ Ben Ish Chai ∙ Avrohom Mordechai Alter ∙ Ovadia Yosef ∙ Moshe Feinstein ∙ Elazar Shach ∙ Menachem Schneerson

Who is a Jew? ∙ ∙ Bereavement ∙ Brit milah ∙ Etymology of the word Jew ∙ Marriage ∙ Wedding ∙ Niddah ∙ Pidyon HaBen ∙ Life and culture Secular Jewish culture ∙ Hiloni ∙ Shidduch ∙ Zeved habat

Four Holy Cities (Jerusalem ∙ Safed ∙ Hebron ∙ Tiberias) ∙ Beth din ∙ Gabbai ∙ Hazzan ∙ Kohen ∙ Maggid ∙ Mashgiach ∙ Mikvah ∙ Mohel ∙ Rabbi ∙ Rebbe ∙ Roles and places ∙ Synagogue ∙ Temple ∙ Tabernacle ∙ Western Wall

Aleinu ∙ Amidah ∙ Four Species ∙ Gartel ∙ Hallel ∙ Havdalah ∙ Kaddish ∙ Kittel ∙ Kol Nidre ∙ Ma Tovu ∙ Menorah (Hanukiah) ∙ Mezuzah ∙ Prayer ∙ Religious articles Sefer Torah ∙ Services ∙ Shema Yisrael ∙ Shofar ∙ Tallit ∙ Tefillin ∙ Tzitzit ∙ Yad ∙ Kippah/Yarmulke

Jewish views of religious pluralism ∙ Abrahamic religions ∙ Christianity (Catholicism ∙ Christian­Jewish reconciliation ∙ Judeo­Christian ∙ Mormonism) ∙ Other religions Islam ∙ Jewish Buddhist ∙ Judeo­Paganism ∙ Others

Languages Hebrew ∙ Judeo­Arabic ∙ Judeo­Aramaic ∙ Judeo­Persian ∙ Ladino ∙ Yiddish

Ancient ∙ Temple in Jerusalem ∙ Babylonian captivity ∙ Jerusalem (Significance ∙ Timeline) ∙ Hasmonean ∙ Herod ∙ Sanhedrin ∙ Pharisees ∙ Saducees ∙ Essenes ∙ First Jewish­Roman War ∙ Bar Kokhba revolt ∙ Diaspora ∙ Middle Ages ∙ Muslim rule ∙ Sabbateans ∙ Haskalah ∙ Emancipation ∙ History The Holocaust ∙ Aliyah ∙ Israel (History) ∙ Arab­Israeli / Israeli­Palestinian conflicts ∙ Land of Israel ∙ Baal teshuva movement ∙ History of the Jews in Jamaica

Zionism (General ∙ Labor ∙ Religious ∙ Revisionist) ∙ Political movements (Jewish left ∙ Jewish right ∙ Jewish anarchism) ∙ General Jewish Labor Union ∙ Politics World Agudath Israel ∙ Feminism ∙ Politics of Israel

Antisemitism History ∙ Persecution ∙ New ∙ Racial ∙ Religious ∙ Secondary

Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 20:50. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Temple in Jerusalem Coordinates: 31.77765, 35.23547 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to Part of a series of articles on ,שדקמה תיב :The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two Jews and Judaism navigation temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical Main page Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.

Contents "shechina") in the physical world. Featured content Current events The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960 [1] [2] Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture Random article BCE. It was the center of ancient Judaism. The Temple replaced the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacles at Shiloh, Nov, and Givon as the central focus of Jewish faith. This First Temple was destroyed by Religion search the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed Texts 520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra, Ethnicities Go Search rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later, Population this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the Denominations interaction Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple Languages About Wikipedia itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was Community portal the only wall standing. History Recent changes Politics Contact Wikipedia An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and Donate to Wikipedia the al­Aqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard. v • d • e Help Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of toolbox The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple. What links here On August 30, 2007, what appears to be the remains of the Second Temple were discovered during the installation of pipes in the compound. [3] Related changes Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4] Upload file Special pages Contents Printable version 1 Etymology Permanent link 2 First and Second Temples Cite this page 3 Building a Third Temple languages 4 Physical layout The Temple in the writings of the prophets 5 ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Български 6 Temple services Català 7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden Česky 8 Role in Jewish services Dansk 8.1 Orthodox Judaism Deutsch 8.2 Conservative Judaism Eesti 8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism Español Esperanto 9 Archaeological evidence Euskara 9.1 2004 artifact controversy The Temple in Islam 10 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 11 See also Furlan 12 References Galego 13 External links 한국어 14 Further reading Bahasa Indonesia Italiano [Etymology [edit תירבע Kiswahili Latviešu The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House", Lietuvių and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a Македонски variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply Nederlands Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House). 日本語 The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by Norsk (bokmål) Norsk (nynorsk) God. David had hoped to build it, but was told by God that his son would be the one to assemble the first temple. During his reign, David began to collect most of the raw materials Polski Português used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver, Русский bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant, Shqip and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man Simple English could worship the God of Israel. Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members Српскохрватски of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon. Svenska Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of Tiếng Việt tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah, Ezekiel 40­47 Türkçe Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The Українська second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile שידִיי by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn 中文 apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.

First and Second Temples [edit]

Main articles: Solomon's Temple and Second Temple Two distinct Temples stood in succession on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Solomon's Temple was built in the 10th century BCE and has been dated astronomically to 957 BCE[5] to replace the Tabernacle. It was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, and thus stood for about 375 years; Talmudic tradition gives the number as 410 years. The building of the Temple of Solomon plays a prominent role in Masonic tradition, as

well. The Second Temple was built after Cyrus allowed the Jews to return from the Babylonian captivity. The return took place around 537 BCE, and, after a number of delays, the Temple was completed in 516 BCE. The dimensions of the Temple Mount were then 150 metres x 50 metres.[6] A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The Second Temple was destroyed by Roman Empire troops under general Titus in 70 CE. This second Temple had been desecrated by Pompey, when he entered it after taking Jerusalem in 63 BCE. According to Josephus (living at the Court of the Roman Emperor), Pompey did not remove anything from the Temple or its treasury. He did, however, massacre the Priests who attempted to block his entry to the sanctuary. Pompey subsequently lost all his power and died as a hunted fugitive. This is seen by many Jewish people as Divine punishment. (See article on Pompey in the Encyclopaedia Judaica). Around 19 BCE, King Herod began a renovation of the Temple Complex in order to conceive a larger and grander version. Scarcely had the Temple's renovations been completed, however, when it was completely destroyed ­­ down to the foundations ­­ by

the Roman Empire.[7] During the last revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 132­135 CE, Simon bar Kokhba and Rabbi Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba's revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. A further effort at rebuilding the Temple took place in 363 CE when Julian the Apostate ordered the restoration of the Jewish Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome. sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.

Building a Third Temple [edit]

Main article: The Third Temple Ever since the Second Temple's destruction, a prayer for the construction of a new Third Temple has been a formal part of the thrice­daily Jewish prayer services. However, the question of whether and when to construct the Third Temple is disputed both within the Jewish community and without; groups within Judaism argue both for and against construction of a new Temple, while the expansion of Abrahamic religion since the 1st century CE has made the issue contentious within Christian and Islamic thought as well. Furthermore, the complicated political status of Jerusalem makes initiation of reconstruction presently difficult, while the traditional physical location of the historic Temple is presently occupied by the Al­Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Physical layout [edit]

According to the Talmud, the Temple had an Ezrat Nashim (Women's Court) to the east and main area to the west. The main area contained the butchering area for the sacrifices and the Mizbaeach (Outer Altar) on which portions of most offerings were burned and blood was poured or dashed. An edifice contained the Ulam (antechamber), the Heichal, and the Kodesh Kodashim (Holy of Holies). The Heichal and the Kodesh Kodashim were separated by a wall in the First Temple and by two curtains in the Second Temple. The Heichal contained the Menorah, the table of Showbread and the Incense Altar. The main courtyard had thirteen gates. On the south side, beginning with the southwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Ha'Elyon (the Upper Gate) Shaar HaDelek (the Kindling Gate), where wood was brought in Shaar HaBechorot (the Gate of Firstborn), where people with first­born animal offerings entered and fathers and children entered for the Pidyon HaBen ceremony Shaar HaMayim (the Water Gate), where the Water Libation entered on Sukkot. On the north side, beginning with the northwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Yechonyah (The Gate of Yechonyah), where kings of the Davidic line enter and Yechonyah/Yehoyachin left for the last time to captivity Shaar HaKorban (The gate of the Offering), where priests entered with kodshei kodashim offerings Shaar HaNashim (The Women's Gate), where women entered into the Azara or main courtyard to [8] perform offerings Excavated steps on the South side of the Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments Temple Mount On the east side was Shaar Nikanor, between the Women's Courtyard and the main Temple Courtyard, which had two minor doorways, one on its right and one on its left. On the western wall, which was relatively unimportant, there were two gates that did not have any name.

The Temple in the writings of the prophets [edit]

The Biblical prophets describe visions of a mysterious presence of God occupying the Temple. Isaiah wrote "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple." (Isaiah 6:1). Jeremiah implored "Do not dishonor the throne of your glory" (Jeremiah 14:21) and referred to "Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, Thou place of our sanctuary" (Jeremiah 17:12). Ezekiel spoke of "the glory of the God of Israel was there [in the Sanctuary], according to the vision that I saw in the plain." Isaiah spoke of the importance of prayer as well as sacrifice in Temple, and of a universal purpose:

Even them will I bring to my My holy mountain, and make joyful in My house of prayer, Their burnt­offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7, JPS translation). "My House shall be a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)

Temple services [edit]

The Temple was the place where offerings described in the course of the Hebrew Bible were carried out, including daily morning and afternoon offerings and special offerings on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Levites recited Psalms at appropriate moments during the offerings, including the Psalm of the Day, special psalms for the new month, and other occasions, the Hallel during major Jewish holidays, and psalms for special sacrifices such as the "Psalm for the Thanksgiving Offering" (Psalm 100). As part of the daily offering, a prayer service was performed in the Temple which was used as the basis of the traditional Jewish (morning) service recited to this day, including well­known prayers such as the Barchu, the Shema, and the Priestly Blessing. The Mishna describes it as follows:

The superintendent said to them, recite the Barchu, and they read the Ten Commandments, and the Shema, "And it shall come to “ pass if you will hearken", and "And [God] spoke...". They pronounced three benedictions with the people present: "True and firm", and the "Avodah" {"Accept, Lord our God, the service of your people Israel, and the fire­offerings of Israel and their prayer receive with favor. Blessed is He who receives the service of His people Israel with favor" (similar to what is today the 17th blessing of the Amidah), and the Priestly Blessing, and on the Sabbath they recited one blessing; "May He who causes His name to dwell in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship" on behalf of the weekly Priestly Guard that departed. ” —Mishna Tamid 5:1

The Temple as the Garden of Eden [edit]

The Temple courtyards were full of trees, flowers, and fountains, because the Temple was meant to be a model and re­creation of the Garden of Eden. (See "Jerusalem as Eden," by Lawrence Stager, Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2000).

Role in Jewish services [edit]

Main article: Jewish services El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part descriptions of Solomon's temple.[9] surrounding the Shema prayer, is essentially unchanged from the daily worship service performed in the Temple. In addition, recitation of the Amidah prayer, which traditionally replaces the Temple's daily tamid and special­occasion Mussaf (additional) offerings, must be recited today during the times that the offerings they substitute for were performed in the days of the Temple, in both Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. The Temple is mentioned extensively in Orthodox services, and, to a lesser degree, in Conservative ones as well.

Orthodox Judaism [edit] Mentions in Orthodox Jewish services include: A daily recital of Biblical and Talmudic passages related to the korbanot (sacrifices) performed in the Temple. (See korbanot in siddur). References to the restoration of the Temple and sacrificial worships in the daily Amidah prayer, the central prayer in Judaism. A traditional personal plea for the restoration of the Temple at the end of private recitation of the Amidah. A prayer for the restoration of the "house of our lives" and the shekhinah (divine presence) "to dwell among us" is recited during the Amidah prayer. Recitation of the Psalm of the day; the psalm sung by the Levites in the Temple for that day) during the daily morning service. Numerous psalms sung as part of the ordinary service make extensive references to the Temple and Temple worship. Recitation of the special Jewish holiday sacrifices, and prayers for the restoration of the Temple and their offering, during the Mussaf services on Jewish holidays. An extensive recitation of the special Temple service for Yom Kippur during the service for that holiday. Special services for Sukkot (Hakafot) contain extensive (but generally obscure) references to the special Temple service performed on that day. The destruction of the Temple is mourned on the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av. Three other minor fasts (Tenth of Tevet, 17th of Tammuz, and Third of Tishrei), also mourn events leading to or following the destruction of the Temple.

Conservative Judaism [edit] Conservative Judaism retains mentions of the Temple in Jerusalem, but removes references to the restoration of sacrifices. The study session of Temple sacrifices is removed or replaced, the passages in the daily Amidah, the weekday Torah service, and elsewhere referring to restoration of the Temple are retained ­ but references to sacrifices are removed. References to sacrifices on holidays are retained, but made in the past tense, and petitions for their restoration are removed. Special holiday services, such as special prayers at Yom Kippur and Sukkot, are retained, but are often abbreviated or omitted by Conservative congregations. Siddur Sim Shalom, the prayer book(s) used in most Conservative synagogues, has alternate versions of the Amidah prayer: a version mentioning sacrifices in the past tense and one without reference to sacrifices at all. Conservative Judaism has retained the four fasts relating to the destruction of the Temple, although only Tisha B'Av is widely observed.

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism [edit] Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism have removed all direct references to the Temple, although some indirect or ambiguous references (e.g. "Happy are those who dwell in your House", Psalm 84:5) are retained. For a number of years the Reform movement in the United States called its places of worship not synagogues or shuls but temples. This is due to their belief that prayer replaced sacrifice as the main mode of Jewish worship, and that in a world where that is the case, there is no need for The Temple, only temples. Reform Judaism has, in fact, repudiated animal sacrifice, and now refers to a "sacrifice of the heart." [citation needed]. Now, however, the Reform movement does refer to its main places of worship as synagogues. Temple has come to be used strictly as a term referring to the first and second Temples.

Archaeological evidence [edit]

Archaeological excavations have found one hundred mikvaot (ritual immersion pools) surrounding the Temple Mount or Har HaBayit. This is strong evidence that this area was considered of the utmost holiness in ancient times and could not possibly have been a secular area. However, it does not establish where exactly within the area was the Temple

located.[citation needed] There are basically three theories: The Temple was where the Dome of the Rock is now located. The Temple was located a little to the north of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Asher A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the Kaufman). Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007). the Second Temple. Other theories have the Temple either to the north or to the south of the Temple Mount. Scholars generally reject more outlandish theories that claim the Temple was located somewhere else than Jerusalem or even outside the Land of Israel.

2004 artifact controversy [edit] On December 27, 2004, it was reported in the Toronto­based The Globe and Mail that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem concluded that the ivory pomegranate that everyone believed had once adorned a scepter used by the high priest in Solomon's Temple was a fake. This artifact was the most important item of biblical antiquities in its collection. It had been part of a traveling exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 2003. Experts fear that this discovery is part of an international fraud in antiquities. The thumb­sized pomegranate, which is a mere 44 mm in height, bears an inscription incised around the shoulder of the pomegranate in small paleo­Hebrew script. Only 9 characters remained complete, and were incomplete – if any sense were to be made of the inscription, it seemed likely that several more were missing. The surviving part of the inscription was (.he remain ה Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the) יבל...םנהכ שדק ה transcribed םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל :The following restoration of missing letters was proposed This reconstruction resulted in the following transliteration, now accepted by the vast majority of scholars: lby[t yhw]h qdš khnm, which led to the translation: "[Belonging] to the Temp[le of YaHW]eH, holy [or, consecrated] to the priests." The notion that the artifact is fake derives from the conclusion that it belongs to the Bronze Age rather than the Iron Age. Also, strokes of the inscribed letters do not continue directly into a broken­off section of the piece, suggesting that the inscription was added after the piece was broken. However, there are theories that the Temple of Solomon was built in the Bronze Age. If this is correct, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the ivory pomegranate. By the end of 2008, Professor Yitzhak Roman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem concluded that the inscription on the ivory pomegranate is authentic.[10]

The Temple in Islam [edit]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

The Last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad originally ordered Muslims to pray and prostrate toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs). It is also mentioned in the Qur'an] as 'Bayt Al­Maqdes' which is an Arabic version of the Hebrew word 'Beit HaMikdash' (meaning 'The Holy House'). Since at least Mishnaic times (200 CE), Jews face the temple mount in Jerusalem while praying. The Mishnah speaks about this in Berakhot (Talmud) chapter 4, Mishnahs 5 and 6 and this practice is even found as early as I Kings 8:35­36. In Islam, this only lasted for seventeen months after Muhammad's arrival in Medina,[11] after which the Qiblah became oriented towards the Kaaba in Mecca. According to historical accounts from the prophet Muhammad's companions contained in the Hadith, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in a mosque in Medina. Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received a revelation from Allah instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah as in the Qur'anic verse 2:144 which reads, "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is God unmindful of what they do.". According to the accounts, Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem during the prayer, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so. After this, the mosque in which this incident occurred came to be known as Masjid al­Qiblatain (i.e. 'Mosque of the Two Qiblahs'). For some hundreds of years after the Muslim conquest, Jerusalem was still known to the Arabic speakers as 'Illya' which is the Arabic version of its Roman name 'Aelia Capitolina'. Bayt Al­Maqdes later became synonymous with Jerusalem and was eventually shortened to simply 'al Quds' ('The Holy'). When Khalif Omar ibn al­Khattāb (Umar) came to Jerusalem he asked the Patriach of Jerusalem to lead him to the site of the Temple. The area was filled with debris because it was considered the quarry and the dump site of the city during Christian times. A Jewish rabbi turned Muslim was with Umar: "Ka'ab al­Ahbar". He, armed with his religious knowledge, led Umar first to the site of the Temple (The area where Israelites used to pray) where indeed Umar discovered the foundations' ruins, where Umar built a mosque made of reed on the example of The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina (roof was also made of reed). Umar prayed with 10,000 people for the first time since the fall of the temple in 70 CE. Umar prohibited offering sacrifices in the temple. Then while Umar was searching for "the Rock" that Muhammad ascended atop of, with Angel Gabriel, to Heaven in his night journey to Heaven "Isra and Mi'raj" just less than 20 years ago (as the prophet related), Ka'ab was also searching for the site of the Holy of Holies. While removing the debris from the expected site of the Holy of Holies, to everybody's amazement, a large rock was revealed, then more of it was exposed by more cleaning. Umar built a fence around the rock because he saw Ka'ab walking on it barefoot ("to see how it felt," as Kaab related later). A later Khalif built The Dome of the Rock over the Rock. The Dome was a monumental engineering project that lasted decades in construction, hiring the best architects and master masons in the world (from Byzantium) because the Umayyad Khalif and Muslims in his territories were unable to go to Mecca for pilgrimage because another anti­Umayyad Khalif declared himself in Mecca for decades "Abd­Allah ibn al­Zubayr", and they needed an alternative pilgrimage destination so his subjects wouldn't riot if he did not allow them to go to Mecca where his rival Khalif resided.

See also [edit]

Great Jewish Revolt Siege of Jerusalem Leontopolis

References [edit]

1. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. "The Temple of Solomon ". Retrieved on 2008­11­12. 2. ^ Books of Chronicles, 1 Chronicles, chapter 22 ­ 29 3. ^ Possible remains of second temple found in Jerusalem 4. ^ Finds on Temple Mount from First Temple 5. ^ Erwin Reidinger: "The Temple Mount Platform in Jerusalem from Solomon to Herod: An Archaeological Re­Examination." In Assaph, Studies in Art of History, Volume 9, Tel Aviv 2004, 1­64. 6. ^ Hecateus of Abdere or pseudo­Hecateus of Abdere, transmitted by Josephus and Eusebius of Caesarea (Contra Appium : 1/22 ; Evangelic. Preparation : 9/4) 7. ^ Josephus, Judaic Antiquities : 15/14 8. ^ Sheyibaneh Beit Hamikdash:Women in the Azarya? 9. ^ Juan Rafael de la Cuadra Blanco (2005). «King Philip of Spain as Solomon the Second. The origins of Solomonism of the Escorial in the Netherlands», en The Seventh Window. The King's Window donated by Phillip II and Mary Tudor to Sint Janskerk (1557), p. 169­180 (concept & editing Wim de Groot, Verloren Publishers, Hilversum ed.). ISBN 90­6550­822­8. 10. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review Special News Report, December 16, 2008, "Leading Israeli Scientist Declares Pomegranate Inscription Authentic ". 11. ^ In the Lands of the Prophet, Time­Life, p. 29

External links [edit]

Seek Out the Welfare of Jerusalem Analytical studies by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the Rambam's rulings concerning the construction and the design of the Beis HaMikdosh. visit of the Temple Institute Museum in Jerusalem conducted by Rav Israel Ariel Video tour of a model of the future temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40­49 from a Christian perspective. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

Further reading [edit]

Biblical Archaeology Review, issues: July/August 1983, November/December 1989, March/April 1992, July/August 1999, September/October 1999, March/April 2000, September/October 2005 Ritmeyer, Leen. The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. ISBN 965­220­628­8 Hamblin, William and David Seely, Solomon's Temple: Myth and History (Thames and Hudson, 2007) ISBN 0500251339 Yaron Eliav, God's Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place and Memory (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)

v • d • e Jews and Judaism

Schisms ∙ Intra­Jewish relations ∙ Orthodox ∙ (Haredi ∙ Hasidic ∙ Modern Orthodox) ∙ Conservative ∙ Reform ∙ Reconstructionist ∙ Jewish Renewal ∙ Denominations Rabbinic ∙ Karaite ∙ Samaritan ∙ Humanistic

Principles of faith ∙ Chosen people ∙ Eschatology ∙ Ethics ∙ Halakha ∙ Holocaust theology ∙ Kabbalah ∙ Kashrut ∙ Messianism ∙ Minyan ∙ Philosophy Mussar Movement ∙ Names of God ∙ Seven Laws of Noah ∙ Tzedakah ∙ Tzniut

Tanakh (Torah ∙ Nevi'im ∙ Ketuvim) ∙ Arba'ah Turim ∙ Chumash ∙ Kuzari ∙ Midrash ∙ Mishnah Berurah ∙ Mishneh Torah ∙ Piyyut ∙ Rabbinic works ∙ Religious texts Shulchan Aruch ∙ Siddur ∙ Talmud ∙ Tosefta ∙ Zohar

Abraham ∙ Isaac ∙ Jacob ∙ Sarah ∙ Rebecca ∙ Rachel ∙ Leah ∙ Moses ∙ Deborah ∙ Ruth ∙ David ∙ Solomon ∙ Elijah ∙ Hillel ∙ Shammai ∙ Judah haNasi ∙ Saadia Gaon ∙ Rashi ∙ Isaac Alfasi ∙ Abraham ibn Ezra ∙ Tosafists ∙ Rambam ∙ Nahmanides ∙ Asher ben Jehiel ∙ Gersonides ∙ Joseph Albo ∙ Jewish leadership Yosef Karo ∙ Baal Shem Tov ∙ Shneur Zalman of Liadi ∙ Vilna Gaon ∙ Leopold Zunz ∙ Israel Jacobson ∙ Abraham Geiger ∙ Ben Ish Chai ∙ Avrohom Mordechai Alter ∙ Ovadia Yosef ∙ Moshe Feinstein ∙ Elazar Shach ∙ Menachem Schneerson

Who is a Jew? ∙ Bar and Bat Mitzvah ∙ Bereavement ∙ Brit milah ∙ Etymology of the word Jew ∙ Marriage ∙ Wedding ∙ Niddah ∙ Pidyon HaBen ∙ Life and culture Secular Jewish culture ∙ Hiloni ∙ Shidduch ∙ Zeved habat

Four Holy Cities (Jerusalem ∙ Safed ∙ Hebron ∙ Tiberias) ∙ Beth din ∙ Gabbai ∙ Hazzan ∙ Kohen ∙ Maggid ∙ Mashgiach ∙ Mikvah ∙ Mohel ∙ Rabbi ∙ Rebbe ∙ Roles and places Rosh yeshiva ∙ Synagogue ∙ Temple ∙ Tabernacle ∙ Western Wall

Aleinu ∙ Amidah ∙ Four Species ∙ Gartel ∙ Hallel ∙ Havdalah ∙ Kaddish ∙ Kittel ∙ Kol Nidre ∙ Ma Tovu ∙ Menorah (Hanukiah) ∙ Mezuzah ∙ Prayer ∙ Religious articles Sefer Torah ∙ Services ∙ Shema Yisrael ∙ Shofar ∙ Tallit ∙ Tefillin ∙ Tzitzit ∙ Yad ∙ Kippah/Yarmulke

Jewish views of religious pluralism ∙ Abrahamic religions ∙ Christianity (Catholicism ∙ Christian­Jewish reconciliation ∙ Judeo­Christian ∙ Mormonism) ∙ Other religions Islam ∙ Jewish Buddhist ∙ Judeo­Paganism ∙ Others

Languages Hebrew ∙ Judeo­Arabic ∙ Judeo­Aramaic ∙ Judeo­Persian ∙ Ladino ∙ Yiddish

Ancient ∙ Temple in Jerusalem ∙ Babylonian captivity ∙ Jerusalem (Significance ∙ Timeline) ∙ Hasmonean ∙ Herod ∙ Sanhedrin ∙ Pharisees ∙ Saducees ∙ Essenes ∙ First Jewish­Roman War ∙ Bar Kokhba revolt ∙ Diaspora ∙ Middle Ages ∙ Muslim rule ∙ Sabbateans ∙ Haskalah ∙ Emancipation ∙ History The Holocaust ∙ Aliyah ∙ Israel (History) ∙ Arab­Israeli / Israeli­Palestinian conflicts ∙ Land of Israel ∙ Baal teshuva movement ∙ History of the Jews in Jamaica

Zionism (General ∙ Labor ∙ Religious ∙ Revisionist) ∙ Political movements (Jewish left ∙ Jewish right ∙ Jewish anarchism) ∙ General Jewish Labor Union ∙ Politics World Agudath Israel ∙ Feminism ∙ Politics of Israel

Antisemitism History ∙ Persecution ∙ New ∙ Racial ∙ Religious ∙ Secondary

Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 20:50. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Temple in Jerusalem Coordinates: 31.77765, 35.23547 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to Part of a series of articles on ,שדקמה תיב :The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two Jews and Judaism navigation temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical Main page Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.

Contents "shechina") in the physical world. Featured content Current events The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960 [1] [2] Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture Random article BCE. It was the center of ancient Judaism. The Temple replaced the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacles at Shiloh, Nov, and Givon as the central focus of Jewish faith. This First Temple was destroyed by Religion search the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed Texts 520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra, Ethnicities Go Search rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later, Population this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the Denominations interaction Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple Languages About Wikipedia itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was Community portal the only wall standing. History Recent changes Politics Contact Wikipedia An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and Donate to Wikipedia the al­Aqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard. v • d • e Help Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of toolbox The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple. What links here On August 30, 2007, what appears to be the remains of the Second Temple were discovered during the installation of pipes in the compound. [3] Related changes Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4] Upload file Special pages Contents Printable version 1 Etymology Permanent link 2 First and Second Temples Cite this page 3 Building a Third Temple languages 4 Physical layout The Temple in the writings of the prophets 5 ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Български 6 Temple services Català 7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden Česky 8 Role in Jewish services Dansk 8.1 Orthodox Judaism Deutsch 8.2 Conservative Judaism Eesti 8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism Español Esperanto 9 Archaeological evidence Euskara 9.1 2004 artifact controversy The Temple in Islam 10 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 11 See also Furlan 12 References Galego 13 External links 한국어 14 Further reading Bahasa Indonesia Italiano [Etymology [edit תירבע Kiswahili Latviešu The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House", Lietuvių and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a Македонски variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply Nederlands Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House). 日本語 The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by Norsk (bokmål) Norsk (nynorsk) God. David had hoped to build it, but was told by God that his son would be the one to assemble the first temple. During his reign, David began to collect most of the raw materials Polski Português used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver, Русский bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant, Shqip and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man Simple English could worship the God of Israel. Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members Српскохрватски of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon. Svenska Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of Tiếng Việt tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah, Ezekiel 40­47 Türkçe Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The Українська second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile שידִיי by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn 中文 apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.

First and Second Temples [edit]

Main articles: Solomon's Temple and Second Temple Two distinct Temples stood in succession on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Solomon's Temple was built in the 10th century BCE and has been dated astronomically to 957 BCE[5] to replace the Tabernacle. It was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, and thus stood for about 375 years; Talmudic tradition gives the number as 410 years. The building of the Temple of Solomon plays a prominent role in Masonic tradition, as

well. The Second Temple was built after Cyrus allowed the Jews to return from the Babylonian captivity. The return took place around 537 BCE, and, after a number of delays, the Temple was completed in 516 BCE. The dimensions of the Temple Mount were then 150 metres x 50 metres.[6] A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The Second Temple was destroyed by Roman Empire troops under general Titus in 70 CE. This second Temple had been desecrated by Pompey, when he entered it after taking Jerusalem in 63 BCE. According to Josephus (living at the Court of the Roman Emperor), Pompey did not remove anything from the Temple or its treasury. He did, however, massacre the Priests who attempted to block his entry to the sanctuary. Pompey subsequently lost all his power and died as a hunted fugitive. This is seen by many Jewish people as Divine punishment. (See article on Pompey in the Encyclopaedia Judaica). Around 19 BCE, King Herod began a renovation of the Temple Complex in order to conceive a larger and grander version. Scarcely had the Temple's renovations been completed, however, when it was completely destroyed ­­ down to the foundations ­­ by

the Roman Empire.[7] During the last revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 132­135 CE, Simon bar Kokhba and Rabbi Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba's revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. A further effort at rebuilding the Temple took place in 363 CE when Julian the Apostate ordered the restoration of the Jewish Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome. sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.

Building a Third Temple [edit]

Main article: The Third Temple Ever since the Second Temple's destruction, a prayer for the construction of a new Third Temple has been a formal part of the thrice­daily Jewish prayer services. However, the question of whether and when to construct the Third Temple is disputed both within the Jewish community and without; groups within Judaism argue both for and against construction of a new Temple, while the expansion of Abrahamic religion since the 1st century CE has made the issue contentious within Christian and Islamic thought as well. Furthermore, the complicated political status of Jerusalem makes initiation of reconstruction presently difficult, while the traditional physical location of the historic Temple is presently occupied by the Al­Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Physical layout [edit]

According to the Talmud, the Temple had an Ezrat Nashim (Women's Court) to the east and main area to the west. The main area contained the butchering area for the sacrifices and the Mizbaeach (Outer Altar) on which portions of most offerings were burned and blood was poured or dashed. An edifice contained the Ulam (antechamber), the Heichal, and the Kodesh Kodashim (Holy of Holies). The Heichal and the Kodesh Kodashim were separated by a wall in the First Temple and by two curtains in the Second Temple. The Heichal contained the Menorah, the table of Showbread and the Incense Altar. The main courtyard had thirteen gates. On the south side, beginning with the southwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Ha'Elyon (the Upper Gate) Shaar HaDelek (the Kindling Gate), where wood was brought in Shaar HaBechorot (the Gate of Firstborn), where people with first­born animal offerings entered and fathers and children entered for the Pidyon HaBen ceremony Shaar HaMayim (the Water Gate), where the Water Libation entered on Sukkot. On the north side, beginning with the northwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Yechonyah (The Gate of Yechonyah), where kings of the Davidic line enter and Yechonyah/Yehoyachin left for the last time to captivity Shaar HaKorban (The gate of the Offering), where priests entered with kodshei kodashim offerings Shaar HaNashim (The Women's Gate), where women entered into the Azara or main courtyard to [8] perform offerings Excavated steps on the South side of the Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments Temple Mount On the east side was Shaar Nikanor, between the Women's Courtyard and the main Temple Courtyard, which had two minor doorways, one on its right and one on its left. On the western wall, which was relatively unimportant, there were two gates that did not have any name.

The Temple in the writings of the prophets [edit]

The Biblical prophets describe visions of a mysterious presence of God occupying the Temple. Isaiah wrote "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple." (Isaiah 6:1). Jeremiah implored "Do not dishonor the throne of your glory" (Jeremiah 14:21) and referred to "Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, Thou place of our sanctuary" (Jeremiah 17:12). Ezekiel spoke of "the glory of the God of Israel was there [in the Sanctuary], according to the vision that I saw in the plain." Isaiah spoke of the importance of prayer as well as sacrifice in Temple, and of a universal purpose:

Even them will I bring to my My holy mountain, and make joyful in My house of prayer, Their burnt­offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7, JPS translation). "My House shall be a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)

Temple services [edit]

The Temple was the place where offerings described in the course of the Hebrew Bible were carried out, including daily morning and afternoon offerings and special offerings on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Levites recited Psalms at appropriate moments during the offerings, including the Psalm of the Day, special psalms for the new month, and other occasions, the Hallel during major Jewish holidays, and psalms for special sacrifices such as the "Psalm for the Thanksgiving Offering" (Psalm 100). As part of the daily offering, a prayer service was performed in the Temple which was used as the basis of the traditional Jewish (morning) service recited to this day, including well­known prayers such as the Barchu, the Shema, and the Priestly Blessing. The Mishna describes it as follows:

The superintendent said to them, recite the Barchu, and they read the Ten Commandments, and the Shema, "And it shall come to “ pass if you will hearken", and "And [God] spoke...". They pronounced three benedictions with the people present: "True and firm", and the "Avodah" {"Accept, Lord our God, the service of your people Israel, and the fire­offerings of Israel and their prayer receive with favor. Blessed is He who receives the service of His people Israel with favor" (similar to what is today the 17th blessing of the Amidah), and the Priestly Blessing, and on the Sabbath they recited one blessing; "May He who causes His name to dwell in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship" on behalf of the weekly Priestly Guard that departed. ” —Mishna Tamid 5:1

The Temple as the Garden of Eden [edit]

The Temple courtyards were full of trees, flowers, and fountains, because the Temple was meant to be a model and re­creation of the Garden of Eden. (See "Jerusalem as Eden," by Lawrence Stager, Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2000).

Role in Jewish services [edit]

Main article: Jewish services El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part descriptions of Solomon's temple.[9] surrounding the Shema prayer, is essentially unchanged from the daily worship service performed in the Temple. In addition, recitation of the Amidah prayer, which traditionally replaces the Temple's daily tamid and special­occasion Mussaf (additional) offerings, must be recited today during the times that the offerings they substitute for were performed in the days of the Temple, in both Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. The Temple is mentioned extensively in Orthodox services, and, to a lesser degree, in Conservative ones as well.

Orthodox Judaism [edit] Mentions in Orthodox Jewish services include: A daily recital of Biblical and Talmudic passages related to the korbanot (sacrifices) performed in the Temple. (See korbanot in siddur). References to the restoration of the Temple and sacrificial worships in the daily Amidah prayer, the central prayer in Judaism. A traditional personal plea for the restoration of the Temple at the end of private recitation of the Amidah. A prayer for the restoration of the "house of our lives" and the shekhinah (divine presence) "to dwell among us" is recited during the Amidah prayer. Recitation of the Psalm of the day; the psalm sung by the Levites in the Temple for that day) during the daily morning service. Numerous psalms sung as part of the ordinary service make extensive references to the Temple and Temple worship. Recitation of the special Jewish holiday sacrifices, and prayers for the restoration of the Temple and their offering, during the Mussaf services on Jewish holidays. An extensive recitation of the special Temple service for Yom Kippur during the service for that holiday. Special services for Sukkot (Hakafot) contain extensive (but generally obscure) references to the special Temple service performed on that day. The destruction of the Temple is mourned on the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av. Three other minor fasts (Tenth of Tevet, 17th of Tammuz, and Third of Tishrei), also mourn events leading to or following the destruction of the Temple.

Conservative Judaism [edit] Conservative Judaism retains mentions of the Temple in Jerusalem, but removes references to the restoration of sacrifices. The study session of Temple sacrifices is removed or replaced, the passages in the daily Amidah, the weekday Torah service, and elsewhere referring to restoration of the Temple are retained ­ but references to sacrifices are removed. References to sacrifices on holidays are retained, but made in the past tense, and petitions for their restoration are removed. Special holiday services, such as special prayers at Yom Kippur and Sukkot, are retained, but are often abbreviated or omitted by Conservative congregations. Siddur Sim Shalom, the prayer book(s) used in most Conservative synagogues, has alternate versions of the Amidah prayer: a version mentioning sacrifices in the past tense and one without reference to sacrifices at all. Conservative Judaism has retained the four fasts relating to the destruction of the Temple, although only Tisha B'Av is widely observed.

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism [edit] Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism have removed all direct references to the Temple, although some indirect or ambiguous references (e.g. "Happy are those who dwell in your House", Psalm 84:5) are retained. For a number of years the Reform movement in the United States called its places of worship not synagogues or shuls but temples. This is due to their belief that prayer replaced sacrifice as the main mode of Jewish worship, and that in a world where that is the case, there is no need for The Temple, only temples. Reform Judaism has, in fact, repudiated animal sacrifice, and now refers to a "sacrifice of the heart." [citation needed]. Now, however, the Reform movement does refer to its main places of worship as synagogues. Temple has come to be used strictly as a term referring to the first and second Temples.

Archaeological evidence [edit]

Archaeological excavations have found one hundred mikvaot (ritual immersion pools) surrounding the Temple Mount or Har HaBayit. This is strong evidence that this area was considered of the utmost holiness in ancient times and could not possibly have been a secular area. However, it does not establish where exactly within the area was the Temple

located.[citation needed] There are basically three theories: The Temple was where the Dome of the Rock is now located. The Temple was located a little to the north of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Asher A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the Kaufman). Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007). the Second Temple. Other theories have the Temple either to the north or to the south of the Temple Mount. Scholars generally reject more outlandish theories that claim the Temple was located somewhere else than Jerusalem or even outside the Land of Israel.

2004 artifact controversy [edit] On December 27, 2004, it was reported in the Toronto­based The Globe and Mail that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem concluded that the ivory pomegranate that everyone believed had once adorned a scepter used by the high priest in Solomon's Temple was a fake. This artifact was the most important item of biblical antiquities in its collection. It had been part of a traveling exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 2003. Experts fear that this discovery is part of an international fraud in antiquities. The thumb­sized pomegranate, which is a mere 44 mm in height, bears an inscription incised around the shoulder of the pomegranate in small paleo­Hebrew script. Only 9 characters remained complete, and were incomplete – if any sense were to be made of the inscription, it seemed likely that several more were missing. The surviving part of the inscription was (.he remain ה Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the) יבל...םנהכ שדק ה transcribed םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל :The following restoration of missing letters was proposed This reconstruction resulted in the following transliteration, now accepted by the vast majority of scholars: lby[t yhw]h qdš khnm, which led to the translation: "[Belonging] to the Temp[le of YaHW]eH, holy [or, consecrated] to the priests." The notion that the artifact is fake derives from the conclusion that it belongs to the Bronze Age rather than the Iron Age. Also, strokes of the inscribed letters do not continue directly into a broken­off section of the piece, suggesting that the inscription was added after the piece was broken. However, there are theories that the Temple of Solomon was built in the Bronze Age. If this is correct, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the ivory pomegranate. By the end of 2008, Professor Yitzhak Roman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem concluded that the inscription on the ivory pomegranate is authentic.[10]

The Temple in Islam [edit]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

The Last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad originally ordered Muslims to pray and prostrate toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs). It is also mentioned in the Qur'an] as 'Bayt Al­Maqdes' which is an Arabic version of the Hebrew word 'Beit HaMikdash' (meaning 'The Holy House'). Since at least Mishnaic times (200 CE), Jews face the temple mount in Jerusalem while praying. The Mishnah speaks about this in Berakhot (Talmud) chapter 4, Mishnahs 5 and 6 and this practice is even found as early as I Kings 8:35­36. In Islam, this only lasted for seventeen months after Muhammad's arrival in Medina,[11] after which the Qiblah became oriented towards the Kaaba in Mecca. According to historical accounts from the prophet Muhammad's companions contained in the Hadith, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in a mosque in Medina. Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received a revelation from Allah instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah as in the Qur'anic verse 2:144 which reads, "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is God unmindful of what they do.". According to the accounts, Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem during the prayer, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so. After this, the mosque in which this incident occurred came to be known as Masjid al­Qiblatain (i.e. 'Mosque of the Two Qiblahs'). For some hundreds of years after the Muslim conquest, Jerusalem was still known to the Arabic speakers as 'Illya' which is the Arabic version of its Roman name 'Aelia Capitolina'. Bayt Al­Maqdes later became synonymous with Jerusalem and was eventually shortened to simply 'al Quds' ('The Holy'). When Khalif Omar ibn al­Khattāb (Umar) came to Jerusalem he asked the Patriach of Jerusalem to lead him to the site of the Temple. The area was filled with debris because it was considered the quarry and the dump site of the city during Christian times. A Jewish rabbi turned Muslim was with Umar: "Ka'ab al­Ahbar". He, armed with his religious knowledge, led Umar first to the site of the Temple (The area where Israelites used to pray) where indeed Umar discovered the foundations' ruins, where Umar built a mosque made of reed on the example of The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina (roof was also made of reed). Umar prayed with 10,000 people for the first time since the fall of the temple in 70 CE. Umar prohibited offering sacrifices in the temple. Then while Umar was searching for "the Rock" that Muhammad ascended atop of, with Angel Gabriel, to Heaven in his night journey to Heaven "Isra and Mi'raj" just less than 20 years ago (as the prophet related), Ka'ab was also searching for the site of the Holy of Holies. While removing the debris from the expected site of the Holy of Holies, to everybody's amazement, a large rock was revealed, then more of it was exposed by more cleaning. Umar built a fence around the rock because he saw Ka'ab walking on it barefoot ("to see how it felt," as Kaab related later). A later Khalif built The Dome of the Rock over the Rock. The Dome was a monumental engineering project that lasted decades in construction, hiring the best architects and master masons in the world (from Byzantium) because the Umayyad Khalif and Muslims in his territories were unable to go to Mecca for pilgrimage because another anti­Umayyad Khalif declared himself in Mecca for decades "Abd­Allah ibn al­Zubayr", and they needed an alternative pilgrimage destination so his subjects wouldn't riot if he did not allow them to go to Mecca where his rival Khalif resided.

See also [edit]

Great Jewish Revolt Siege of Jerusalem Leontopolis

References [edit]

1. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. "The Temple of Solomon ". Retrieved on 2008­11­12. 2. ^ Books of Chronicles, 1 Chronicles, chapter 22 ­ 29 3. ^ Possible remains of second temple found in Jerusalem 4. ^ Finds on Temple Mount from First Temple 5. ^ Erwin Reidinger: "The Temple Mount Platform in Jerusalem from Solomon to Herod: An Archaeological Re­Examination." In Assaph, Studies in Art of History, Volume 9, Tel Aviv 2004, 1­64. 6. ^ Hecateus of Abdere or pseudo­Hecateus of Abdere, transmitted by Josephus and Eusebius of Caesarea (Contra Appium : 1/22 ; Evangelic. Preparation : 9/4) 7. ^ Josephus, Judaic Antiquities : 15/14 8. ^ Sheyibaneh Beit Hamikdash:Women in the Azarya? 9. ^ Juan Rafael de la Cuadra Blanco (2005). «King Philip of Spain as Solomon the Second. The origins of Solomonism of the Escorial in the Netherlands», en The Seventh Window. The King's Window donated by Phillip II and Mary Tudor to Sint Janskerk (1557), p. 169­180 (concept & editing Wim de Groot, Verloren Publishers, Hilversum ed.). ISBN 90­6550­822­8. 10. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review Special News Report, December 16, 2008, "Leading Israeli Scientist Declares Pomegranate Inscription Authentic ". 11. ^ In the Lands of the Prophet, Time­Life, p. 29

External links [edit]

Seek Out the Welfare of Jerusalem Analytical studies by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the Rambam's rulings concerning the construction and the design of the Beis HaMikdosh. visit of the Temple Institute Museum in Jerusalem conducted by Rav Israel Ariel Video tour of a model of the future temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40­49 from a Christian perspective. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

Further reading [edit]

Biblical Archaeology Review, issues: July/August 1983, November/December 1989, March/April 1992, July/August 1999, September/October 1999, March/April 2000, September/October 2005 Ritmeyer, Leen. The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. ISBN 965­220­628­8 Hamblin, William and David Seely, Solomon's Temple: Myth and History (Thames and Hudson, 2007) ISBN 0500251339 Yaron Eliav, God's Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place and Memory (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)

v • d • e Jews and Judaism

Schisms ∙ Intra­Jewish relations ∙ Orthodox ∙ (Haredi ∙ Hasidic ∙ Modern Orthodox) ∙ Conservative ∙ Reform ∙ Reconstructionist ∙ Jewish Renewal ∙ Denominations Rabbinic ∙ Karaite ∙ Samaritan ∙ Humanistic

Principles of faith ∙ Chosen people ∙ Eschatology ∙ Ethics ∙ Halakha ∙ Holocaust theology ∙ Kabbalah ∙ Kashrut ∙ Messianism ∙ Minyan ∙ Philosophy Mussar Movement ∙ Names of God ∙ Seven Laws of Noah ∙ Tzedakah ∙ Tzniut

Tanakh (Torah ∙ Nevi'im ∙ Ketuvim) ∙ Arba'ah Turim ∙ Chumash ∙ Kuzari ∙ Midrash ∙ Mishnah Berurah ∙ Mishneh Torah ∙ Piyyut ∙ Rabbinic works ∙ Religious texts Shulchan Aruch ∙ Siddur ∙ Talmud ∙ Tosefta ∙ Zohar

Abraham ∙ Isaac ∙ Jacob ∙ Sarah ∙ Rebecca ∙ Rachel ∙ Leah ∙ Moses ∙ Deborah ∙ Ruth ∙ David ∙ Solomon ∙ Elijah ∙ Hillel ∙ Shammai ∙ Judah haNasi ∙ Saadia Gaon ∙ Rashi ∙ Isaac Alfasi ∙ Abraham ibn Ezra ∙ Tosafists ∙ Rambam ∙ Nahmanides ∙ Asher ben Jehiel ∙ Gersonides ∙ Joseph Albo ∙ Jewish leadership Yosef Karo ∙ Baal Shem Tov ∙ Shneur Zalman of Liadi ∙ Vilna Gaon ∙ Leopold Zunz ∙ Israel Jacobson ∙ Abraham Geiger ∙ Ben Ish Chai ∙ Avrohom Mordechai Alter ∙ Ovadia Yosef ∙ Moshe Feinstein ∙ Elazar Shach ∙ Menachem Schneerson

Who is a Jew? ∙ Bar and Bat Mitzvah ∙ Bereavement ∙ Brit milah ∙ Etymology of the word Jew ∙ Marriage ∙ Wedding ∙ Niddah ∙ Pidyon HaBen ∙ Life and culture Secular Jewish culture ∙ Hiloni ∙ Shidduch ∙ Zeved habat

Four Holy Cities (Jerusalem ∙ Safed ∙ Hebron ∙ Tiberias) ∙ Beth din ∙ Gabbai ∙ Hazzan ∙ Kohen ∙ Maggid ∙ Mashgiach ∙ Mikvah ∙ Mohel ∙ Rabbi ∙ Rebbe ∙ Roles and places Rosh yeshiva ∙ Synagogue ∙ Temple ∙ Tabernacle ∙ Western Wall

Aleinu ∙ Amidah ∙ Four Species ∙ Gartel ∙ Hallel ∙ Havdalah ∙ Kaddish ∙ Kittel ∙ Kol Nidre ∙ Ma Tovu ∙ Menorah (Hanukiah) ∙ Mezuzah ∙ Prayer ∙ Religious articles Sefer Torah ∙ Services ∙ Shema Yisrael ∙ Shofar ∙ Tallit ∙ Tefillin ∙ Tzitzit ∙ Yad ∙ Kippah/Yarmulke

Jewish views of religious pluralism ∙ Abrahamic religions ∙ Christianity (Catholicism ∙ Christian­Jewish reconciliation ∙ Judeo­Christian ∙ Mormonism) ∙ Other religions Islam ∙ Jewish Buddhist ∙ Judeo­Paganism ∙ Others

Languages Hebrew ∙ Judeo­Arabic ∙ Judeo­Aramaic ∙ Judeo­Persian ∙ Ladino ∙ Yiddish

Ancient ∙ Temple in Jerusalem ∙ Babylonian captivity ∙ Jerusalem (Significance ∙ Timeline) ∙ Hasmonean ∙ Herod ∙ Sanhedrin ∙ Pharisees ∙ Saducees ∙ Essenes ∙ First Jewish­Roman War ∙ Bar Kokhba revolt ∙ Diaspora ∙ Middle Ages ∙ Muslim rule ∙ Sabbateans ∙ Haskalah ∙ Emancipation ∙ History The Holocaust ∙ Aliyah ∙ Israel (History) ∙ Arab­Israeli / Israeli­Palestinian conflicts ∙ Land of Israel ∙ Baal teshuva movement ∙ History of the Jews in Jamaica

Zionism (General ∙ Labor ∙ Religious ∙ Revisionist) ∙ Political movements (Jewish left ∙ Jewish right ∙ Jewish anarchism) ∙ General Jewish Labor Union ∙ Politics World Agudath Israel ∙ Feminism ∙ Politics of Israel

Antisemitism History ∙ Persecution ∙ New ∙ Racial ∙ Religious ∙ Secondary

Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 20:50. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Temple in Jerusalem Coordinates: 31.77765, 35.23547 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to Part of a series of articles on ,שדקמה תיב :The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two Jews and Judaism navigation temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical Main page Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.

Contents "shechina") in the physical world. Featured content Current events The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960 [1] [2] Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture Random article BCE. It was the center of ancient Judaism. The Temple replaced the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacles at Shiloh, Nov, and Givon as the central focus of Jewish faith. This First Temple was destroyed by Religion search the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed Texts 520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra, Ethnicities Go Search rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later, Population this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the Denominations interaction Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple Languages About Wikipedia itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was Community portal the only wall standing. History Recent changes Politics Contact Wikipedia An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and Donate to Wikipedia the al­Aqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard. v • d • e Help Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of toolbox The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple. What links here On August 30, 2007, what appears to be the remains of the Second Temple were discovered during the installation of pipes in the compound. [3] Related changes Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4] Upload file Special pages Contents Printable version 1 Etymology Permanent link 2 First and Second Temples Cite this page 3 Building a Third Temple languages 4 Physical layout The Temple in the writings of the prophets 5 ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Български 6 Temple services Català 7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden Česky 8 Role in Jewish services Dansk 8.1 Orthodox Judaism Deutsch 8.2 Conservative Judaism Eesti 8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism Español Esperanto 9 Archaeological evidence Euskara 9.1 2004 artifact controversy The Temple in Islam 10 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 11 See also Furlan 12 References Galego 13 External links 한국어 14 Further reading Bahasa Indonesia Italiano [Etymology [edit תירבע Kiswahili Latviešu The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House", Lietuvių and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a Македонски variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply Nederlands Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House). 日本語 The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by Norsk (bokmål) Norsk (nynorsk) God. David had hoped to build it, but was told by God that his son would be the one to assemble the first temple. During his reign, David began to collect most of the raw materials Polski Português used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver, Русский bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant, Shqip and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man Simple English could worship the God of Israel. Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members Српскохрватски of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon. Svenska Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of Tiếng Việt tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah, Ezekiel 40­47 Türkçe Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The Українська second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile שידִיי by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn 中文 apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.

First and Second Temples [edit]

Main articles: Solomon's Temple and Second Temple Two distinct Temples stood in succession on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Solomon's Temple was built in the 10th century BCE and has been dated astronomically to 957 BCE[5] to replace the Tabernacle. It was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, and thus stood for about 375 years; Talmudic tradition gives the number as 410 years. The building of the Temple of Solomon plays a prominent role in Masonic tradition, as

well. The Second Temple was built after Cyrus allowed the Jews to return from the Babylonian captivity. The return took place around 537 BCE, and, after a number of delays, the Temple was completed in 516 BCE. The dimensions of the Temple Mount were then 150 metres x 50 metres.[6] A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The Second Temple was destroyed by Roman Empire troops under general Titus in 70 CE. This second Temple had been desecrated by Pompey, when he entered it after taking Jerusalem in 63 BCE. According to Josephus (living at the Court of the Roman Emperor), Pompey did not remove anything from the Temple or its treasury. He did, however, massacre the Priests who attempted to block his entry to the sanctuary. Pompey subsequently lost all his power and died as a hunted fugitive. This is seen by many Jewish people as Divine punishment. (See article on Pompey in the Encyclopaedia Judaica). Around 19 BCE, King Herod began a renovation of the Temple Complex in order to conceive a larger and grander version. Scarcely had the Temple's renovations been completed, however, when it was completely destroyed ­­ down to the foundations ­­ by

the Roman Empire.[7] During the last revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 132­135 CE, Simon bar Kokhba and Rabbi Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba's revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. A further effort at rebuilding the Temple took place in 363 CE when Julian the Apostate ordered the restoration of the Jewish Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome. sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.

Building a Third Temple [edit]

Main article: The Third Temple Ever since the Second Temple's destruction, a prayer for the construction of a new Third Temple has been a formal part of the thrice­daily Jewish prayer services. However, the question of whether and when to construct the Third Temple is disputed both within the Jewish community and without; groups within Judaism argue both for and against construction of a new Temple, while the expansion of Abrahamic religion since the 1st century CE has made the issue contentious within Christian and Islamic thought as well. Furthermore, the complicated political status of Jerusalem makes initiation of reconstruction presently difficult, while the traditional physical location of the historic Temple is presently occupied by the Al­Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Physical layout [edit]

According to the Talmud, the Temple had an Ezrat Nashim (Women's Court) to the east and main area to the west. The main area contained the butchering area for the sacrifices and the Mizbaeach (Outer Altar) on which portions of most offerings were burned and blood was poured or dashed. An edifice contained the Ulam (antechamber), the Heichal, and the Kodesh Kodashim (Holy of Holies). The Heichal and the Kodesh Kodashim were separated by a wall in the First Temple and by two curtains in the Second Temple. The Heichal contained the Menorah, the table of Showbread and the Incense Altar. The main courtyard had thirteen gates. On the south side, beginning with the southwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Ha'Elyon (the Upper Gate) Shaar HaDelek (the Kindling Gate), where wood was brought in Shaar HaBechorot (the Gate of Firstborn), where people with first­born animal offerings entered and fathers and children entered for the Pidyon HaBen ceremony Shaar HaMayim (the Water Gate), where the Water Libation entered on Sukkot. On the north side, beginning with the northwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Yechonyah (The Gate of Yechonyah), where kings of the Davidic line enter and Yechonyah/Yehoyachin left for the last time to captivity Shaar HaKorban (The gate of the Offering), where priests entered with kodshei kodashim offerings Shaar HaNashim (The Women's Gate), where women entered into the Azara or main courtyard to [8] perform offerings Excavated steps on the South side of the Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments Temple Mount On the east side was Shaar Nikanor, between the Women's Courtyard and the main Temple Courtyard, which had two minor doorways, one on its right and one on its left. On the western wall, which was relatively unimportant, there were two gates that did not have any name.

The Temple in the writings of the prophets [edit]

The Biblical prophets describe visions of a mysterious presence of God occupying the Temple. Isaiah wrote "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple." (Isaiah 6:1). Jeremiah implored "Do not dishonor the throne of your glory" (Jeremiah 14:21) and referred to "Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, Thou place of our sanctuary" (Jeremiah 17:12). Ezekiel spoke of "the glory of the God of Israel was there [in the Sanctuary], according to the vision that I saw in the plain." Isaiah spoke of the importance of prayer as well as sacrifice in Temple, and of a universal purpose:

Even them will I bring to my My holy mountain, and make joyful in My house of prayer, Their burnt­offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7, JPS translation). "My House shall be a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)

Temple services [edit]

The Temple was the place where offerings described in the course of the Hebrew Bible were carried out, including daily morning and afternoon offerings and special offerings on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Levites recited Psalms at appropriate moments during the offerings, including the Psalm of the Day, special psalms for the new month, and other occasions, the Hallel during major Jewish holidays, and psalms for special sacrifices such as the "Psalm for the Thanksgiving Offering" (Psalm 100). As part of the daily offering, a prayer service was performed in the Temple which was used as the basis of the traditional Jewish (morning) service recited to this day, including well­known prayers such as the Barchu, the Shema, and the Priestly Blessing. The Mishna describes it as follows:

The superintendent said to them, recite the Barchu, and they read the Ten Commandments, and the Shema, "And it shall come to “ pass if you will hearken", and "And [God] spoke...". They pronounced three benedictions with the people present: "True and firm", and the "Avodah" {"Accept, Lord our God, the service of your people Israel, and the fire­offerings of Israel and their prayer receive with favor. Blessed is He who receives the service of His people Israel with favor" (similar to what is today the 17th blessing of the Amidah), and the Priestly Blessing, and on the Sabbath they recited one blessing; "May He who causes His name to dwell in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship" on behalf of the weekly Priestly Guard that departed. ” —Mishna Tamid 5:1

The Temple as the Garden of Eden [edit]

The Temple courtyards were full of trees, flowers, and fountains, because the Temple was meant to be a model and re­creation of the Garden of Eden. (See "Jerusalem as Eden," by Lawrence Stager, Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2000).

Role in Jewish services [edit]

Main article: Jewish services El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part descriptions of Solomon's temple.[9] surrounding the Shema prayer, is essentially unchanged from the daily worship service performed in the Temple. In addition, recitation of the Amidah prayer, which traditionally replaces the Temple's daily tamid and special­occasion Mussaf (additional) offerings, must be recited today during the times that the offerings they substitute for were performed in the days of the Temple, in both Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. The Temple is mentioned extensively in Orthodox services, and, to a lesser degree, in Conservative ones as well.

Orthodox Judaism [edit] Mentions in Orthodox Jewish services include: A daily recital of Biblical and Talmudic passages related to the korbanot (sacrifices) performed in the Temple. (See korbanot in siddur). References to the restoration of the Temple and sacrificial worships in the daily Amidah prayer, the central prayer in Judaism. A traditional personal plea for the restoration of the Temple at the end of private recitation of the Amidah. A prayer for the restoration of the "house of our lives" and the shekhinah (divine presence) "to dwell among us" is recited during the Amidah prayer. Recitation of the Psalm of the day; the psalm sung by the Levites in the Temple for that day) during the daily morning service. Numerous psalms sung as part of the ordinary service make extensive references to the Temple and Temple worship. Recitation of the special Jewish holiday sacrifices, and prayers for the restoration of the Temple and their offering, during the Mussaf services on Jewish holidays. An extensive recitation of the special Temple service for Yom Kippur during the service for that holiday. Special services for Sukkot (Hakafot) contain extensive (but generally obscure) references to the special Temple service performed on that day. The destruction of the Temple is mourned on the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av. Three other minor fasts (Tenth of Tevet, 17th of Tammuz, and Third of Tishrei), also mourn events leading to or following the destruction of the Temple.

Conservative Judaism [edit] Conservative Judaism retains mentions of the Temple in Jerusalem, but removes references to the restoration of sacrifices. The study session of Temple sacrifices is removed or replaced, the passages in the daily Amidah, the weekday Torah service, and elsewhere referring to restoration of the Temple are retained ­ but references to sacrifices are removed. References to sacrifices on holidays are retained, but made in the past tense, and petitions for their restoration are removed. Special holiday services, such as special prayers at Yom Kippur and Sukkot, are retained, but are often abbreviated or omitted by Conservative congregations. Siddur Sim Shalom, the prayer book(s) used in most Conservative synagogues, has alternate versions of the Amidah prayer: a version mentioning sacrifices in the past tense and one without reference to sacrifices at all. Conservative Judaism has retained the four fasts relating to the destruction of the Temple, although only Tisha B'Av is widely observed.

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism [edit] Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism have removed all direct references to the Temple, although some indirect or ambiguous references (e.g. "Happy are those who dwell in your House", Psalm 84:5) are retained. For a number of years the Reform movement in the United States called its places of worship not synagogues or shuls but temples. This is due to their belief that prayer replaced sacrifice as the main mode of Jewish worship, and that in a world where that is the case, there is no need for The Temple, only temples. Reform Judaism has, in fact, repudiated animal sacrifice, and now refers to a "sacrifice of the heart." [citation needed]. Now, however, the Reform movement does refer to its main places of worship as synagogues. Temple has come to be used strictly as a term referring to the first and second Temples.

Archaeological evidence [edit]

Archaeological excavations have found one hundred mikvaot (ritual immersion pools) surrounding the Temple Mount or Har HaBayit. This is strong evidence that this area was considered of the utmost holiness in ancient times and could not possibly have been a secular area. However, it does not establish where exactly within the area was the Temple

located.[citation needed] There are basically three theories: The Temple was where the Dome of the Rock is now located. The Temple was located a little to the north of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Asher A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the Kaufman). Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007). the Second Temple. Other theories have the Temple either to the north or to the south of the Temple Mount. Scholars generally reject more outlandish theories that claim the Temple was located somewhere else than Jerusalem or even outside the Land of Israel.

2004 artifact controversy [edit] On December 27, 2004, it was reported in the Toronto­based The Globe and Mail that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem concluded that the ivory pomegranate that everyone believed had once adorned a scepter used by the high priest in Solomon's Temple was a fake. This artifact was the most important item of biblical antiquities in its collection. It had been part of a traveling exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 2003. Experts fear that this discovery is part of an international fraud in antiquities. The thumb­sized pomegranate, which is a mere 44 mm in height, bears an inscription incised around the shoulder of the pomegranate in small paleo­Hebrew script. Only 9 characters remained complete, and were incomplete – if any sense were to be made of the inscription, it seemed likely that several more were missing. The surviving part of the inscription was (.he remain ה Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the) יבל...םנהכ שדק ה transcribed םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל :The following restoration of missing letters was proposed This reconstruction resulted in the following transliteration, now accepted by the vast majority of scholars: lby[t yhw]h qdš khnm, which led to the translation: "[Belonging] to the Temp[le of YaHW]eH, holy [or, consecrated] to the priests." The notion that the artifact is fake derives from the conclusion that it belongs to the Bronze Age rather than the Iron Age. Also, strokes of the inscribed letters do not continue directly into a broken­off section of the piece, suggesting that the inscription was added after the piece was broken. However, there are theories that the Temple of Solomon was built in the Bronze Age. If this is correct, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the ivory pomegranate. By the end of 2008, Professor Yitzhak Roman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem concluded that the inscription on the ivory pomegranate is authentic.[10]

The Temple in Islam [edit]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

The Last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad originally ordered Muslims to pray and prostrate toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs). It is also mentioned in the Qur'an] as 'Bayt Al­Maqdes' which is an Arabic version of the Hebrew word 'Beit HaMikdash' (meaning 'The Holy House'). Since at least Mishnaic times (200 CE), Jews face the temple mount in Jerusalem while praying. The Mishnah speaks about this in Berakhot (Talmud) chapter 4, Mishnahs 5 and 6 and this practice is even found as early as I Kings 8:35­36. In Islam, this only lasted for seventeen months after Muhammad's arrival in Medina,[11] after which the Qiblah became oriented towards the Kaaba in Mecca. According to historical accounts from the prophet Muhammad's companions contained in the Hadith, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in a mosque in Medina. Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received a revelation from Allah instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah as in the Qur'anic verse 2:144 which reads, "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is God unmindful of what they do.". According to the accounts, Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem during the prayer, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so. After this, the mosque in which this incident occurred came to be known as Masjid al­Qiblatain (i.e. 'Mosque of the Two Qiblahs'). For some hundreds of years after the Muslim conquest, Jerusalem was still known to the Arabic speakers as 'Illya' which is the Arabic version of its Roman name 'Aelia Capitolina'. Bayt Al­Maqdes later became synonymous with Jerusalem and was eventually shortened to simply 'al Quds' ('The Holy'). When Khalif Omar ibn al­Khattāb (Umar) came to Jerusalem he asked the Patriach of Jerusalem to lead him to the site of the Temple. The area was filled with debris because it was considered the quarry and the dump site of the city during Christian times. A Jewish rabbi turned Muslim was with Umar: "Ka'ab al­Ahbar". He, armed with his religious knowledge, led Umar first to the site of the Temple (The area where Israelites used to pray) where indeed Umar discovered the foundations' ruins, where Umar built a mosque made of reed on the example of The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina (roof was also made of reed). Umar prayed with 10,000 people for the first time since the fall of the temple in 70 CE. Umar prohibited offering sacrifices in the temple. Then while Umar was searching for "the Rock" that Muhammad ascended atop of, with Angel Gabriel, to Heaven in his night journey to Heaven "Isra and Mi'raj" just less than 20 years ago (as the prophet related), Ka'ab was also searching for the site of the Holy of Holies. While removing the debris from the expected site of the Holy of Holies, to everybody's amazement, a large rock was revealed, then more of it was exposed by more cleaning. Umar built a fence around the rock because he saw Ka'ab walking on it barefoot ("to see how it felt," as Kaab related later). A later Khalif built The Dome of the Rock over the Rock. The Dome was a monumental engineering project that lasted decades in construction, hiring the best architects and master masons in the world (from Byzantium) because the Umayyad Khalif and Muslims in his territories were unable to go to Mecca for pilgrimage because another anti­Umayyad Khalif declared himself in Mecca for decades "Abd­Allah ibn al­Zubayr", and they needed an alternative pilgrimage destination so his subjects wouldn't riot if he did not allow them to go to Mecca where his rival Khalif resided.

See also [edit]

Great Jewish Revolt Siege of Jerusalem Leontopolis

References [edit]

1. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. "The Temple of Solomon ". Retrieved on 2008­11­12. 2. ^ Books of Chronicles, 1 Chronicles, chapter 22 ­ 29 3. ^ Possible remains of second temple found in Jerusalem 4. ^ Finds on Temple Mount from First Temple 5. ^ Erwin Reidinger: "The Temple Mount Platform in Jerusalem from Solomon to Herod: An Archaeological Re­Examination." In Assaph, Studies in Art of History, Volume 9, Tel Aviv 2004, 1­64. 6. ^ Hecateus of Abdere or pseudo­Hecateus of Abdere, transmitted by Josephus and Eusebius of Caesarea (Contra Appium : 1/22 ; Evangelic. Preparation : 9/4) 7. ^ Josephus, Judaic Antiquities : 15/14 8. ^ Sheyibaneh Beit Hamikdash:Women in the Azarya? 9. ^ Juan Rafael de la Cuadra Blanco (2005). «King Philip of Spain as Solomon the Second. The origins of Solomonism of the Escorial in the Netherlands», en The Seventh Window. The King's Window donated by Phillip II and Mary Tudor to Sint Janskerk (1557), p. 169­180 (concept & editing Wim de Groot, Verloren Publishers, Hilversum ed.). ISBN 90­6550­822­8. 10. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review Special News Report, December 16, 2008, "Leading Israeli Scientist Declares Pomegranate Inscription Authentic ". 11. ^ In the Lands of the Prophet, Time­Life, p. 29

External links [edit]

Seek Out the Welfare of Jerusalem Analytical studies by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the Rambam's rulings concerning the construction and the design of the Beis HaMikdosh. visit of the Temple Institute Museum in Jerusalem conducted by Rav Israel Ariel Video tour of a model of the future temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40­49 from a Christian perspective. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

Further reading [edit]

Biblical Archaeology Review, issues: July/August 1983, November/December 1989, March/April 1992, July/August 1999, September/October 1999, March/April 2000, September/October 2005 Ritmeyer, Leen. The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. ISBN 965­220­628­8 Hamblin, William and David Seely, Solomon's Temple: Myth and History (Thames and Hudson, 2007) ISBN 0500251339 Yaron Eliav, God's Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place and Memory (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)

v • d • e Jews and Judaism

Schisms ∙ Intra­Jewish relations ∙ Orthodox ∙ (Haredi ∙ Hasidic ∙ Modern Orthodox) ∙ Conservative ∙ Reform ∙ Reconstructionist ∙ Jewish Renewal ∙ Denominations Rabbinic ∙ Karaite ∙ Samaritan ∙ Humanistic

Principles of faith ∙ Chosen people ∙ Eschatology ∙ Ethics ∙ Halakha ∙ Holocaust theology ∙ Kabbalah ∙ Kashrut ∙ Messianism ∙ Minyan ∙ Philosophy Mussar Movement ∙ Names of God ∙ Seven Laws of Noah ∙ Tzedakah ∙ Tzniut

Tanakh (Torah ∙ Nevi'im ∙ Ketuvim) ∙ Arba'ah Turim ∙ Chumash ∙ Kuzari ∙ Midrash ∙ Mishnah Berurah ∙ Mishneh Torah ∙ Piyyut ∙ Rabbinic works ∙ Religious texts Shulchan Aruch ∙ Siddur ∙ Talmud ∙ Tosefta ∙ Zohar

Abraham ∙ Isaac ∙ Jacob ∙ Sarah ∙ Rebecca ∙ Rachel ∙ Leah ∙ Moses ∙ Deborah ∙ Ruth ∙ David ∙ Solomon ∙ Elijah ∙ Hillel ∙ Shammai ∙ Judah haNasi ∙ Saadia Gaon ∙ Rashi ∙ Isaac Alfasi ∙ Abraham ibn Ezra ∙ Tosafists ∙ Rambam ∙ Nahmanides ∙ Asher ben Jehiel ∙ Gersonides ∙ Joseph Albo ∙ Jewish leadership Yosef Karo ∙ Baal Shem Tov ∙ Shneur Zalman of Liadi ∙ Vilna Gaon ∙ Leopold Zunz ∙ Israel Jacobson ∙ Abraham Geiger ∙ Ben Ish Chai ∙ Avrohom Mordechai Alter ∙ Ovadia Yosef ∙ Moshe Feinstein ∙ Elazar Shach ∙ Menachem Schneerson

Who is a Jew? ∙ Bar and Bat Mitzvah ∙ Bereavement ∙ Brit milah ∙ Etymology of the word Jew ∙ Marriage ∙ Wedding ∙ Niddah ∙ Pidyon HaBen ∙ Life and culture Secular Jewish culture ∙ Hiloni ∙ Shidduch ∙ Zeved habat

Four Holy Cities (Jerusalem ∙ Safed ∙ Hebron ∙ Tiberias) ∙ Beth din ∙ Gabbai ∙ Hazzan ∙ Kohen ∙ Maggid ∙ Mashgiach ∙ Mikvah ∙ Mohel ∙ Rabbi ∙ Rebbe ∙ Roles and places Rosh yeshiva ∙ Synagogue ∙ Temple ∙ Tabernacle ∙ Western Wall

Aleinu ∙ Amidah ∙ Four Species ∙ Gartel ∙ Hallel ∙ Havdalah ∙ Kaddish ∙ Kittel ∙ Kol Nidre ∙ Ma Tovu ∙ Menorah (Hanukiah) ∙ Mezuzah ∙ Prayer ∙ Religious articles Sefer Torah ∙ Services ∙ Shema Yisrael ∙ Shofar ∙ Tallit ∙ Tefillin ∙ Tzitzit ∙ Yad ∙ Kippah/Yarmulke

Jewish views of religious pluralism ∙ Abrahamic religions ∙ Christianity (Catholicism ∙ Christian­Jewish reconciliation ∙ Judeo­Christian ∙ Mormonism) ∙ Other religions Islam ∙ Jewish Buddhist ∙ Judeo­Paganism ∙ Others

Languages Hebrew ∙ Judeo­Arabic ∙ Judeo­Aramaic ∙ Judeo­Persian ∙ Ladino ∙ Yiddish

Ancient ∙ Temple in Jerusalem ∙ Babylonian captivity ∙ Jerusalem (Significance ∙ Timeline) ∙ Hasmonean ∙ Herod ∙ Sanhedrin ∙ Pharisees ∙ Saducees ∙ Essenes ∙ First Jewish­Roman War ∙ Bar Kokhba revolt ∙ Diaspora ∙ Middle Ages ∙ Muslim rule ∙ Sabbateans ∙ Haskalah ∙ Emancipation ∙ History The Holocaust ∙ Aliyah ∙ Israel (History) ∙ Arab­Israeli / Israeli­Palestinian conflicts ∙ Land of Israel ∙ Baal teshuva movement ∙ History of the Jews in Jamaica

Zionism (General ∙ Labor ∙ Religious ∙ Revisionist) ∙ Political movements (Jewish left ∙ Jewish right ∙ Jewish anarchism) ∙ General Jewish Labor Union ∙ Politics World Agudath Israel ∙ Feminism ∙ Politics of Israel

Antisemitism History ∙ Persecution ∙ New ∙ Racial ∙ Religious ∙ Secondary

Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 20:50. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Temple in Jerusalem Coordinates: 31.77765, 35.23547 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to Part of a series of articles on ,שדקמה תיב :The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two Jews and Judaism navigation temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical Main page Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.

Contents "shechina") in the physical world. Featured content Current events The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960 [1] [2] Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture Random article BCE. It was the center of ancient Judaism. The Temple replaced the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacles at Shiloh, Nov, and Givon as the central focus of Jewish faith. This First Temple was destroyed by Religion search the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed Texts 520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra, Ethnicities Go Search rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later, Population this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the Denominations interaction Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple Languages About Wikipedia itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was Community portal the only wall standing. History Recent changes Politics Contact Wikipedia An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and Donate to Wikipedia the al­Aqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard. v • d • e Help Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of toolbox The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple. What links here On August 30, 2007, what appears to be the remains of the Second Temple were discovered during the installation of pipes in the compound. [3] Related changes Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4] Upload file Special pages Contents Printable version 1 Etymology Permanent link 2 First and Second Temples Cite this page 3 Building a Third Temple languages 4 Physical layout The Temple in the writings of the prophets 5 ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Български 6 Temple services Català 7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden Česky 8 Role in Jewish services Dansk 8.1 Orthodox Judaism Deutsch 8.2 Conservative Judaism Eesti 8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism Español Esperanto 9 Archaeological evidence Euskara 9.1 2004 artifact controversy The Temple in Islam 10 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 11 See also Furlan 12 References Galego 13 External links 한국어 14 Further reading Bahasa Indonesia Italiano [Etymology [edit תירבע Kiswahili Latviešu The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House", Lietuvių and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a Македонски variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply Nederlands Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House). 日本語 The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by Norsk (bokmål) Norsk (nynorsk) God. David had hoped to build it, but was told by God that his son would be the one to assemble the first temple. During his reign, David began to collect most of the raw materials Polski Português used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver, Русский bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant, Shqip and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man Simple English could worship the God of Israel. Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members Српскохрватски of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon. Svenska Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of Tiếng Việt tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah, Ezekiel 40­47 Türkçe Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The Українська second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile שידִיי by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn 中文 apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.

First and Second Temples [edit]

Main articles: Solomon's Temple and Second Temple Two distinct Temples stood in succession on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Solomon's Temple was built in the 10th century BCE and has been dated astronomically to 957 BCE[5] to replace the Tabernacle. It was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, and thus stood for about 375 years; Talmudic tradition gives the number as 410 years. The building of the Temple of Solomon plays a prominent role in Masonic tradition, as

well. The Second Temple was built after Cyrus allowed the Jews to return from the Babylonian captivity. The return took place around 537 BCE, and, after a number of delays, the Temple was completed in 516 BCE. The dimensions of the Temple Mount were then 150 metres x 50 metres.[6] A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The Second Temple was destroyed by Roman Empire troops under general Titus in 70 CE. This second Temple had been desecrated by Pompey, when he entered it after taking Jerusalem in 63 BCE. According to Josephus (living at the Court of the Roman Emperor), Pompey did not remove anything from the Temple or its treasury. He did, however, massacre the Priests who attempted to block his entry to the sanctuary. Pompey subsequently lost all his power and died as a hunted fugitive. This is seen by many Jewish people as Divine punishment. (See article on Pompey in the Encyclopaedia Judaica). Around 19 BCE, King Herod began a renovation of the Temple Complex in order to conceive a larger and grander version. Scarcely had the Temple's renovations been completed, however, when it was completely destroyed ­­ down to the foundations ­­ by

the Roman Empire.[7] During the last revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 132­135 CE, Simon bar Kokhba and Rabbi Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba's revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. A further effort at rebuilding the Temple took place in 363 CE when Julian the Apostate ordered the restoration of the Jewish Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome. sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.

Building a Third Temple [edit]

Main article: The Third Temple Ever since the Second Temple's destruction, a prayer for the construction of a new Third Temple has been a formal part of the thrice­daily Jewish prayer services. However, the question of whether and when to construct the Third Temple is disputed both within the Jewish community and without; groups within Judaism argue both for and against construction of a new Temple, while the expansion of Abrahamic religion since the 1st century CE has made the issue contentious within Christian and Islamic thought as well. Furthermore, the complicated political status of Jerusalem makes initiation of reconstruction presently difficult, while the traditional physical location of the historic Temple is presently occupied by the Al­Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Physical layout [edit]

According to the Talmud, the Temple had an Ezrat Nashim (Women's Court) to the east and main area to the west. The main area contained the butchering area for the sacrifices and the Mizbaeach (Outer Altar) on which portions of most offerings were burned and blood was poured or dashed. An edifice contained the Ulam (antechamber), the Heichal, and the Kodesh Kodashim (Holy of Holies). The Heichal and the Kodesh Kodashim were separated by a wall in the First Temple and by two curtains in the Second Temple. The Heichal contained the Menorah, the table of Showbread and the Incense Altar. The main courtyard had thirteen gates. On the south side, beginning with the southwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Ha'Elyon (the Upper Gate) Shaar HaDelek (the Kindling Gate), where wood was brought in Shaar HaBechorot (the Gate of Firstborn), where people with first­born animal offerings entered and fathers and children entered for the Pidyon HaBen ceremony Shaar HaMayim (the Water Gate), where the Water Libation entered on Sukkot. On the north side, beginning with the northwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Yechonyah (The Gate of Yechonyah), where kings of the Davidic line enter and Yechonyah/Yehoyachin left for the last time to captivity Shaar HaKorban (The gate of the Offering), where priests entered with kodshei kodashim offerings Shaar HaNashim (The Women's Gate), where women entered into the Azara or main courtyard to [8] perform offerings Excavated steps on the South side of the Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments Temple Mount On the east side was Shaar Nikanor, between the Women's Courtyard and the main Temple Courtyard, which had two minor doorways, one on its right and one on its left. On the western wall, which was relatively unimportant, there were two gates that did not have any name.

The Temple in the writings of the prophets [edit]

The Biblical prophets describe visions of a mysterious presence of God occupying the Temple. Isaiah wrote "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple." (Isaiah 6:1). Jeremiah implored "Do not dishonor the throne of your glory" (Jeremiah 14:21) and referred to "Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, Thou place of our sanctuary" (Jeremiah 17:12). Ezekiel spoke of "the glory of the God of Israel was there [in the Sanctuary], according to the vision that I saw in the plain." Isaiah spoke of the importance of prayer as well as sacrifice in Temple, and of a universal purpose:

Even them will I bring to my My holy mountain, and make joyful in My house of prayer, Their burnt­offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7, JPS translation). "My House shall be a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)

Temple services [edit]

The Temple was the place where offerings described in the course of the Hebrew Bible were carried out, including daily morning and afternoon offerings and special offerings on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Levites recited Psalms at appropriate moments during the offerings, including the Psalm of the Day, special psalms for the new month, and other occasions, the Hallel during major Jewish holidays, and psalms for special sacrifices such as the "Psalm for the Thanksgiving Offering" (Psalm 100). As part of the daily offering, a prayer service was performed in the Temple which was used as the basis of the traditional Jewish (morning) service recited to this day, including well­known prayers such as the Barchu, the Shema, and the Priestly Blessing. The Mishna describes it as follows:

The superintendent said to them, recite the Barchu, and they read the Ten Commandments, and the Shema, "And it shall come to “ pass if you will hearken", and "And [God] spoke...". They pronounced three benedictions with the people present: "True and firm", and the "Avodah" {"Accept, Lord our God, the service of your people Israel, and the fire­offerings of Israel and their prayer receive with favor. Blessed is He who receives the service of His people Israel with favor" (similar to what is today the 17th blessing of the Amidah), and the Priestly Blessing, and on the Sabbath they recited one blessing; "May He who causes His name to dwell in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship" on behalf of the weekly Priestly Guard that departed. ” —Mishna Tamid 5:1

The Temple as the Garden of Eden [edit]

The Temple courtyards were full of trees, flowers, and fountains, because the Temple was meant to be a model and re­creation of the Garden of Eden. (See "Jerusalem as Eden," by Lawrence Stager, Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2000).

Role in Jewish services [edit]

Main article: Jewish services El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part descriptions of Solomon's temple.[9] surrounding the Shema prayer, is essentially unchanged from the daily worship service performed in the Temple. In addition, recitation of the Amidah prayer, which traditionally replaces the Temple's daily tamid and special­occasion Mussaf (additional) offerings, must be recited today during the times that the offerings they substitute for were performed in the days of the Temple, in both Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. The Temple is mentioned extensively in Orthodox services, and, to a lesser degree, in Conservative ones as well.

Orthodox Judaism [edit] Mentions in Orthodox Jewish services include: A daily recital of Biblical and Talmudic passages related to the korbanot (sacrifices) performed in the Temple. (See korbanot in siddur). References to the restoration of the Temple and sacrificial worships in the daily Amidah prayer, the central prayer in Judaism. A traditional personal plea for the restoration of the Temple at the end of private recitation of the Amidah. A prayer for the restoration of the "house of our lives" and the shekhinah (divine presence) "to dwell among us" is recited during the Amidah prayer. Recitation of the Psalm of the day; the psalm sung by the Levites in the Temple for that day) during the daily morning service. Numerous psalms sung as part of the ordinary service make extensive references to the Temple and Temple worship. Recitation of the special Jewish holiday sacrifices, and prayers for the restoration of the Temple and their offering, during the Mussaf services on Jewish holidays. An extensive recitation of the special Temple service for Yom Kippur during the service for that holiday. Special services for Sukkot (Hakafot) contain extensive (but generally obscure) references to the special Temple service performed on that day. The destruction of the Temple is mourned on the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av. Three other minor fasts (Tenth of Tevet, 17th of Tammuz, and Third of Tishrei), also mourn events leading to or following the destruction of the Temple.

Conservative Judaism [edit] Conservative Judaism retains mentions of the Temple in Jerusalem, but removes references to the restoration of sacrifices. The study session of Temple sacrifices is removed or replaced, the passages in the daily Amidah, the weekday Torah service, and elsewhere referring to restoration of the Temple are retained ­ but references to sacrifices are removed. References to sacrifices on holidays are retained, but made in the past tense, and petitions for their restoration are removed. Special holiday services, such as special prayers at Yom Kippur and Sukkot, are retained, but are often abbreviated or omitted by Conservative congregations. Siddur Sim Shalom, the prayer book(s) used in most Conservative synagogues, has alternate versions of the Amidah prayer: a version mentioning sacrifices in the past tense and one without reference to sacrifices at all. Conservative Judaism has retained the four fasts relating to the destruction of the Temple, although only Tisha B'Av is widely observed.

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism [edit] Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism have removed all direct references to the Temple, although some indirect or ambiguous references (e.g. "Happy are those who dwell in your House", Psalm 84:5) are retained. For a number of years the Reform movement in the United States called its places of worship not synagogues or shuls but temples. This is due to their belief that prayer replaced sacrifice as the main mode of Jewish worship, and that in a world where that is the case, there is no need for The Temple, only temples. Reform Judaism has, in fact, repudiated animal sacrifice, and now refers to a "sacrifice of the heart." [citation needed]. Now, however, the Reform movement does refer to its main places of worship as synagogues. Temple has come to be used strictly as a term referring to the first and second Temples.

Archaeological evidence [edit]

Archaeological excavations have found one hundred mikvaot (ritual immersion pools) surrounding the Temple Mount or Har HaBayit. This is strong evidence that this area was considered of the utmost holiness in ancient times and could not possibly have been a secular area. However, it does not establish where exactly within the area was the Temple

located.[citation needed] There are basically three theories: The Temple was where the Dome of the Rock is now located. The Temple was located a little to the north of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Asher A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the Kaufman). Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007). the Second Temple. Other theories have the Temple either to the north or to the south of the Temple Mount. Scholars generally reject more outlandish theories that claim the Temple was located somewhere else than Jerusalem or even outside the Land of Israel.

2004 artifact controversy [edit] On December 27, 2004, it was reported in the Toronto­based The Globe and Mail that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem concluded that the ivory pomegranate that everyone believed had once adorned a scepter used by the high priest in Solomon's Temple was a fake. This artifact was the most important item of biblical antiquities in its collection. It had been part of a traveling exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 2003. Experts fear that this discovery is part of an international fraud in antiquities. The thumb­sized pomegranate, which is a mere 44 mm in height, bears an inscription incised around the shoulder of the pomegranate in small paleo­Hebrew script. Only 9 characters remained complete, and were incomplete – if any sense were to be made of the inscription, it seemed likely that several more were missing. The surviving part of the inscription was (.he remain ה Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the) יבל...םנהכ שדק ה transcribed םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל :The following restoration of missing letters was proposed This reconstruction resulted in the following transliteration, now accepted by the vast majority of scholars: lby[t yhw]h qdš khnm, which led to the translation: "[Belonging] to the Temp[le of YaHW]eH, holy [or, consecrated] to the priests." The notion that the artifact is fake derives from the conclusion that it belongs to the Bronze Age rather than the Iron Age. Also, strokes of the inscribed letters do not continue directly into a broken­off section of the piece, suggesting that the inscription was added after the piece was broken. However, there are theories that the Temple of Solomon was built in the Bronze Age. If this is correct, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the ivory pomegranate. By the end of 2008, Professor Yitzhak Roman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem concluded that the inscription on the ivory pomegranate is authentic.[10]

The Temple in Islam [edit]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

The Last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad originally ordered Muslims to pray and prostrate toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs). It is also mentioned in the Qur'an] as 'Bayt Al­Maqdes' which is an Arabic version of the Hebrew word 'Beit HaMikdash' (meaning 'The Holy House'). Since at least Mishnaic times (200 CE), Jews face the temple mount in Jerusalem while praying. The Mishnah speaks about this in Berakhot (Talmud) chapter 4, Mishnahs 5 and 6 and this practice is even found as early as I Kings 8:35­36. In Islam, this only lasted for seventeen months after Muhammad's arrival in Medina,[11] after which the Qiblah became oriented towards the Kaaba in Mecca. According to historical accounts from the prophet Muhammad's companions contained in the Hadith, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in a mosque in Medina. Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received a revelation from Allah instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah as in the Qur'anic verse 2:144 which reads, "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is God unmindful of what they do.". According to the accounts, Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem during the prayer, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so. After this, the mosque in which this incident occurred came to be known as Masjid al­Qiblatain (i.e. 'Mosque of the Two Qiblahs'). For some hundreds of years after the Muslim conquest, Jerusalem was still known to the Arabic speakers as 'Illya' which is the Arabic version of its Roman name 'Aelia Capitolina'. Bayt Al­Maqdes later became synonymous with Jerusalem and was eventually shortened to simply 'al Quds' ('The Holy'). When Khalif Omar ibn al­Khattāb (Umar) came to Jerusalem he asked the Patriach of Jerusalem to lead him to the site of the Temple. The area was filled with debris because it was considered the quarry and the dump site of the city during Christian times. A Jewish rabbi turned Muslim was with Umar: "Ka'ab al­Ahbar". He, armed with his religious knowledge, led Umar first to the site of the Temple (The area where Israelites used to pray) where indeed Umar discovered the foundations' ruins, where Umar built a mosque made of reed on the example of The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina (roof was also made of reed). Umar prayed with 10,000 people for the first time since the fall of the temple in 70 CE. Umar prohibited offering sacrifices in the temple. Then while Umar was searching for "the Rock" that Muhammad ascended atop of, with Angel Gabriel, to Heaven in his night journey to Heaven "Isra and Mi'raj" just less than 20 years ago (as the prophet related), Ka'ab was also searching for the site of the Holy of Holies. While removing the debris from the expected site of the Holy of Holies, to everybody's amazement, a large rock was revealed, then more of it was exposed by more cleaning. Umar built a fence around the rock because he saw Ka'ab walking on it barefoot ("to see how it felt," as Kaab related later). A later Khalif built The Dome of the Rock over the Rock. The Dome was a monumental engineering project that lasted decades in construction, hiring the best architects and master masons in the world (from Byzantium) because the Umayyad Khalif and Muslims in his territories were unable to go to Mecca for pilgrimage because another anti­Umayyad Khalif declared himself in Mecca for decades "Abd­Allah ibn al­Zubayr", and they needed an alternative pilgrimage destination so his subjects wouldn't riot if he did not allow them to go to Mecca where his rival Khalif resided.

See also [edit]

Great Jewish Revolt Siege of Jerusalem Leontopolis

References [edit]

1. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. "The Temple of Solomon ". Retrieved on 2008­11­12. 2. ^ Books of Chronicles, 1 Chronicles, chapter 22 ­ 29 3. ^ Possible remains of second temple found in Jerusalem 4. ^ Finds on Temple Mount from First Temple 5. ^ Erwin Reidinger: "The Temple Mount Platform in Jerusalem from Solomon to Herod: An Archaeological Re­Examination." In Assaph, Studies in Art of History, Volume 9, Tel Aviv 2004, 1­64. 6. ^ Hecateus of Abdere or pseudo­Hecateus of Abdere, transmitted by Josephus and Eusebius of Caesarea (Contra Appium : 1/22 ; Evangelic. Preparation : 9/4) 7. ^ Josephus, Judaic Antiquities : 15/14 8. ^ Sheyibaneh Beit Hamikdash:Women in the Azarya? 9. ^ Juan Rafael de la Cuadra Blanco (2005). «King Philip of Spain as Solomon the Second. The origins of Solomonism of the Escorial in the Netherlands», en The Seventh Window. The King's Window donated by Phillip II and Mary Tudor to Sint Janskerk (1557), p. 169­180 (concept & editing Wim de Groot, Verloren Publishers, Hilversum ed.). ISBN 90­6550­822­8. 10. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review Special News Report, December 16, 2008, "Leading Israeli Scientist Declares Pomegranate Inscription Authentic ". 11. ^ In the Lands of the Prophet, Time­Life, p. 29

External links [edit]

Seek Out the Welfare of Jerusalem Analytical studies by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the Rambam's rulings concerning the construction and the design of the Beis HaMikdosh. visit of the Temple Institute Museum in Jerusalem conducted by Rav Israel Ariel Video tour of a model of the future temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40­49 from a Christian perspective. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

Further reading [edit]

Biblical Archaeology Review, issues: July/August 1983, November/December 1989, March/April 1992, July/August 1999, September/October 1999, March/April 2000, September/October 2005 Ritmeyer, Leen. The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. ISBN 965­220­628­8 Hamblin, William and David Seely, Solomon's Temple: Myth and History (Thames and Hudson, 2007) ISBN 0500251339 Yaron Eliav, God's Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place and Memory (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)

v • d • e Jews and Judaism

Schisms ∙ Intra­Jewish relations ∙ Orthodox ∙ (Haredi ∙ Hasidic ∙ Modern Orthodox) ∙ Conservative ∙ Reform ∙ Reconstructionist ∙ Jewish Renewal ∙ Denominations Rabbinic ∙ Karaite ∙ Samaritan ∙ Humanistic

Principles of faith ∙ Chosen people ∙ Eschatology ∙ Ethics ∙ Halakha ∙ Holocaust theology ∙ Kabbalah ∙ Kashrut ∙ Messianism ∙ Minyan ∙ Philosophy Mussar Movement ∙ Names of God ∙ Seven Laws of Noah ∙ Tzedakah ∙ Tzniut

Tanakh (Torah ∙ Nevi'im ∙ Ketuvim) ∙ Arba'ah Turim ∙ Chumash ∙ Kuzari ∙ Midrash ∙ Mishnah Berurah ∙ Mishneh Torah ∙ Piyyut ∙ Rabbinic works ∙ Religious texts Shulchan Aruch ∙ Siddur ∙ Talmud ∙ Tosefta ∙ Zohar

Abraham ∙ Isaac ∙ Jacob ∙ Sarah ∙ Rebecca ∙ Rachel ∙ Leah ∙ Moses ∙ Deborah ∙ Ruth ∙ David ∙ Solomon ∙ Elijah ∙ Hillel ∙ Shammai ∙ Judah haNasi ∙ Saadia Gaon ∙ Rashi ∙ Isaac Alfasi ∙ Abraham ibn Ezra ∙ Tosafists ∙ Rambam ∙ Nahmanides ∙ Asher ben Jehiel ∙ Gersonides ∙ Joseph Albo ∙ Jewish leadership Yosef Karo ∙ Baal Shem Tov ∙ Shneur Zalman of Liadi ∙ Vilna Gaon ∙ Leopold Zunz ∙ Israel Jacobson ∙ Abraham Geiger ∙ Ben Ish Chai ∙ Avrohom Mordechai Alter ∙ Ovadia Yosef ∙ Moshe Feinstein ∙ Elazar Shach ∙ Menachem Schneerson

Who is a Jew? ∙ Bar and Bat Mitzvah ∙ Bereavement ∙ Brit milah ∙ Etymology of the word Jew ∙ Marriage ∙ Wedding ∙ Niddah ∙ Pidyon HaBen ∙ Life and culture Secular Jewish culture ∙ Hiloni ∙ Shidduch ∙ Zeved habat

Four Holy Cities (Jerusalem ∙ Safed ∙ Hebron ∙ Tiberias) ∙ Beth din ∙ Gabbai ∙ Hazzan ∙ Kohen ∙ Maggid ∙ Mashgiach ∙ Mikvah ∙ Mohel ∙ Rabbi ∙ Rebbe ∙ Roles and places Rosh yeshiva ∙ Synagogue ∙ Temple ∙ Tabernacle ∙ Western Wall

Aleinu ∙ Amidah ∙ Four Species ∙ Gartel ∙ Hallel ∙ Havdalah ∙ Kaddish ∙ Kittel ∙ Kol Nidre ∙ Ma Tovu ∙ Menorah (Hanukiah) ∙ Mezuzah ∙ Prayer ∙ Religious articles Sefer Torah ∙ Services ∙ Shema Yisrael ∙ Shofar ∙ Tallit ∙ Tefillin ∙ Tzitzit ∙ Yad ∙ Kippah/Yarmulke

Jewish views of religious pluralism ∙ Abrahamic religions ∙ Christianity (Catholicism ∙ Christian­Jewish reconciliation ∙ Judeo­Christian ∙ Mormonism) ∙ Other religions Islam ∙ Jewish Buddhist ∙ Judeo­Paganism ∙ Others

Languages Hebrew ∙ Judeo­Arabic ∙ Judeo­Aramaic ∙ Judeo­Persian ∙ Ladino ∙ Yiddish

Ancient ∙ Temple in Jerusalem ∙ Babylonian captivity ∙ Jerusalem (Significance ∙ Timeline) ∙ Hasmonean ∙ Herod ∙ Sanhedrin ∙ Pharisees ∙ Saducees ∙ Essenes ∙ First Jewish­Roman War ∙ Bar Kokhba revolt ∙ Diaspora ∙ Middle Ages ∙ Muslim rule ∙ Sabbateans ∙ Haskalah ∙ Emancipation ∙ History The Holocaust ∙ Aliyah ∙ Israel (History) ∙ Arab­Israeli / Israeli­Palestinian conflicts ∙ Land of Israel ∙ Baal teshuva movement ∙ History of the Jews in Jamaica

Zionism (General ∙ Labor ∙ Religious ∙ Revisionist) ∙ Political movements (Jewish left ∙ Jewish right ∙ Jewish anarchism) ∙ General Jewish Labor Union ∙ Politics World Agudath Israel ∙ Feminism ∙ Politics of Israel

Antisemitism History ∙ Persecution ∙ New ∙ Racial ∙ Religious ∙ Secondary

Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 20:50. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Al­Aqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses see al­Aqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.

,/IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ] ,ﻰﺼﻗﻻﺍ ﺪﺠﺴﻤﻟﺍ:Al­Aqsa Mosque (Arabic navigation al­Aqsa Mosque al­Masjid al­Aqsa (help∙info) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al­Aqsa, is an Masjid al­Aqsa Main page Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al­ Contents ash­Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and Featured content Current events considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in [2][3] Random article Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred search Mosque in Mecca to al­Aqsa during the Night Journey.[4] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, [5] Go Search when he turned towards the Ka'aba. The al­Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the caliph Umar, interaction but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al­Malik and finished by his son al­ Eastern view of the al­Aqsa Mosque and the About Wikipedia Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and Fakhariyyah Community portal rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al­Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al­ in Recent changes Basic information Contact Wikipedia 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al­Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem Donate to Wikipedia caliph az­Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present­day. During the Help periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Geographic 31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, toolbox coordinates and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they What links here Religious Islam used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its Related changes affiliation recapture by . More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later Upload file District Old City Special pages centuries by the Ayyubids, , the Supreme Muslim Council, and . Today, the Printable version Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Ecclesiastical Mosque Permanent link Palestinian­led Islamic . status Cite this page Contents Leadership Waqf languages 1 Etymology Architectural description Македонски 2 History Architectural type Mosque Afrikaans 2.1 Pre­construction ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ 2.2 Construction Architectural Early Islamic

2.3 Later constructions style Česky Dansk 2.4 Modern era Direction of north Deutsch 3 Architecture facade Español 3.1 Dome Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction) Euskara 3.2 Minarets 1033 CE (Second construction) Facade and porch 3.3 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 3.4 Interior Year completed 705 CE (First construction) Frysk 3.5 Ablution fountain 1035 CE (Second construction) Bahasa Indonesia 4 Religious significance Specifications Italiano 4.1 Islam Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000 תירבע 4.1.1 First qibla Magyar (precincts)[1] Македонски 4.1.2 Third holiest site Length 83 meters (272 ft) 4.2 Judaism Bahasa Melayu 5 Current situations Width 56 meters (184 ft) Nederlands 5.1 Administration Dome(s) 1 日本語 5.2 Access Norsk (bokmål) 5.3 Al­Aqsa Intifada Minaret(s) 4 Polski 5.4 Excavations Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest Português 6 See also minaret) Русский 7 References Simple English Materials Limestone (external walls, 8 External links Slovenčina minaret, facade) stalactite Српски / Srpski (minaret), lead (dome), white Suomi Etymology [edit] marble (interior columns) Svenska Masjid al­Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as "the farthest mosque", Its name refers to

a chapter of the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which it is said that prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque", and then Türkçe up to Heaven on a flying horse called al­ al­Sharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca."[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 History [edit]

Pre­construction [edit] Jewish tradition holds that the site upon which al­Aqsa Mosque was constructed originally housed the Temple of Jerusalem. The destruction of the First Temple, known as the Temple of Solomon, is attributed to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and there are no physical remains attesting to its presence or structure.[9] Building of the Second Temple began during the rule of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, but this temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor (then general) Titus in 70 CE. All that remains of it is the Western Wall, which is thought to be a remnant of this second temple's platform.[10] Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and named "Church of Our Lady". The church was later destroyed by Khosrau II, the Sassanian empror in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[11]

Construction [edit] It is unknown exactly when the al­Aqsa Mosque was first constructed and who ordered its construction, but it is certain that it was built in the early Ummayad period of rule in . Contemporary Muslim and Jewish sources record that the site was covered with garbage dumped there by Byzantine , and that the two communities participated in cleaning it up as Umar watched on, until the rock upon which the Temples of

Jerusalem were said to have been erected was revealed.[12] Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by the Gallic monk, Arculf, of his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679­82, notes that it is possible that Umar erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash­Sharif or Temple Mount. Arculf, however, visited Palestine during The mosque along the southern the reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is wall of the Temple Mount explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al­Muthannar bin Tahir.[13] According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad­Din, al­Suyuti, and al­Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al­Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock.[14][13] Guy le Strange claims that Abd al­Malik used materials from the destroyed Church of Our Lady to build the mosque and points to possible evidence that substructures on the southeast corners of the mosque are remains of the church.[14] In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al­Malik's son, al­Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from . Most Muslim and Western scholars agree that the mosque's reconstruction was started by Abd al­Malik, but that al­Walid oversaw its completion. In 713­14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al­Walid's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al­Walid had gold from the dome of the Dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material.[13]

Later constructions [edit] In 746, the al­Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as­Saffah overthrew the Ummayads and established the . The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al­Mansur declared his intent to repair the mosque in 753, and he had the gold and silver plaques that covered the gates of the mosque removed and turned into dinars and to finance the reconstruction which ended in 771. A second earthquake damaged most of al­Mansur's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774.[14][15] In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al­Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. [14][16] Al­Mahdi's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it.[17] In 985, Jerusalem­born Arab geographer al­Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had "fifteen naves and fifteen gates".[15] The facade and porch of the mosque were constructed and In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az­Zahir rebuilt expanded by the Fatimids, the and completely renovated the mosque between 1034­36. The number of naves was drastically reduced from Crusaders, the Mamluks and the fifteen to seven.[15] Az­Zahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the Ayyubids foundation of the mosque. The central aisle was double the width of the other aisles and had a large gable roof upon which the dome — made of wood — was constructed.[13] Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Crusaders used the mosque — which they called "Solomon's Temple" — as a palace. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch, and the addition of an apse and a dividing wall. A new cloister and church were also built at the site, along with various other structures.[18] The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building, the western currently serving as the women's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. [15] After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the [20] several repairs were undertaken at al­Aqsa Mosque. Saladin's predecessor — the city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area Zengid Nur al­Din — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this "pulpit" of ivory and wood in 1168­69 but it was completed after his death; Nur ad­Din's gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq), [21] minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan each of which has nine­and­twenty marble pillars, whose of Damascus, al­Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al­Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of [15] the mosque's eastern side. masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah. included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool 's description of mosque in 1047 C.E. of Raranj, and the building of the three free­standing domes — the most notable being (Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19] the Dome of the Prophet built in 1538. All construction was ordered by the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem and not the themselves.[22] The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however.[22]

Modern era [edit] The first renovation of the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al­ Husayni hired Ahmet Kemalettin Bey — a Turkish architect — to restore al­Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924­25 under Kemalettin's supervision. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque's ancient Ummayad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the dome interior, rebuilding the , and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid­era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches The dome of the mosque in 1982. were decorated with green­tinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A It was made of aluminum, but replaced with its original lead plating quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and in 1983 Fatimid designs.[23] Severe damage was caused by the 1927 and 1937 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942.[15] On August 21, 1969, there was a fire inside al­Aqsa Mosque that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. Among other things the fire destroyed was Salahuddin Ayubi's minbar.[21] Initially, Palestinians blamed Israel for the fire, and some blamed Fatah, alleging they had started the fire so as to blame Israel and provoke hostility. However, the fire was started by neither Fatah nor Israel. The arsonist turned out to be a tourist from

Australia named Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God.[24] He hoped that by burning down al­Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of , making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel.[25] The attack on al­ The mosque seen from the Aqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971, former area of the Moroccan [26] Quarter, 1991 which brought together dozens of Islamic countries. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al­Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that blowing up the two would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the mosque.[27][28] On January 15, 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque wounding 40 worshipers.[29][30] On October 8, 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during riots that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a fringe group of religious Jews, to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple.[31][32]

Architecture [edit]

The rectangular al­Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters (1,550,003.1 sq ft), with a capacity of 400,000 worshipers, although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters (376,736.9 sq ft) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers.[33][34] It is 272 feet (83 m) long, 184 feet (56 m) wide.[33]

Dome [edit] The dome of the al­Aqsa Mosque, unlike the Dome of the Rock which reflects classical , is strictly early .[35] Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al­Malik. The present­ day dome was built by az­Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork.[13] In 1969, the dome was reconstructed in concrete and covered with anodized aluminum instead of the original ribbed lead enamel work

sheeting. In 1983, the aluminum outer covering was replaced with lead to match the original design by az­Zahir. [36] Al­Aqsa's dome is one of the few domes to be built in front of the during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the others being the in Damascus (715) and the Great Mosque at Sousse (850).[37] The interior of the dome is painted with 14th century­era decorations. During the 1969 burning, the paintings were The silver­colored dome consists assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that of lead sheeting uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]

Minarets [edit]

The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides.[34] The first minaret, known as al­Fakhariyya Minaret, was built in 1278 on the southwestern corner of the mosque, on the orders of the sultan . The minaret was built in the traditional Syrian style, with the base and shaft square and divided by moldings into three floors above which two lines of muqarnas decorate the muezzin's balcony. The niche is surrounded by a square chamber that ends in a lead­covered stone dome.[38] The second, known as the Ghawanima minaret, was built at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount in 1297­98 by architect Qadi Sharaf al­Din al­Khalili, also on the orders of the Sultan Lajin. Thirty­seven meters in height,[38] it is almost entirely made of stone, apart from a timber canopy over the muezzin's balcony. Because of its firm structure, the Ghawanima minaret has been nearly untouched by earthquakes. The minaret is divided into several stories by stone molding and stalactite galleries. The first two stories are wider and form the base of the tower. The additional four stories are surmounted by a cylindrical drum and a bulbous dome. The stairway is externally located on the first two floors, but becomes an internal spiral structure from the third floor until it reaches the muezzin's balcony.[39] In 1329, the Tankiz — the Mamluk governor of — ordered the construction of a third minaret called the Bab al­ Minaret located on the western border of the al­Aqsa Mosque. This minaret, possibly replacing an earlier Umayyad minaret, is built in the traditional Syrian square tower type and is made entirely out of stone.[40] It is an old Muslim tradition that the best muezzin ("reciter") of the adhan (the call to prayer), is assigned to this minaret because the first call to each of the five daily prayers is raised from it.[38] General view of the Ghawanima Minaret, 1900 The last and most notable minaret was built in 1367, and is known as Minarat al­Asbat. It is composed of a cylindrical stone shaft (built later by the Ottomans), which springs up from a rectangular Mamluk­built base on top of a triangular transition zone.[41] The shaft narrows above the muezzin's balcony, and is dotted with circular windows,[38] ending with a bulbous dome. The dome was reconstructed after the 1927 earthquake.[41] There are no minarets in the eastern portion of the mosque because historically there were very few inhabitants on that side and so there was little reason to have an additional minaret to call Muslims to prayer.[34] However, in 2007, it was announced that King Abdullah II of Jordan was planning to build a fifth minaret named after his father King Hussein and has been granted permission to do so from Israel. The King Hussein Minaret is planned to be the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem.[42]

Facade and porch [edit] The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al­Mustansir. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade during their era of rule in Palestine, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the facade's [15] covering with tiles. The second­hand material of the facade's arches includes sculpted ornamental material from taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem.[43] There are fourteen stone arches along the facade,[1] most of which are of a Romanesque style. The outer arches added by the Mamluks follow the same general design. The entrance to the mosque is through the facade's central arch.[44]

The porch is located at the top of the facade. The central bays of the porch were built by the Knights Templar The facade and porch of the during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew al­Mu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. mosque [15] Interior [edit] The al­Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building.[16] There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924.[23]

The mosque's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.[33] The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted, having a circumference of 9 inches (23 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and a height of 16 inches (41 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm). The remaining four rows are better proportioned. The capitals of the columns are Interior view of the mosque of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively showing the central naves and [33] designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order, and columns made from Italian white marble donated to the mosque by Benito Mussolini. [44] The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket­shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket­shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly­squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing.[33] A great portion of the mosque is covered with whitewash, but the drum of the dome and the walls immediately beneath it are decorated with mosaics and marble. Some wretched paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927.[33] The ceiling of The doors of the Saladin Minbar, the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of .[44] early 1900s The minbar ("pulpit") of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad­Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad­Din would liberate Jerusalem and took six years to build (1168­74). Nur ad­Din died and the Crusaders held control of Jerusalem, but in 1187, Saladin captured the city and the minbar was installed. The structure was made of ivory and carefully crafted wood. Arabic calligraphy, geometrical and floral designs were inscribed in the woodwork.[45] After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al­Husayni — head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al­Aqsa — stated that a new minbar would be installed;[20] it was installed in February 2007.[46] The design of the new minbar was drawn by Jamil Badran based on an exact replica of the Saladin Minbar and was finished by Badran within a period of five years.[45] The minbar itself was built in Jordan over a period of four years and the craftsmen used "ancient woodworking methods, joining the pieces with pegs instead of nails, but employed computer images to design the pulpit [minbar]."[20]

Ablution fountain [edit] The mosque's main ablution fountain, known as al­Kas ("the Cup"), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock.[38] It is used by worshipers to perform , a ritual washing of the hands, arms, legs, feet, and face before entry into the mosque. It was first built in 709 by the Ummayads, but in 1327­28 Governor Tankiz enlarged it to accommodate more worshipers. Although originally supplied with water from

Solomon's Pools near , it currently receives water from pipes connected to Jerusalem's water supply. [47] In the 20th century, al­Kas was provided taps and stone seating.[48] The Fountain of Qasim Pasha , built by the Ottomans in 1526 and located north of the mosque on the platform of the Dome of the Rock, was used by worshipers for ablution and for drinking until the 1940s. Today, it stands as a The al­Kas ablution fountain monumental structure.[38]

Religious significance [edit]

Islam [edit]

In Islam, the term "al­Aqsa Mosque" is not restricted to the mosque only, but to the entire Temple Mount.[49] The mosque is known to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al­Haram in Mecca. Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?" "The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al­Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said. "'And then which', I asked?" "The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa)", he said. "I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?" "Forty years," prophet Muhammad replied.[50]

During his night journey toward Bayt al­Maqdis (Jerusalem), Muhammad rode on Buraq to Jerusalem and once there he prayed two raka'ah on the Temple Mount. After he finished his prayers, the angel Gabriel took him to Heaven, where he met several of the prophets and upon encouragement from Moses, negotiated with God via Gabriel that Muslims would be required to make five prayers daily.[5][51] The al­Aqsa Mosque is known as the "farthest mosque" in sura al­Isra in the Qur'an.[52] It is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, (Arabic: masjid), literally means "place of prostration",[53] and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in the Qur'an is described as a masjid.[54] Western historians Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson believe this is the intended interpretation.[55][56] [clarification needed] First qibla [edit] The historical significance of the al­Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al­Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624, thus it became the qibla ("direction") that Muslims faced for prayer.[57] According to Allame Tabatabayee, God prepared for change of qibla, first by revealing the story of Abraham and his son, , their prayers for the Ka'bah and Mecca, their construction of the House (Ka'aba) and the order then received to cleanse it for the worship of Allah. Then Quranic verses were revealed which ordered Muslims to turn towards Masjid al­Haram in [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5] their prayers. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the Rock — which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven — upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Ka'aba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site.[58] According to early Qur'anic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, Interior view of the mosque upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al­Ahbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with showing the mihrab, indicating the him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al­Ahbar suggested to him that it qibla should be behind the Rock "... so that all of Jerusalem would be before you". Umar replied, "You correspond to Judaism!" Nonetheless, immediately after this conversation, Umar began to clean up the site — which was filled with trash and debris — with his cloak, and other Muslim followers imitated him until the site was clean. Umar then prayed at the spot where it was believed that Muhammad had prayed before his night journey, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[58] Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque.[59] Because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself — being a place where Abraham, Solomon, and David had prayed — Umar constructed a small prayer house in the southern corner of its platform, taking care to avoid allowing the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Ka'aba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[58]

Third holiest site [edit] Main article: Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[60] Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern­day political tracts, tend to treat al­Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[61] For example, Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al­Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al­Masjid al­Aqsa is worth 500 prayers," more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate al Aqsa An exterior view of the mosque, from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the al­Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in 1856 the city) as the third holiest site in Islam.[62] According to the scholar Maimunah bint Sa'd on traveling to the al­Aqsa Mosque, he said, "the messenger of Allah [Muhammad] said, 'He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the al­Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed salaah (five daily ritual prayers in Islam) therein.'[63][64] Some Western scholars, such as Martin Gilbert, claim that the use of the term "third holiest" is driven by political motives and that the al­Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site in Islam. According to Gilbert, Jerusalem is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and points to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. He argues that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al­Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[65] Others, such as Ghada Hashem Talhami and Jonathan Silverman, point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al­Fadhail (history of cities), where the perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[66][67]

Judaism [edit] Main article: Temple Mount The Al­Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. According to tradition, this temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the Ten Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[68] Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac. [69]

Current situations [edit]

Administration [edit] The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al­Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six­Day War. After Israel's victory in that war, instead of the government taking control of the al­Aqsa Mosque, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Temple Mount to the Islamic waqf trust who are independent of the Israeli government. However, Israeli Security Forces are permitted to patrol and conduct searches within the perimeter of the mosque. After the 1969 arson attack, the waqf employed architects, technicians and craftsmen in a committee that carry out regular maintenance operations. In order to counteract Israeli policies and their escalating presence around the site since the al­Aqsa Intifada, the local Arab leadership, in cooperation with the waqf, have attempted to increase Muslim control inside the Temple Mount. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and making renovations for the mosque.[70] Muhammad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al­Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[71] Ownership of the al­Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel­Palestinian conflict. Israel holds sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount, but Palestinians hold unofficial custodianship of the site through the Islamic waqf. During the negotiations at the 2000 Camp David Summit, Palestinians demanded complete ownership of the mosque and other Islamic holy sites in .[72]

Access [edit] While all Arab and Muslim citizens of Israel are allowed to enter and pray at the al­Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip face several restrictions. Palestinian males must be married and 50 years of age and women must be married and 45 years of age to enter the mosque. Palestinian visits are therefore rare during most of the year, except during the month of . Israeli reasoning for the restrictions is that older, married Palestinians are less likely "to cause trouble".[73] The site of the mosque is not accessible to Jews due to a restriction placed on them by Israel's chief rabbinates in 1967. Their position was that the Jewish people were "ceremonially unclean and might accidentally tread on the place."[74] Israeli governmental restrictions only forbid Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allow Jews as well as, other non­Muslims to visit for certain hours on certain days in the week. Several , and several Zionist leaders have demanded the right of Jews to pray at the site on Jewish holidays.[75]

Al­Aqsa Intifada [edit]

Main article: Al­Aqsa Intifada Sign in Hebrew and English On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited outside the Temple Mount warning the al­Aqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party Jews not to enter the mosque compound members left, a demonstration erupted and Palestinians on the grounds of the Haram al­Sharif began throwing stones and other missiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a seven­year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al­Aqsa Intifada.[76] On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they hurled stones at the police. The police then stormed the mosque compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians, killing four and wounding about 200.[77]

Excavations [edit] Main article: Excavations of Al­Aqsa Mosque Several excavations of the al­Aqsa Mosque took place throughout the 1970s: In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations directly beneath the mosque on the southern and western sides. In 1977, digging continued and a large tunnel was opened below the women's prayer area and a new tunnel was dug under the mosque, going east to west in 1979. In addition, the Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984.[32] In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the mosque.[78] The excavations provoked anger throughout the Islamic world, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya — then Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas leader —[79] called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel.[80] Israel denied all charges against them, calling them "ludicrous".[81]

See also [edit]

Islamic architecture Mosque of Omar and Palestinian territories Masjid an­Nabawi Palestinian nationalism

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c "Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved on 2008­06­29. 2. ^ Barton, George (1901­1906). "Temple of Solomon" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 3. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007­10­23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers ", National Geographic. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 4. ^ Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Merriam­Webster. pp. 70. 5. ^ a b c Tabatabae, Mohammad Hosayn. AL­MIZAN:AN EXEGESIS OF THE QUR'AN, translation by S. Saeed Rizvi. WOFIS. ISBN 9646521142. 6. ^ Al­Aqsa Mosque , Noble Sanctuary Online Guide., retrieved on 7 September 2008 7. ^ "Lailat al Miraj ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 8. ^ Chiffolo, Anthony F. Dome of the Rock and El­Aqsa Mosque Divine Nature. 9. ^ John M. Lundquist (2007). The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 45. ISBN 0275983390, 9780275983390. 10. ^ Charles Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 0415121825, 9780415121828. 11. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71­1099)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 12. ^ Rivka Gonen (2003). Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. p. 85. ISBN 0881257990, 9780881257991. 13. ^ a b c d e Elad, Amikam. (1995). Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship Holy Places, Ceremonies, Pilgrimage BRILL, pp.29­43. ISBN 9004100105. 14. ^ a b c d le Strange, Guy. (1890). Palestine under the Moslems, pp.80­98. 15. ^ a b c d e f g h Ma'oz, Moshe and Nusseibeh, Sari. (2000). Jerusalem: Points of Friction, and Beyond BRILL. pp.136­138. ISBN 9041188436. 16. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Archnet Digital Library. 17. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). Contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple . KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. 18. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the : Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule . Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 0415230004. 19. ^ The travels of Nasir­i­Khusrau to Jerusalem, 1047 C.E. 20. ^ a b c Jordan sending replacement for Al Aqsa pulpit destroyed in 1969 attack Associated Press. International Herald Tribune. 2007­01­23. 21. ^ a b Thomas F. Madden (2002). The Crusades: The Essential Readings . Blackwell Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0631230238, 9780631230236. 22. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of Al­Aqsa 2007. 23. ^ a b Necipogulu, Gulru. (1996). Muqarnas, Volume 13: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World . BRILL, pp.149­153. ISBN 9004106332. 24. ^ "The Burning of Al­Aqsa ", Time Magazine (1969­08­29), p. 1. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (1970­01­12). Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 26. ^ About the OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference. 27. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the . Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 158826226. 28. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations . Routledge. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0714681792. 29. ^ Dated 18 January 1988 from the Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva Addressed to the Under­Secretary­General for Human Rights Ramlawi, Nabil. Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 30. ^ Palestine Facts Timeline, 1963­1988 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 31. ^ Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 1991 32. ^ a b Amayreh, Khaled. Catalogue of provocations: Israel's encroachments upon the Al­Aqsa Mosque have not been sporadic, but, rather, a systematic endeavor Al­Ahram Weekly. February 2007. 33. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Mosque Life in the . 34. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Universal Tours. 35. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.95. ISBN 0881257990. 36. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Restoration Archnet Digital Library. 37. ^ Necipogulu, Gulru. (1999). Muqarnas, Volume 16: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World BRILL, p.14. ISBN 9004114823. 38. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of al­Aqsa. 39. ^ Ghawanima Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 40. ^ Bab al­Silsila Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 41. ^ a b Bab al­Asbat Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 42. ^ Klein, . Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given permission for Jordan to build a large minaret adjacent to a mosque on the Temple Mount to call Muslims to prayer at the holy site, WND has learned World Net Daily News. 2007­02­10. 43. ^ Hillenbrand, Carolle. (2000). The Crusades: The Islamic Perspective Routeledge, p.382 ISBN 0415929148. 44. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Sacred Destinations. 45. ^ a b Oweis, Fayeq S. (2002) The Elements of Unity in as Examined Through the Work of Jamal Badran Universal­Publishers, pp.115­ 117. ISBN 1581121628. 46. ^ Mikdadi , Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine. 47. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Esplanade . 48. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.28. ISBN 0881257990. 49. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers ­ Islamic History and Biography . MSA Publication Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1861793235. 50. ^ Masjid al­Aqsa: Second house of prayer established on Earth World Press. 51. ^ 1:309 52. ^ [Qur'an 17:1 ] 53. ^ Hillenbrand, R. "Masdjid. I. In the central Islamic lands". in P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573­3912 . 54. ^ [Qur'an 17:7 ] 55. ^ Busse, Heribert. (1991). Jerusalem in the Story of prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension. Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 14 pp.1–40 56. ^ Robinson, Neal. (1996). Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text. SCM Press Ltd: , p.192 57. ^ Allen, Edgar (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521525756, retrieved on 9 June 2008 58. ^ a b c Mosaad, Mohamed. Bayt al­Maqdis: An Islamic Perspective pp.3­8 59. ^ The Furthest Mosque, The History of Al ­ Aqsa Mosque From Earliest Times Mustaqim Islamic Art & Literature. 2008­01­05. 60. ^ el­Khatib, Abdallah (2001­05­01). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān " (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 28 (1): 25–53. doi:10.1080/13530190120034549 . Retrieved on 17 November 2006. 61. ^ Doninger, Wendy (1999­09­01). Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam­Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0­877­79044­2. 62. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2­IS ". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1974­02­24). Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 63. ^ Virtues of al­Aqsa Friends of Al­Aqsa. 64. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah 65. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97­224015 . ISBN 0701130709. 66. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda ". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 67. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (2005­05­06). "The opposite of holiness ". Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 68. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2001­01­18). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 69. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 70. ^ Social Structure and Geography Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 71. ^ Yaniv Berman, "Top Palestinian Muslim Cleric Okays Suicide Bombings" , Media Line, 2006­10­23. 72. ^ Camp David Projections Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. July 2000. 73. ^ Ramadan prayers at al­Aqsa mosque BBC News. 2008­09­05. 74. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Mount Restored to Muslim Control 75. ^ Klein, Aaron. Jews Demand Right to Pray on the Temple Mount The Temple Institute. 76. ^ "Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2000­09­28). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 77. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003). The Middle East and 2004 . Routledge. p. 560. ISBN 1857431847. 78. ^ Lis, Jonathan (2007­12­02). "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ", Haaretz, Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 79. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2006­12­14). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 80. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007­02­08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ", The Australian. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 81. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007­10­14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.

External links [edit]

Noble Sanctuary: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque MuslimWiki History of Palestine mp3 lecture (listen or download) Al­Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review Islamic Architecture. 360° view of the inside of the Mosque by Visual Islamic Virtual Arts. Image Gallery of Masjid Al­Aqsa Muslim Ways. Al­Aqsa Mosque Photos Jerusalem Photos Archive. History of Al­Aqsa hWeb. Al­Aqsa Mosque Real facts about the Al­Aqsa Mosque.

v • d • e Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territories • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • al­Muallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque • Israel White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)

East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • al­Aqsa Mosque • Al­Khanqah al­Salahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar Great Mosque of Nablus • al­Hamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • al­Khadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque • West Bank an­ Mosque • Mosque of Omar • Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque Gaza Strip Great Mosque of Gaza • Mosque of al­Sayed Hashem • Umm al­Naser Mosque • Weleyat Mosque

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • • Dome of al­ • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj

Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 710s architecture | 1030s architecture | Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners | Islamic holy places | Mosques in Jerusalem | Palestinian nationalism | Conversion of non­Christian places of worship into Churches |

This page was last modified on 8 January 2009, at 21:54. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Al­Aqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses see al­Aqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.

,/IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ] ,ﻰﺼﻗﻻﺍ ﺪﺠﺴﻤﻟﺍ:Al­Aqsa Mosque (Arabic navigation al­Aqsa Mosque al­Masjid al­Aqsa (help∙info) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al­Aqsa, is an Masjid al­Aqsa Main page Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al­Haram Contents ash­Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and Featured content Current events considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in [2][3] Random article Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred search Mosque in Mecca to al­Aqsa during the Night Journey.[4] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, [5] Go Search when he turned towards the Ka'aba. The al­Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, interaction but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al­Malik and finished by his son al­ Eastern view of the al­Aqsa Mosque and the About Wikipedia Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and Fakhariyyah Minaret Community portal rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al­Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al­Mahdi in Recent changes Basic information Contact Wikipedia 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al­Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem Donate to Wikipedia caliph Ali az­Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present­day. During the Help periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate Geographic 31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, toolbox coordinates minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they What links here Religious Islam used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its Related changes affiliation recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later Upload file District Old City Special pages centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Printable version Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Ecclesiastical Mosque Permanent link Palestinian­led Islamic waqf. status Cite this page Contents Leadership Waqf languages 1 Etymology Architectural description Македонски 2 History Architectural type Mosque Afrikaans 2.1 Pre­construction ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ 2.2 Construction Architectural Early Islamic

2.3 Later constructions style Česky Dansk 2.4 Modern era Direction of north Deutsch 3 Architecture facade Español 3.1 Dome Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction) Euskara 3.2 Minarets 1033 CE (Second construction) Facade and porch 3.3 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 3.4 Interior Year completed 705 CE (First construction) Frysk 3.5 Ablution fountain 1035 CE (Second construction) Bahasa Indonesia 4 Religious significance Specifications Italiano 4.1 Islam Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000 תירבע 4.1.1 First qibla Magyar (precincts)[1] Македонски 4.1.2 Third holiest site Length 83 meters (272 ft) 4.2 Judaism Bahasa Melayu 5 Current situations Width 56 meters (184 ft) Nederlands 5.1 Administration Dome(s) 1 日本語 5.2 Access Norsk (bokmål) 5.3 Al­Aqsa Intifada Minaret(s) 4 Polski 5.4 Excavations Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest Português 6 See also minaret) Русский 7 References Simple English Materials Limestone (external walls, 8 External links Slovenčina minaret, facade) stalactite Српски / Srpski (minaret), lead (dome), white Suomi Etymology [edit] marble (interior columns) Svenska Masjid al­Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as "the farthest mosque", Its name refers to

a chapter of the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which it is said that prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque", and then Türkçe up to Heaven on a flying horse called al­Buraq al­Sharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca."[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 History [edit]

Pre­construction [edit] Jewish tradition holds that the site upon which al­Aqsa Mosque was constructed originally housed the Temple of Jerusalem. The destruction of the First Temple, known as the Temple of Solomon, is attributed to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and there are no physical remains attesting to its presence or structure.[9] Building of the Second Temple began during the rule of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, but this temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor (then general) Titus in 70 CE. All that remains of it is the Western Wall, which is thought to be a remnant of this second temple's platform.[10] Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and named "Church of Our Lady". The church was later destroyed by Khosrau II, the Sassanian empror in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[11]

Construction [edit] It is unknown exactly when the al­Aqsa Mosque was first constructed and who ordered its construction, but it is certain that it was built in the early Ummayad period of rule in Palestine. Contemporary Muslim and Jewish sources record that the site was covered with garbage dumped there by Byzantine Christians, and that the two communities participated in cleaning it up as Umar watched on, until the rock upon which the Temples of

Jerusalem were said to have been erected was revealed.[12] Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by the Gallic monk, Arculf, of his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679­82, notes that it is possible that Umar erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash­Sharif or Temple Mount. Arculf, however, visited Palestine during The mosque along the southern the reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is wall of the Temple Mount explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al­Muthannar bin Tahir.[13] According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad­Din, al­Suyuti, and al­Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al­Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock.[14][13] Guy le Strange claims that Abd al­Malik used materials from the destroyed Church of Our Lady to build the mosque and points to possible evidence that substructures on the southeast corners of the mosque are remains of the church.[14] In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al­Malik's son, al­Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from Damascus. Most Muslim and Western scholars agree that the mosque's reconstruction was started by Abd al­Malik, but that al­Walid oversaw its completion. In 713­14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al­Walid's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al­Walid had gold from the dome of the Dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material.[13]

Later constructions [edit] In 746, the al­Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as­Saffah overthrew the Ummayads and established the Abbasid Caliphate. The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al­Mansur declared his intent to repair the mosque in 753, and he had the gold and silver plaques that covered the gates of the mosque removed and turned into dinars and dirhams to finance the reconstruction which ended in 771. A second earthquake damaged most of al­Mansur's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774.[14][15] In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al­Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. [14][16] Al­Mahdi's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it.[17] In 985, Jerusalem­born Arab geographer al­Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had "fifteen naves and fifteen gates".[15] The facade and porch of the mosque were constructed and In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az­Zahir rebuilt expanded by the Fatimids, the and completely renovated the mosque between 1034­36. The number of naves was drastically reduced from Crusaders, the Mamluks and the fifteen to seven.[15] Az­Zahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the Ayyubids foundation of the mosque. The central aisle was double the width of the other aisles and had a large gable roof upon which the dome — made of wood — was constructed.[13] Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Crusaders used the mosque — which they called "Solomon's Temple" — as a palace. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch, and the addition of an apse and a dividing wall. A new cloister and church were also built at the site, along with various other structures.[18] The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building, the western currently serving as the women's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. [15] After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the [20] several repairs were undertaken at al­Aqsa Mosque. Saladin's predecessor — the city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area Zengid sultan Nur al­Din — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this "pulpit" of ivory and wood in 1168­69 but it was completed after his death; Nur ad­Din's gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq), [21] minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan each of which has nine­and­twenty marble pillars, whose of Damascus, al­Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al­Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of [15] the mosque's eastern side. masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah. included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E. of Raranj, and the building of the three free­standing domes — the most notable being (Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19] the Dome of the Prophet built in 1538. All construction was ordered by the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem and not the sultans themselves.[22] The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however.[22]

Modern era [edit] The first renovation of the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al­ Husayni hired Ahmet Kemalettin Bey — a Turkish architect — to restore al­Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924­25 under Kemalettin's supervision. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque's ancient Ummayad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the dome interior, rebuilding the southern wall, and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid­era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches The dome of the mosque in 1982. were decorated with green­tinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A It was made of aluminum, but replaced with its original lead plating quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and in 1983 Fatimid designs.[23] Severe damage was caused by the 1927 and 1937 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942.[15] On August 21, 1969, there was a fire inside al­Aqsa Mosque that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. Among other things the fire destroyed was Salahuddin Ayubi's minbar.[21] Initially, Palestinians blamed Israel for the fire, and some Israelis blamed Fatah, alleging they had started the fire so as to blame Israel and provoke hostility. However, the fire was started by neither Fatah nor Israel. The arsonist turned out to be a tourist from

Australia named Michael Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God.[24] He hoped that by burning down al­Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus, making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel.[25] The attack on al­ The mosque seen from the Aqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971, former area of the Moroccan [26] Quarter, 1991 which brought together dozens of Islamic countries. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al­Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that blowing up the two mosques would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the mosque.[27][28] On January 15, 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque wounding 40 worshipers.[29][30] On October 8, 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during riots that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a fringe group of religious Jews, to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple.[31][32]

Architecture [edit]

The rectangular al­Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters (1,550,003.1 sq ft), with a capacity of 400,000 worshipers, although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters (376,736.9 sq ft) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers.[33][34] It is 272 feet (83 m) long, 184 feet (56 m) wide.[33]

Dome [edit] The dome of the al­Aqsa Mosque, unlike the Dome of the Rock which reflects classical Byzantine architecture, is strictly early Islamic architecture.[35] Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al­Malik. The present­ day dome was built by az­Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork.[13] In 1969, the dome was reconstructed in concrete and covered with anodized aluminum instead of the original ribbed lead enamel work

sheeting. In 1983, the aluminum outer covering was replaced with lead to match the original design by az­Zahir. [36] Al­Aqsa's dome is one of the few domes to be built in front of the mihrab during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the others being the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (715) and the Great Mosque at Sousse (850).[37] The interior of the dome is painted with 14th century­era decorations. During the 1969 burning, the paintings were The silver­colored dome consists assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that of lead sheeting uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]

Minarets [edit]

The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides.[34] The first minaret, known as al­Fakhariyya Minaret, was built in 1278 on the southwestern corner of the mosque, on the orders of the Mamluk sultan Lajin. The minaret was built in the traditional Syrian style, with the base and shaft square and divided by moldings into three floors above which two lines of muqarnas decorate the muezzin's balcony. The niche is surrounded by a square chamber that ends in a lead­covered stone dome.[38] The second, known as the Ghawanima minaret, was built at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount in 1297­98 by architect Qadi Sharaf al­Din al­Khalili, also on the orders of the Sultan Lajin. Thirty­seven meters in height,[38] it is almost entirely made of stone, apart from a timber canopy over the muezzin's balcony. Because of its firm structure, the Ghawanima minaret has been nearly untouched by earthquakes. The minaret is divided into several stories by stone molding and stalactite galleries. The first two stories are wider and form the base of the tower. The additional four stories are surmounted by a cylindrical drum and a bulbous dome. The stairway is externally located on the first two floors, but becomes an internal spiral structure from the third floor until it reaches the muezzin's balcony.[39] In 1329, the Tankiz — the Mamluk governor of Syria — ordered the construction of a third minaret called the Bab al­Silsila Minaret located on the western border of the al­Aqsa Mosque. This minaret, possibly replacing an earlier Umayyad minaret, is built in the traditional Syrian square tower type and is made entirely out of stone.[40] It is an old Muslim tradition that the best muezzin ("reciter") of the adhan (the call to prayer), is assigned to this minaret because the first call to each of the five daily prayers is raised from it.[38] General view of the Ghawanima Minaret, 1900 The last and most notable minaret was built in 1367, and is known as Minarat al­Asbat. It is composed of a cylindrical stone shaft (built later by the Ottomans), which springs up from a rectangular Mamluk­built base on top of a triangular transition zone.[41] The shaft narrows above the muezzin's balcony, and is dotted with circular windows,[38] ending with a bulbous dome. The dome was reconstructed after the 1927 earthquake.[41] There are no minarets in the eastern portion of the mosque because historically there were very few inhabitants on that side and so there was little reason to have an additional minaret to call Muslims to prayer.[34] However, in 2007, it was announced that King Abdullah II of Jordan was planning to build a fifth minaret named after his father King Hussein and has been granted permission to do so from Israel. The King Hussein Minaret is planned to be the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem.[42]

Facade and porch [edit] The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al­Mustansir. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade during their era of rule in Palestine, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the facade's [15] covering with tiles. The second­hand material of the facade's arches includes sculpted ornamental material from taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem.[43] There are fourteen stone arches along the facade,[1] most of which are of a Romanesque style. The outer arches added by the Mamluks follow the same general design. The entrance to the mosque is through the facade's central arch.[44]

The porch is located at the top of the facade. The central bays of the porch were built by the Knights Templar The facade and porch of the during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew al­Mu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. mosque [15] Interior [edit] The al­Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building.[16] There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924.[23]

The mosque's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.[33] The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted, having a circumference of 9 inches (23 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and a height of 16 inches (41 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm). The remaining four rows are better proportioned. The capitals of the columns are Interior view of the mosque of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively showing the central naves and [33] designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order, and columns made from Italian white marble donated to the mosque by Benito Mussolini. [44] The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket­shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket­shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly­squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing.[33] A great portion of the mosque is covered with whitewash, but the drum of the dome and the walls immediately beneath it are decorated with mosaics and marble. Some wretched paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927.[33] The ceiling of The doors of the Saladin Minbar, the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44] early 1900s The minbar ("pulpit") of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from Aleppo on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad­Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad­Din would liberate Jerusalem and took six years to build (1168­74). Nur ad­Din died and the Crusaders held control of Jerusalem, but in 1187, Saladin captured the city and the minbar was installed. The structure was made of ivory and carefully crafted wood. Arabic calligraphy, geometrical and floral designs were inscribed in the woodwork.[45] After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al­Husayni — head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al­Aqsa — stated that a new minbar would be installed;[20] it was installed in February 2007.[46] The design of the new minbar was drawn by Jamil Badran based on an exact replica of the Saladin Minbar and was finished by Badran within a period of five years.[45] The minbar itself was built in Jordan over a period of four years and the craftsmen used "ancient woodworking methods, joining the pieces with pegs instead of nails, but employed computer images to design the pulpit [minbar]."[20]

Ablution fountain [edit] The mosque's main ablution fountain, known as al­Kas ("the Cup"), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock.[38] It is used by worshipers to perform wudu, a ritual washing of the hands, arms, legs, feet, and face before entry into the mosque. It was first built in 709 by the Ummayads, but in 1327­28 Governor Tankiz enlarged it to accommodate more worshipers. Although originally supplied with water from

Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, it currently receives water from pipes connected to Jerusalem's water supply. [47] In the 20th century, al­Kas was provided taps and stone seating.[48] The Fountain of Qasim Pasha , built by the Ottomans in 1526 and located north of the mosque on the platform of the Dome of the Rock, was used by worshipers for ablution and for drinking until the 1940s. Today, it stands as a The al­Kas ablution fountain monumental structure.[38]

Religious significance [edit]

Islam [edit]

In Islam, the term "al­Aqsa Mosque" is not restricted to the mosque only, but to the entire Temple Mount.[49] The mosque is known to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al­Haram in Mecca. Imam Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?" "The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al­Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said. "'And then which', I asked?" "The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa)", he said. "I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?" "Forty years," prophet Muhammad replied.[50]

During his night journey toward Bayt al­Maqdis (Jerusalem), Muhammad rode on Buraq to Jerusalem and once there he prayed two raka'ah on the Temple Mount. After he finished his prayers, the angel Gabriel took him to Heaven, where he met several of the prophets and upon encouragement from Moses, negotiated with God via Gabriel that Muslims would be required to make five prayers daily.[5][51] The al­Aqsa Mosque is known as the "farthest mosque" in sura al­Isra in the Qur'an.[52] It is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, (Arabic: masjid), literally means "place of prostration",[53] and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in the Qur'an is described as a masjid.[54] Western historians Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson believe this is the intended interpretation.[55][56] [clarification needed] First qibla [edit] The historical significance of the al­Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al­Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624, thus it became the qibla ("direction") that Muslims faced for prayer.[57] According to Allame Tabatabayee, God prepared for change of qibla, first by revealing the story of Abraham and his son, Ishmael, their prayers for the Ka'bah and Mecca, their construction of the House (Ka'aba) and the order then received to cleanse it for the worship of Allah. Then Quranic verses were revealed which ordered Muslims to turn towards Masjid al­Haram in [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5] their prayers. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the Rock — which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven — upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Ka'aba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site.[58] According to early Qur'anic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, Interior view of the mosque upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al­Ahbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with showing the mihrab, indicating the him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al­Ahbar suggested to him that it qibla should be behind the Rock "... so that all of Jerusalem would be before you". Umar replied, "You correspond to Judaism!" Nonetheless, immediately after this conversation, Umar began to clean up the site — which was filled with trash and debris — with his cloak, and other Muslim followers imitated him until the site was clean. Umar then prayed at the spot where it was believed that Muhammad had prayed before his night journey, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[58] Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque.[59] Because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself — being a place where Abraham, Solomon, and David had prayed — Umar constructed a small prayer house in the southern corner of its platform, taking care to avoid allowing the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Ka'aba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[58]

Third holiest site [edit] Main article: Holiest sites in Islam Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in Sunni Islam according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[60] Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern­day political tracts, tend to treat al­Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[61] For example, Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al­Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al­Masjid al­Aqsa is worth 500 prayers," more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate al Aqsa An exterior view of the mosque, from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the al­Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in 1856 the city) as the third holiest site in Islam.[62] According to the scholar Maimunah bint Sa'd on traveling to the al­Aqsa Mosque, he said, "the messenger of Allah [Muhammad] said, 'He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the al­Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed salaah (five daily ritual prayers in Islam) therein.'[63][64] Some Western scholars, such as Martin Gilbert, claim that the use of the term "third holiest" is driven by political motives and that the al­Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site in Islam. According to Gilbert, Jerusalem is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and points to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. He argues that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al­Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[65] Others, such as Ghada Hashem Talhami and Jonathan Silverman, point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al­Fadhail (history of cities), where the perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[66][67]

Judaism [edit] Main article: Temple Mount The Al­Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. According to tradition, this temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the Ten Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[68] Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where Adam was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac. [69]

Current situations [edit]

Administration [edit] The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al­Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six­Day War. After Israel's victory in that war, instead of the government taking control of the al­Aqsa Mosque, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Temple Mount to the Islamic waqf trust who are independent of the Israeli government. However, Israeli Security Forces are permitted to patrol and conduct searches within the perimeter of the mosque. After the 1969 arson attack, the waqf employed architects, technicians and craftsmen in a committee that carry out regular maintenance operations. In order to counteract Israeli policies and their escalating presence around the site since the al­Aqsa Intifada, the local Arab leadership, in cooperation with the waqf, have attempted to increase Muslim control inside the Temple Mount. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and making renovations for the mosque.[70] Muhammad Ahmad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al­Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[71] Ownership of the al­Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel­Palestinian conflict. Israel holds sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount, but Palestinians hold unofficial custodianship of the site through the Islamic waqf. During the negotiations at the 2000 Camp David Summit, Palestinians demanded complete ownership of the mosque and other Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem.[72]

Access [edit] While all Arab and Muslim citizens of Israel are allowed to enter and pray at the al­Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip face several restrictions. Palestinian males must be married and 50 years of age and women must be married and 45 years of age to enter the mosque. Palestinian visits are therefore rare during most of the year, except during the month of Ramadan. Israeli reasoning for the restrictions is that older, married Palestinians are less likely "to cause trouble".[73] The site of the mosque is not accessible to Jews due to a restriction placed on them by Israel's chief rabbinates in 1967. Their position was that the Jewish people were "ceremonially unclean and might accidentally tread on the place."[74] Israeli governmental restrictions only forbid Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allow Jews as well as, other non­Muslims to visit for certain hours on certain days in the week. Several rabbis, and several Zionist leaders have demanded the right of Jews to pray at the site on Jewish holidays.[75]

Al­Aqsa Intifada [edit]

Main article: Al­Aqsa Intifada Sign in Hebrew and English On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited outside the Temple Mount warning the al­Aqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party Jews not to enter the mosque compound members left, a demonstration erupted and Palestinians on the grounds of the Haram al­Sharif began throwing stones and other missiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a seven­year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al­Aqsa Intifada.[76] On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they hurled stones at the police. The police then stormed the mosque compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians, killing four and wounding about 200.[77]

Excavations [edit] Main article: Excavations of Al­Aqsa Mosque Several excavations of the al­Aqsa Mosque took place throughout the 1970s: In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations directly beneath the mosque on the southern and western sides. In 1977, digging continued and a large tunnel was opened below the women's prayer area and a new tunnel was dug under the mosque, going east to west in 1979. In addition, the Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984.[32] In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the mosque.[78] The excavations provoked anger throughout the Islamic world, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya — then Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas leader —[79] called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel.[80] Israel denied all charges against them, calling them "ludicrous".[81]

See also [edit]

Islamic architecture List of mosques Mosque of Omar Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories Masjid an­Nabawi Palestinian nationalism

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c "Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved on 2008­06­29. 2. ^ Barton, George (1901­1906). "Temple of Solomon" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 3. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007­10­23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers ", National Geographic. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 4. ^ Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Merriam­Webster. pp. 70. 5. ^ a b c Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn. AL­MIZAN:AN EXEGESIS OF THE QUR'AN, translation by S. Saeed Rizvi. WOFIS. ISBN 9646521142. 6. ^ Al­Aqsa Mosque , Noble Sanctuary Online Guide., retrieved on 7 September 2008 7. ^ "Lailat al Miraj ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 8. ^ Chiffolo, Anthony F. Dome of the Rock and El­Aqsa Mosque Divine Nature. 9. ^ John M. Lundquist (2007). The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 45. ISBN 0275983390, 9780275983390. 10. ^ Charles Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 0415121825, 9780415121828. 11. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71­1099)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 12. ^ Rivka Gonen (2003). Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. p. 85. ISBN 0881257990, 9780881257991. 13. ^ a b c d e Elad, Amikam. (1995). Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship Holy Places, Ceremonies, Pilgrimage BRILL, pp.29­43. ISBN 9004100105. 14. ^ a b c d le Strange, Guy. (1890). Palestine under the Moslems, pp.80­98. 15. ^ a b c d e f g h Ma'oz, Moshe and Nusseibeh, Sari. (2000). Jerusalem: Points of Friction, and Beyond BRILL. pp.136­138. ISBN 9041188436. 16. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Archnet Digital Library. 17. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). Contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple . KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. 18. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule . Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 0415230004. 19. ^ The travels of Nasir­i­Khusrau to Jerusalem, 1047 C.E. 20. ^ a b c Jordan sending replacement for Al Aqsa pulpit destroyed in 1969 attack Associated Press. International Herald Tribune. 2007­01­23. 21. ^ a b Thomas F. Madden (2002). The Crusades: The Essential Readings . Blackwell Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0631230238, 9780631230236. 22. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of Al­Aqsa 2007. 23. ^ a b Necipogulu, Gulru. (1996). Muqarnas, Volume 13: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World . BRILL, pp.149­153. ISBN 9004106332. 24. ^ "The Burning of Al­Aqsa ", Time Magazine (1969­08­29), p. 1. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (1970­01­12). Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 26. ^ About the OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference. 27. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East . Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 158826226. 28. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations . Routledge. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0714681792. 29. ^ Dated 18 January 1988 from the Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva Addressed to the Under­Secretary­General for Human Rights Ramlawi, Nabil. Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 30. ^ Palestine Facts Timeline, 1963­1988 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 31. ^ Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 1991 32. ^ a b Amayreh, Khaled. Catalogue of provocations: Israel's encroachments upon the Al­Aqsa Mosque have not been sporadic, but, rather, a systematic endeavor Al­Ahram Weekly. February 2007. 33. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Mosque Life in the Holy Land. 34. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Universal Tours. 35. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.95. ISBN 0881257990. 36. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Restoration Archnet Digital Library. 37. ^ Necipogulu, Gulru. (1999). Muqarnas, Volume 16: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World BRILL, p.14. ISBN 9004114823. 38. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of al­Aqsa. 39. ^ Ghawanima Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 40. ^ Bab al­Silsila Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 41. ^ a b Bab al­Asbat Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 42. ^ Klein, Aaron. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given permission for Jordan to build a large minaret adjacent to a mosque on the Temple Mount to call Muslims to prayer at the holy site, WND has learned World Net Daily News. 2007­02­10. 43. ^ Hillenbrand, Carolle. (2000). The Crusades: The Islamic Perspective Routeledge, p.382 ISBN 0415929148. 44. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Sacred Destinations. 45. ^ a b Oweis, Fayeq S. (2002) The Elements of Unity in Islamic Art as Examined Through the Work of Jamal Badran Universal­Publishers, pp.115­ 117. ISBN 1581121628. 46. ^ Mikdadi , Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine. 47. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Esplanade . 48. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.28. ISBN 0881257990. 49. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers ­ Islamic History and Biography . MSA Publication Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1861793235. 50. ^ Masjid al­Aqsa: Second house of prayer established on Earth World Press. 51. ^ Sahih Muslim 1:309 52. ^ [Qur'an 17:1 ] 53. ^ Hillenbrand, R. "Masdjid. I. In the central Islamic lands". in P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573­3912 . 54. ^ [Qur'an 17:7 ] 55. ^ Busse, Heribert. (1991). Jerusalem in the Story of prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension. Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 14 pp.1–40 56. ^ Robinson, Neal. (1996). Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text. SCM Press Ltd: London, p.192 57. ^ Allen, Edgar (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521525756, retrieved on 9 June 2008 58. ^ a b c Mosaad, Mohamed. Bayt al­Maqdis: An Islamic Perspective pp.3­8 59. ^ The Furthest Mosque, The History of Al ­ Aqsa Mosque From Earliest Times Mustaqim Islamic Art & Literature. 2008­01­05. 60. ^ el­Khatib, Abdallah (2001­05­01). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān " (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 28 (1): 25–53. doi:10.1080/13530190120034549 . Retrieved on 17 November 2006. 61. ^ Doninger, Wendy (1999­09­01). Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam­Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0­877­79044­2. 62. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2­IS ". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1974­02­24). Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 63. ^ Virtues of al­Aqsa Friends of Al­Aqsa. 64. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah 65. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97­224015 . ISBN 0701130709. 66. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda ". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 67. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (2005­05­06). "The opposite of holiness ". Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 68. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2001­01­18). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 69. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 70. ^ Social Structure and Geography Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 71. ^ Yaniv Berman, "Top Palestinian Muslim Cleric Okays Suicide Bombings" , Media Line, 2006­10­23. 72. ^ Camp David Projections Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. July 2000. 73. ^ Ramadan prayers at al­Aqsa mosque BBC News. 2008­09­05. 74. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Mount Restored to Muslim Control 75. ^ Klein, Aaron. Jews Demand Right to Pray on the Temple Mount The Temple Institute. 76. ^ "Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2000­09­28). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 77. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003). The Middle East and North Africa 2004 . Routledge. p. 560. ISBN 1857431847. 78. ^ Lis, Jonathan (2007­12­02). "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ", Haaretz, Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 79. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2006­12­14). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 80. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007­02­08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ", The Australian. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 81. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007­10­14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.

External links [edit]

Noble Sanctuary: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque MuslimWiki History of Palestine mp3 lecture (listen or download) Al­Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review Islamic Architecture. 360° view of the inside of the Mosque by Visual Dhikr Islamic Virtual Arts. Image Gallery of Masjid Al­Aqsa Muslim Ways. Al­Aqsa Mosque Photos Jerusalem Photos Archive. History of Al­Aqsa hWeb. Al­Aqsa Mosque Real facts about the Al­Aqsa Mosque.

v • d • e Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territories Hassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • al­Muallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque • Israel White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)

East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • al­Aqsa Mosque • Al­Khanqah al­Salahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar Great Mosque of Nablus • al­Hamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • al­Khadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque • West Bank an­Nasr Mosque • Mosque of Omar • Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque Gaza Strip Great Mosque of Gaza • Mosque of al­Sayed Hashem • Umm al­Naser Mosque • Weleyat Mosque

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj

Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 710s architecture | 1030s architecture | Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners | Islamic holy places | Mosques in Jerusalem | Palestinian nationalism | Conversion of non­Christian places of worship into Churches | Ziyarat

This page was last modified on 8 January 2009, at 21:54. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Al­Aqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses see al­Aqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.

,/IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ] ,ﻰﺼﻗﻻﺍ ﺪﺠﺴﻤﻟﺍ:Al­Aqsa Mosque (Arabic navigation al­Aqsa Mosque al­Masjid al­Aqsa (help∙info) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al­Aqsa, is an Masjid al­Aqsa Main page Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al­Haram Contents ash­Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and Featured content Current events considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in [2][3] Random article Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred search Mosque in Mecca to al­Aqsa during the Night Journey.[4] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, [5] Go Search when he turned towards the Ka'aba. The al­Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, interaction but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al­Malik and finished by his son al­ Eastern view of the al­Aqsa Mosque and the About Wikipedia Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and Fakhariyyah Minaret Community portal rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al­Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al­Mahdi in Recent changes Basic information Contact Wikipedia 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al­Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem Donate to Wikipedia caliph Ali az­Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present­day. During the Help periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate Geographic 31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, toolbox coordinates minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they What links here Religious Islam used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its Related changes affiliation recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later Upload file District Old City Special pages centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Printable version Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Ecclesiastical Mosque Permanent link Palestinian­led Islamic waqf. status Cite this page Contents Leadership Waqf languages 1 Etymology Architectural description Македонски 2 History Architectural type Mosque Afrikaans 2.1 Pre­construction ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ 2.2 Construction Architectural Early Islamic

2.3 Later constructions style Česky Dansk 2.4 Modern era Direction of north Deutsch 3 Architecture facade Español 3.1 Dome Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction) Euskara 3.2 Minarets 1033 CE (Second construction) Facade and porch 3.3 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 3.4 Interior Year completed 705 CE (First construction) Frysk 3.5 Ablution fountain 1035 CE (Second construction) Bahasa Indonesia 4 Religious significance Specifications Italiano 4.1 Islam Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000 תירבע 4.1.1 First qibla Magyar (precincts)[1] Македонски 4.1.2 Third holiest site Length 83 meters (272 ft) 4.2 Judaism Bahasa Melayu 5 Current situations Width 56 meters (184 ft) Nederlands 5.1 Administration Dome(s) 1 日本語 5.2 Access Norsk (bokmål) 5.3 Al­Aqsa Intifada Minaret(s) 4 Polski 5.4 Excavations Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest Português 6 See also minaret) Русский 7 References Simple English Materials Limestone (external walls, 8 External links Slovenčina minaret, facade) stalactite Српски / Srpski (minaret), lead (dome), white Suomi Etymology [edit] marble (interior columns) Svenska Masjid al­Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as "the farthest mosque", Its name refers to

a chapter of the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which it is said that prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque", and then Türkçe up to Heaven on a flying horse called al­Buraq al­Sharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca."[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 History [edit]

Pre­construction [edit] Jewish tradition holds that the site upon which al­Aqsa Mosque was constructed originally housed the Temple of Jerusalem. The destruction of the First Temple, known as the Temple of Solomon, is attributed to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and there are no physical remains attesting to its presence or structure.[9] Building of the Second Temple began during the rule of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, but this temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor (then general) Titus in 70 CE. All that remains of it is the Western Wall, which is thought to be a remnant of this second temple's platform.[10] Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and named "Church of Our Lady". The church was later destroyed by Khosrau II, the Sassanian empror in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[11]

Construction [edit] It is unknown exactly when the al­Aqsa Mosque was first constructed and who ordered its construction, but it is certain that it was built in the early Ummayad period of rule in Palestine. Contemporary Muslim and Jewish sources record that the site was covered with garbage dumped there by Byzantine Christians, and that the two communities participated in cleaning it up as Umar watched on, until the rock upon which the Temples of

Jerusalem were said to have been erected was revealed.[12] Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by the Gallic monk, Arculf, of his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679­82, notes that it is possible that Umar erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash­Sharif or Temple Mount. Arculf, however, visited Palestine during The mosque along the southern the reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is wall of the Temple Mount explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al­Muthannar bin Tahir.[13] According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad­Din, al­Suyuti, and al­Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al­Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock.[14][13] Guy le Strange claims that Abd al­Malik used materials from the destroyed Church of Our Lady to build the mosque and points to possible evidence that substructures on the southeast corners of the mosque are remains of the church.[14] In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al­Malik's son, al­Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from Damascus. Most Muslim and Western scholars agree that the mosque's reconstruction was started by Abd al­Malik, but that al­Walid oversaw its completion. In 713­14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al­Walid's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al­Walid had gold from the dome of the Dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material.[13]

Later constructions [edit] In 746, the al­Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as­Saffah overthrew the Ummayads and established the Abbasid Caliphate. The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al­Mansur declared his intent to repair the mosque in 753, and he had the gold and silver plaques that covered the gates of the mosque removed and turned into dinars and dirhams to finance the reconstruction which ended in 771. A second earthquake damaged most of al­Mansur's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774.[14][15] In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al­Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. [14][16] Al­Mahdi's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it.[17] In 985, Jerusalem­born Arab geographer al­Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had "fifteen naves and fifteen gates".[15] The facade and porch of the mosque were constructed and In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az­Zahir rebuilt expanded by the Fatimids, the and completely renovated the mosque between 1034­36. The number of naves was drastically reduced from Crusaders, the Mamluks and the fifteen to seven.[15] Az­Zahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the Ayyubids foundation of the mosque. The central aisle was double the width of the other aisles and had a large gable roof upon which the dome — made of wood — was constructed.[13] Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Crusaders used the mosque — which they called "Solomon's Temple" — as a palace. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch, and the addition of an apse and a dividing wall. A new cloister and church were also built at the site, along with various other structures.[18] The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building, the western currently serving as the women's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. [15] After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the [20] several repairs were undertaken at al­Aqsa Mosque. Saladin's predecessor — the city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area Zengid sultan Nur al­Din — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this "pulpit" of ivory and wood in 1168­69 but it was completed after his death; Nur ad­Din's gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq), [21] minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan each of which has nine­and­twenty marble pillars, whose of Damascus, al­Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al­Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of [15] the mosque's eastern side. masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah. included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E. of Raranj, and the building of the three free­standing domes — the most notable being (Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19] the Dome of the Prophet built in 1538. All construction was ordered by the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem and not the sultans themselves.[22] The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however.[22]

Modern era [edit] The first renovation of the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al­ Husayni hired Ahmet Kemalettin Bey — a Turkish architect — to restore al­Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924­25 under Kemalettin's supervision. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque's ancient Ummayad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the dome interior, rebuilding the southern wall, and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid­era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches The dome of the mosque in 1982. were decorated with green­tinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A It was made of aluminum, but replaced with its original lead plating quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and in 1983 Fatimid designs.[23] Severe damage was caused by the 1927 and 1937 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942.[15] On August 21, 1969, there was a fire inside al­Aqsa Mosque that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. Among other things the fire destroyed was Salahuddin Ayubi's minbar.[21] Initially, Palestinians blamed Israel for the fire, and some Israelis blamed Fatah, alleging they had started the fire so as to blame Israel and provoke hostility. However, the fire was started by neither Fatah nor Israel. The arsonist turned out to be a tourist from

Australia named Michael Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God.[24] He hoped that by burning down al­Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus, making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel.[25] The attack on al­ The mosque seen from the Aqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971, former area of the Moroccan [26] Quarter, 1991 which brought together dozens of Islamic countries. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al­Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that blowing up the two mosques would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the mosque.[27][28] On January 15, 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque wounding 40 worshipers.[29][30] On October 8, 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during riots that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a fringe group of religious Jews, to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple.[31][32]

Architecture [edit]

The rectangular al­Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters (1,550,003.1 sq ft), with a capacity of 400,000 worshipers, although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters (376,736.9 sq ft) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers.[33][34] It is 272 feet (83 m) long, 184 feet (56 m) wide.[33]

Dome [edit] The dome of the al­Aqsa Mosque, unlike the Dome of the Rock which reflects classical Byzantine architecture, is strictly early Islamic architecture.[35] Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al­Malik. The present­ day dome was built by az­Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork.[13] In 1969, the dome was reconstructed in concrete and covered with anodized aluminum instead of the original ribbed lead enamel work

sheeting. In 1983, the aluminum outer covering was replaced with lead to match the original design by az­Zahir. [36] Al­Aqsa's dome is one of the few domes to be built in front of the mihrab during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the others being the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (715) and the Great Mosque at Sousse (850).[37] The interior of the dome is painted with 14th century­era decorations. During the 1969 burning, the paintings were The silver­colored dome consists assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that of lead sheeting uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]

Minarets [edit]

The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides.[34] The first minaret, known as al­Fakhariyya Minaret, was built in 1278 on the southwestern corner of the mosque, on the orders of the Mamluk sultan Lajin. The minaret was built in the traditional Syrian style, with the base and shaft square and divided by moldings into three floors above which two lines of muqarnas decorate the muezzin's balcony. The niche is surrounded by a square chamber that ends in a lead­covered stone dome.[38] The second, known as the Ghawanima minaret, was built at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount in 1297­98 by architect Qadi Sharaf al­Din al­Khalili, also on the orders of the Sultan Lajin. Thirty­seven meters in height,[38] it is almost entirely made of stone, apart from a timber canopy over the muezzin's balcony. Because of its firm structure, the Ghawanima minaret has been nearly untouched by earthquakes. The minaret is divided into several stories by stone molding and stalactite galleries. The first two stories are wider and form the base of the tower. The additional four stories are surmounted by a cylindrical drum and a bulbous dome. The stairway is externally located on the first two floors, but becomes an internal spiral structure from the third floor until it reaches the muezzin's balcony.[39] In 1329, the Tankiz — the Mamluk governor of Syria — ordered the construction of a third minaret called the Bab al­Silsila Minaret located on the western border of the al­Aqsa Mosque. This minaret, possibly replacing an earlier Umayyad minaret, is built in the traditional Syrian square tower type and is made entirely out of stone.[40] It is an old Muslim tradition that the best muezzin ("reciter") of the adhan (the call to prayer), is assigned to this minaret because the first call to each of the five daily prayers is raised from it.[38] General view of the Ghawanima Minaret, 1900 The last and most notable minaret was built in 1367, and is known as Minarat al­Asbat. It is composed of a cylindrical stone shaft (built later by the Ottomans), which springs up from a rectangular Mamluk­built base on top of a triangular transition zone.[41] The shaft narrows above the muezzin's balcony, and is dotted with circular windows,[38] ending with a bulbous dome. The dome was reconstructed after the 1927 earthquake.[41] There are no minarets in the eastern portion of the mosque because historically there were very few inhabitants on that side and so there was little reason to have an additional minaret to call Muslims to prayer.[34] However, in 2007, it was announced that King Abdullah II of Jordan was planning to build a fifth minaret named after his father King Hussein and has been granted permission to do so from Israel. The King Hussein Minaret is planned to be the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem.[42]

Facade and porch [edit] The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al­Mustansir. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade during their era of rule in Palestine, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the facade's [15] covering with tiles. The second­hand material of the facade's arches includes sculpted ornamental material from taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem.[43] There are fourteen stone arches along the facade,[1] most of which are of a Romanesque style. The outer arches added by the Mamluks follow the same general design. The entrance to the mosque is through the facade's central arch.[44]

The porch is located at the top of the facade. The central bays of the porch were built by the Knights Templar The facade and porch of the during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew al­Mu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. mosque [15] Interior [edit] The al­Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building.[16] There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924.[23]

The mosque's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.[33] The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted, having a circumference of 9 inches (23 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and a height of 16 inches (41 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm). The remaining four rows are better proportioned. The capitals of the columns are Interior view of the mosque of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively showing the central naves and [33] designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order, and columns made from Italian white marble donated to the mosque by Benito Mussolini. [44] The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket­shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket­shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly­squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing.[33] A great portion of the mosque is covered with whitewash, but the drum of the dome and the walls immediately beneath it are decorated with mosaics and marble. Some wretched paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927.[33] The ceiling of The doors of the Saladin Minbar, the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44] early 1900s The minbar ("pulpit") of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from Aleppo on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad­Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad­Din would liberate Jerusalem and took six years to build (1168­74). Nur ad­Din died and the Crusaders held control of Jerusalem, but in 1187, Saladin captured the city and the minbar was installed. The structure was made of ivory and carefully crafted wood. Arabic calligraphy, geometrical and floral designs were inscribed in the woodwork.[45] After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al­Husayni — head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al­Aqsa — stated that a new minbar would be installed;[20] it was installed in February 2007.[46] The design of the new minbar was drawn by Jamil Badran based on an exact replica of the Saladin Minbar and was finished by Badran within a period of five years.[45] The minbar itself was built in Jordan over a period of four years and the craftsmen used "ancient woodworking methods, joining the pieces with pegs instead of nails, but employed computer images to design the pulpit [minbar]."[20]

Ablution fountain [edit] The mosque's main ablution fountain, known as al­Kas ("the Cup"), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock.[38] It is used by worshipers to perform wudu, a ritual washing of the hands, arms, legs, feet, and face before entry into the mosque. It was first built in 709 by the Ummayads, but in 1327­28 Governor Tankiz enlarged it to accommodate more worshipers. Although originally supplied with water from

Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, it currently receives water from pipes connected to Jerusalem's water supply. [47] In the 20th century, al­Kas was provided taps and stone seating.[48] The Fountain of Qasim Pasha , built by the Ottomans in 1526 and located north of the mosque on the platform of the Dome of the Rock, was used by worshipers for ablution and for drinking until the 1940s. Today, it stands as a The al­Kas ablution fountain monumental structure.[38]

Religious significance [edit]

Islam [edit]

In Islam, the term "al­Aqsa Mosque" is not restricted to the mosque only, but to the entire Temple Mount.[49] The mosque is known to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al­Haram in Mecca. Imam Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?" "The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al­Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said. "'And then which', I asked?" "The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa)", he said. "I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?" "Forty years," prophet Muhammad replied.[50]

During his night journey toward Bayt al­Maqdis (Jerusalem), Muhammad rode on Buraq to Jerusalem and once there he prayed two raka'ah on the Temple Mount. After he finished his prayers, the angel Gabriel took him to Heaven, where he met several of the prophets and upon encouragement from Moses, negotiated with God via Gabriel that Muslims would be required to make five prayers daily.[5][51] The al­Aqsa Mosque is known as the "farthest mosque" in sura al­Isra in the Qur'an.[52] It is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, (Arabic: masjid), literally means "place of prostration",[53] and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in the Qur'an is described as a masjid.[54] Western historians Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson believe this is the intended interpretation.[55][56] [clarification needed] First qibla [edit] The historical significance of the al­Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al­Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624, thus it became the qibla ("direction") that Muslims faced for prayer.[57] According to Allame Tabatabayee, God prepared for change of qibla, first by revealing the story of Abraham and his son, Ishmael, their prayers for the Ka'bah and Mecca, their construction of the House (Ka'aba) and the order then received to cleanse it for the worship of Allah. Then Quranic verses were revealed which ordered Muslims to turn towards Masjid al­Haram in [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5] their prayers. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the Rock — which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven — upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Ka'aba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site.[58] According to early Qur'anic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, Interior view of the mosque upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al­Ahbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with showing the mihrab, indicating the him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al­Ahbar suggested to him that it qibla should be behind the Rock "... so that all of Jerusalem would be before you". Umar replied, "You correspond to Judaism!" Nonetheless, immediately after this conversation, Umar began to clean up the site — which was filled with trash and debris — with his cloak, and other Muslim followers imitated him until the site was clean. Umar then prayed at the spot where it was believed that Muhammad had prayed before his night journey, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[58] Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque.[59] Because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself — being a place where Abraham, Solomon, and David had prayed — Umar constructed a small prayer house in the southern corner of its platform, taking care to avoid allowing the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Ka'aba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[58]

Third holiest site [edit] Main article: Holiest sites in Islam Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in Sunni Islam according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[60] Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern­day political tracts, tend to treat al­Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[61] For example, Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al­Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al­Masjid al­Aqsa is worth 500 prayers," more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate al Aqsa An exterior view of the mosque, from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the al­Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in 1856 the city) as the third holiest site in Islam.[62] According to the scholar Maimunah bint Sa'd on traveling to the al­Aqsa Mosque, he said, "the messenger of Allah [Muhammad] said, 'He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the al­Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed salaah (five daily ritual prayers in Islam) therein.'[63][64] Some Western scholars, such as Martin Gilbert, claim that the use of the term "third holiest" is driven by political motives and that the al­Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site in Islam. According to Gilbert, Jerusalem is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and points to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. He argues that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al­Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[65] Others, such as Ghada Hashem Talhami and Jonathan Silverman, point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al­Fadhail (history of cities), where the perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[66][67]

Judaism [edit] Main article: Temple Mount The Al­Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. According to tradition, this temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the Ten Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[68] Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where Adam was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac. [69]

Current situations [edit]

Administration [edit] The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al­Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six­Day War. After Israel's victory in that war, instead of the government taking control of the al­Aqsa Mosque, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Temple Mount to the Islamic waqf trust who are independent of the Israeli government. However, Israeli Security Forces are permitted to patrol and conduct searches within the perimeter of the mosque. After the 1969 arson attack, the waqf employed architects, technicians and craftsmen in a committee that carry out regular maintenance operations. In order to counteract Israeli policies and their escalating presence around the site since the al­Aqsa Intifada, the local Arab leadership, in cooperation with the waqf, have attempted to increase Muslim control inside the Temple Mount. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and making renovations for the mosque.[70] Muhammad Ahmad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al­Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[71] Ownership of the al­Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel­Palestinian conflict. Israel holds sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount, but Palestinians hold unofficial custodianship of the site through the Islamic waqf. During the negotiations at the 2000 Camp David Summit, Palestinians demanded complete ownership of the mosque and other Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem.[72]

Access [edit] While all Arab and Muslim citizens of Israel are allowed to enter and pray at the al­Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip face several restrictions. Palestinian males must be married and 50 years of age and women must be married and 45 years of age to enter the mosque. Palestinian visits are therefore rare during most of the year, except during the month of Ramadan. Israeli reasoning for the restrictions is that older, married Palestinians are less likely "to cause trouble".[73] The site of the mosque is not accessible to Jews due to a restriction placed on them by Israel's chief rabbinates in 1967. Their position was that the Jewish people were "ceremonially unclean and might accidentally tread on the place."[74] Israeli governmental restrictions only forbid Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allow Jews as well as, other non­Muslims to visit for certain hours on certain days in the week. Several rabbis, and several Zionist leaders have demanded the right of Jews to pray at the site on Jewish holidays.[75]

Al­Aqsa Intifada [edit]

Main article: Al­Aqsa Intifada Sign in Hebrew and English On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited outside the Temple Mount warning the al­Aqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party Jews not to enter the mosque compound members left, a demonstration erupted and Palestinians on the grounds of the Haram al­Sharif began throwing stones and other missiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a seven­year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al­Aqsa Intifada.[76] On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they hurled stones at the police. The police then stormed the mosque compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians, killing four and wounding about 200.[77]

Excavations [edit] Main article: Excavations of Al­Aqsa Mosque Several excavations of the al­Aqsa Mosque took place throughout the 1970s: In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations directly beneath the mosque on the southern and western sides. In 1977, digging continued and a large tunnel was opened below the women's prayer area and a new tunnel was dug under the mosque, going east to west in 1979. In addition, the Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984.[32] In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the mosque.[78] The excavations provoked anger throughout the Islamic world, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya — then Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas leader —[79] called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel.[80] Israel denied all charges against them, calling them "ludicrous".[81]

See also [edit]

Islamic architecture List of mosques Mosque of Omar Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories Masjid an­Nabawi Palestinian nationalism

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c "Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved on 2008­06­29. 2. ^ Barton, George (1901­1906). "Temple of Solomon" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 3. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007­10­23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers ", National Geographic. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 4. ^ Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Merriam­Webster. pp. 70. 5. ^ a b c Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn. AL­MIZAN:AN EXEGESIS OF THE QUR'AN, translation by S. Saeed Rizvi. WOFIS. ISBN 9646521142. 6. ^ Al­Aqsa Mosque , Noble Sanctuary Online Guide., retrieved on 7 September 2008 7. ^ "Lailat al Miraj ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 8. ^ Chiffolo, Anthony F. Dome of the Rock and El­Aqsa Mosque Divine Nature. 9. ^ John M. Lundquist (2007). The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 45. ISBN 0275983390, 9780275983390. 10. ^ Charles Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 0415121825, 9780415121828. 11. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71­1099)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 12. ^ Rivka Gonen (2003). Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. p. 85. ISBN 0881257990, 9780881257991. 13. ^ a b c d e Elad, Amikam. (1995). Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship Holy Places, Ceremonies, Pilgrimage BRILL, pp.29­43. ISBN 9004100105. 14. ^ a b c d le Strange, Guy. (1890). Palestine under the Moslems, pp.80­98. 15. ^ a b c d e f g h Ma'oz, Moshe and Nusseibeh, Sari. (2000). Jerusalem: Points of Friction, and Beyond BRILL. pp.136­138. ISBN 9041188436. 16. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Archnet Digital Library. 17. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). Contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple . KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. 18. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule . Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 0415230004. 19. ^ The travels of Nasir­i­Khusrau to Jerusalem, 1047 C.E. 20. ^ a b c Jordan sending replacement for Al Aqsa pulpit destroyed in 1969 attack Associated Press. International Herald Tribune. 2007­01­23. 21. ^ a b Thomas F. Madden (2002). The Crusades: The Essential Readings . Blackwell Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0631230238, 9780631230236. 22. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of Al­Aqsa 2007. 23. ^ a b Necipogulu, Gulru. (1996). Muqarnas, Volume 13: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World . BRILL, pp.149­153. ISBN 9004106332. 24. ^ "The Burning of Al­Aqsa ", Time Magazine (1969­08­29), p. 1. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (1970­01­12). Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 26. ^ About the OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference. 27. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East . Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 158826226. 28. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations . Routledge. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0714681792. 29. ^ Dated 18 January 1988 from the Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva Addressed to the Under­Secretary­General for Human Rights Ramlawi, Nabil. Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 30. ^ Palestine Facts Timeline, 1963­1988 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 31. ^ Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 1991 32. ^ a b Amayreh, Khaled. Catalogue of provocations: Israel's encroachments upon the Al­Aqsa Mosque have not been sporadic, but, rather, a systematic endeavor Al­Ahram Weekly. February 2007. 33. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Mosque Life in the Holy Land. 34. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Universal Tours. 35. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.95. ISBN 0881257990. 36. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Restoration Archnet Digital Library. 37. ^ Necipogulu, Gulru. (1999). Muqarnas, Volume 16: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World BRILL, p.14. ISBN 9004114823. 38. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of al­Aqsa. 39. ^ Ghawanima Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 40. ^ Bab al­Silsila Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 41. ^ a b Bab al­Asbat Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 42. ^ Klein, Aaron. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given permission for Jordan to build a large minaret adjacent to a mosque on the Temple Mount to call Muslims to prayer at the holy site, WND has learned World Net Daily News. 2007­02­10. 43. ^ Hillenbrand, Carolle. (2000). The Crusades: The Islamic Perspective Routeledge, p.382 ISBN 0415929148. 44. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Sacred Destinations. 45. ^ a b Oweis, Fayeq S. (2002) The Elements of Unity in Islamic Art as Examined Through the Work of Jamal Badran Universal­Publishers, pp.115­ 117. ISBN 1581121628. 46. ^ Mikdadi , Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine. 47. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Esplanade . 48. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.28. ISBN 0881257990. 49. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers ­ Islamic History and Biography . MSA Publication Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1861793235. 50. ^ Masjid al­Aqsa: Second house of prayer established on Earth World Press. 51. ^ Sahih Muslim 1:309 52. ^ [Qur'an 17:1 ] 53. ^ Hillenbrand, R. "Masdjid. I. In the central Islamic lands". in P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573­3912 . 54. ^ [Qur'an 17:7 ] 55. ^ Busse, Heribert. (1991). Jerusalem in the Story of prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension. Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 14 pp.1–40 56. ^ Robinson, Neal. (1996). Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text. SCM Press Ltd: London, p.192 57. ^ Allen, Edgar (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521525756, retrieved on 9 June 2008 58. ^ a b c Mosaad, Mohamed. Bayt al­Maqdis: An Islamic Perspective pp.3­8 59. ^ The Furthest Mosque, The History of Al ­ Aqsa Mosque From Earliest Times Mustaqim Islamic Art & Literature. 2008­01­05. 60. ^ el­Khatib, Abdallah (2001­05­01). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān " (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 28 (1): 25–53. doi:10.1080/13530190120034549 . Retrieved on 17 November 2006. 61. ^ Doninger, Wendy (1999­09­01). Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam­Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0­877­79044­2. 62. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2­IS ". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1974­02­24). Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 63. ^ Virtues of al­Aqsa Friends of Al­Aqsa. 64. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah 65. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97­224015 . ISBN 0701130709. 66. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda ". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 67. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (2005­05­06). "The opposite of holiness ". Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 68. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2001­01­18). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 69. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 70. ^ Social Structure and Geography Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 71. ^ Yaniv Berman, "Top Palestinian Muslim Cleric Okays Suicide Bombings" , Media Line, 2006­10­23. 72. ^ Camp David Projections Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. July 2000. 73. ^ Ramadan prayers at al­Aqsa mosque BBC News. 2008­09­05. 74. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Mount Restored to Muslim Control 75. ^ Klein, Aaron. Jews Demand Right to Pray on the Temple Mount The Temple Institute. 76. ^ "Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2000­09­28). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 77. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003). The Middle East and North Africa 2004 . Routledge. p. 560. ISBN 1857431847. 78. ^ Lis, Jonathan (2007­12­02). "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ", Haaretz, Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 79. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2006­12­14). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 80. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007­02­08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ", The Australian. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 81. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007­10­14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.

External links [edit]

Noble Sanctuary: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque MuslimWiki History of Palestine mp3 lecture (listen or download) Al­Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review Islamic Architecture. 360° view of the inside of the Mosque by Visual Dhikr Islamic Virtual Arts. Image Gallery of Masjid Al­Aqsa Muslim Ways. Al­Aqsa Mosque Photos Jerusalem Photos Archive. History of Al­Aqsa hWeb. Al­Aqsa Mosque Real facts about the Al­Aqsa Mosque.

v • d • e Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territories Hassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • al­Muallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque • Israel White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla) East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • al­Aqsa Mosque • Al­Khanqah al­Salahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar Great Mosque of Nablus • al­Hamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • al­Khadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque • West Bank an­Nasr Mosque • Mosque of Omar • Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque Gaza Strip Great Mosque of Gaza • Mosque of al­Sayed Hashem • Umm al­Naser Mosque • Weleyat Mosque

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 710s architecture | 1030s architecture | Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners | Islamic holy places | Mosques in Jerusalem | Palestinian nationalism | Conversion of non­Christian places of worship into Churches | Ziyarat

This page was last modified on 8 January 2009, at 21:54. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Al­Aqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses see al­Aqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.

,/IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ] ,ﻰﺼﻗﻻﺍ ﺪﺠﺴﻤﻟﺍ:Al­Aqsa Mosque (Arabic navigation al­Aqsa Mosque al­Masjid al­Aqsa (help∙info) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al­Aqsa, is an Masjid al­Aqsa Main page Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al­Haram Contents ash­Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and Featured content Current events considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in [2][3] Random article Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred search Mosque in Mecca to al­Aqsa during the Night Journey.[4] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, [5] Go Search when he turned towards the Ka'aba. The al­Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, interaction but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al­Malik and finished by his son al­ Eastern view of the al­Aqsa Mosque and the About Wikipedia Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and Fakhariyyah Minaret Community portal rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al­Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al­Mahdi in Recent changes Basic information Contact Wikipedia 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al­Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem Donate to Wikipedia caliph Ali az­Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present­day. During the Help periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate Geographic 31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, toolbox coordinates minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they What links here Religious Islam used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its Related changes affiliation recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later Upload file District Old City Special pages centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Printable version Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Ecclesiastical Mosque Permanent link Palestinian­led Islamic waqf. status Cite this page Contents Leadership Waqf languages 1 Etymology Architectural description Македонски 2 History Architectural type Mosque Afrikaans 2.1 Pre­construction ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ 2.2 Construction Architectural Early Islamic

2.3 Later constructions style Česky Dansk 2.4 Modern era Direction of north Deutsch 3 Architecture facade Español 3.1 Dome Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction) Euskara 3.2 Minarets 1033 CE (Second construction) Facade and porch 3.3 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 3.4 Interior Year completed 705 CE (First construction) Frysk 3.5 Ablution fountain 1035 CE (Second construction) Bahasa Indonesia 4 Religious significance Specifications Italiano 4.1 Islam Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000 תירבע 4.1.1 First qibla Magyar (precincts)[1] Македонски 4.1.2 Third holiest site Length 83 meters (272 ft) 4.2 Judaism Bahasa Melayu 5 Current situations Width 56 meters (184 ft) Nederlands 5.1 Administration Dome(s) 1 日本語 5.2 Access Norsk (bokmål) 5.3 Al­Aqsa Intifada Minaret(s) 4 Polski 5.4 Excavations Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest Português 6 See also minaret) Русский 7 References Simple English Materials Limestone (external walls, 8 External links Slovenčina minaret, facade) stalactite Српски / Srpski (minaret), lead (dome), white Suomi Etymology [edit] marble (interior columns) Svenska Masjid al­Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as "the farthest mosque", Its name refers to

a chapter of the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which it is said that prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque", and then Türkçe up to Heaven on a flying horse called al­Buraq al­Sharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca."[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 History [edit]

Pre­construction [edit] Jewish tradition holds that the site upon which al­Aqsa Mosque was constructed originally housed the Temple of Jerusalem. The destruction of the First Temple, known as the Temple of Solomon, is attributed to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and there are no physical remains attesting to its presence or structure.[9] Building of the Second Temple began during the rule of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, but this temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor (then general) Titus in 70 CE. All that remains of it is the Western Wall, which is thought to be a remnant of this second temple's platform.[10] Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and named "Church of Our Lady". The church was later destroyed by Khosrau II, the Sassanian empror in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[11]

Construction [edit] It is unknown exactly when the al­Aqsa Mosque was first constructed and who ordered its construction, but it is certain that it was built in the early Ummayad period of rule in Palestine. Contemporary Muslim and Jewish sources record that the site was covered with garbage dumped there by Byzantine Christians, and that the two communities participated in cleaning it up as Umar watched on, until the rock upon which the Temples of

Jerusalem were said to have been erected was revealed.[12] Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by the Gallic monk, Arculf, of his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679­82, notes that it is possible that Umar erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash­Sharif or Temple Mount. Arculf, however, visited Palestine during The mosque along the southern the reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is wall of the Temple Mount explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al­Muthannar bin Tahir.[13] According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad­Din, al­Suyuti, and al­Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al­Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock.[14][13] Guy le Strange claims that Abd al­Malik used materials from the destroyed Church of Our Lady to build the mosque and points to possible evidence that substructures on the southeast corners of the mosque are remains of the church.[14] In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al­Malik's son, al­Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from Damascus. Most Muslim and Western scholars agree that the mosque's reconstruction was started by Abd al­Malik, but that al­Walid oversaw its completion. In 713­14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al­Walid's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al­Walid had gold from the dome of the Dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material.[13]

Later constructions [edit] In 746, the al­Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as­Saffah overthrew the Ummayads and established the Abbasid Caliphate. The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al­Mansur declared his intent to repair the mosque in 753, and he had the gold and silver plaques that covered the gates of the mosque removed and turned into dinars and dirhams to finance the reconstruction which ended in 771. A second earthquake damaged most of al­Mansur's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774.[14][15] In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al­Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. [14][16] Al­Mahdi's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it.[17] In 985, Jerusalem­born Arab geographer al­Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had "fifteen naves and fifteen gates".[15] The facade and porch of the mosque were constructed and In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az­Zahir rebuilt expanded by the Fatimids, the and completely renovated the mosque between 1034­36. The number of naves was drastically reduced from Crusaders, the Mamluks and the fifteen to seven.[15] Az­Zahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the Ayyubids foundation of the mosque. The central aisle was double the width of the other aisles and had a large gable roof upon which the dome — made of wood — was constructed.[13] Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Crusaders used the mosque — which they called "Solomon's Temple" — as a palace. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch, and the addition of an apse and a dividing wall. A new cloister and church were also built at the site, along with various other structures.[18] The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building, the western currently serving as the women's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. [15] After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the [20] several repairs were undertaken at al­Aqsa Mosque. Saladin's predecessor — the city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area Zengid sultan Nur al­Din — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this "pulpit" of ivory and wood in 1168­69 but it was completed after his death; Nur ad­Din's gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq), [21] minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan each of which has nine­and­twenty marble pillars, whose of Damascus, al­Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al­Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of [15] the mosque's eastern side. masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah. included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E. of Raranj, and the building of the three free­standing domes — the most notable being (Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19] the Dome of the Prophet built in 1538. All construction was ordered by the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem and not the sultans themselves.[22] The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however.[22]

Modern era [edit] The first renovation of the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al­ Husayni hired Ahmet Kemalettin Bey — a Turkish architect — to restore al­Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924­25 under Kemalettin's supervision. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque's ancient Ummayad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the dome interior, rebuilding the southern wall, and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid­era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches The dome of the mosque in 1982. were decorated with green­tinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A It was made of aluminum, but replaced with its original lead plating quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and in 1983 Fatimid designs.[23] Severe damage was caused by the 1927 and 1937 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942.[15] On August 21, 1969, there was a fire inside al­Aqsa Mosque that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. Among other things the fire destroyed was Salahuddin Ayubi's minbar.[21] Initially, Palestinians blamed Israel for the fire, and some Israelis blamed Fatah, alleging they had started the fire so as to blame Israel and provoke hostility. However, the fire was started by neither Fatah nor Israel. The arsonist turned out to be a tourist from

Australia named Michael Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God.[24] He hoped that by burning down al­Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus, making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel.[25] The attack on al­ The mosque seen from the Aqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971, former area of the Moroccan [26] Quarter, 1991 which brought together dozens of Islamic countries. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al­Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that blowing up the two mosques would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the mosque.[27][28] On January 15, 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque wounding 40 worshipers.[29][30] On October 8, 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during riots that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a fringe group of religious Jews, to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple.[31][32]

Architecture [edit]

The rectangular al­Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters (1,550,003.1 sq ft), with a capacity of 400,000 worshipers, although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters (376,736.9 sq ft) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers.[33][34] It is 272 feet (83 m) long, 184 feet (56 m) wide.[33]

Dome [edit] The dome of the al­Aqsa Mosque, unlike the Dome of the Rock which reflects classical Byzantine architecture, is strictly early Islamic architecture.[35] Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al­Malik. The present­ day dome was built by az­Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork.[13] In 1969, the dome was reconstructed in concrete and covered with anodized aluminum instead of the original ribbed lead enamel work

sheeting. In 1983, the aluminum outer covering was replaced with lead to match the original design by az­Zahir. [36] Al­Aqsa's dome is one of the few domes to be built in front of the mihrab during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the others being the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (715) and the Great Mosque at Sousse (850).[37] The interior of the dome is painted with 14th century­era decorations. During the 1969 burning, the paintings were The silver­colored dome consists assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that of lead sheeting uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]

Minarets [edit]

The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides.[34] The first minaret, known as al­Fakhariyya Minaret, was built in 1278 on the southwestern corner of the mosque, on the orders of the Mamluk sultan Lajin. The minaret was built in the traditional Syrian style, with the base and shaft square and divided by moldings into three floors above which two lines of muqarnas decorate the muezzin's balcony. The niche is surrounded by a square chamber that ends in a lead­covered stone dome.[38] The second, known as the Ghawanima minaret, was built at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount in 1297­98 by architect Qadi Sharaf al­Din al­Khalili, also on the orders of the Sultan Lajin. Thirty­seven meters in height,[38] it is almost entirely made of stone, apart from a timber canopy over the muezzin's balcony. Because of its firm structure, the Ghawanima minaret has been nearly untouched by earthquakes. The minaret is divided into several stories by stone molding and stalactite galleries. The first two stories are wider and form the base of the tower. The additional four stories are surmounted by a cylindrical drum and a bulbous dome. The stairway is externally located on the first two floors, but becomes an internal spiral structure from the third floor until it reaches the muezzin's balcony.[39] In 1329, the Tankiz — the Mamluk governor of Syria — ordered the construction of a third minaret called the Bab al­Silsila Minaret located on the western border of the al­Aqsa Mosque. This minaret, possibly replacing an earlier Umayyad minaret, is built in the traditional Syrian square tower type and is made entirely out of stone.[40] It is an old Muslim tradition that the best muezzin ("reciter") of the adhan (the call to prayer), is assigned to this minaret because the first call to each of the five daily prayers is raised from it.[38] General view of the Ghawanima Minaret, 1900 The last and most notable minaret was built in 1367, and is known as Minarat al­Asbat. It is composed of a cylindrical stone shaft (built later by the Ottomans), which springs up from a rectangular Mamluk­built base on top of a triangular transition zone.[41] The shaft narrows above the muezzin's balcony, and is dotted with circular windows,[38] ending with a bulbous dome. The dome was reconstructed after the 1927 earthquake.[41] There are no minarets in the eastern portion of the mosque because historically there were very few inhabitants on that side and so there was little reason to have an additional minaret to call Muslims to prayer.[34] However, in 2007, it was announced that King Abdullah II of Jordan was planning to build a fifth minaret named after his father King Hussein and has been granted permission to do so from Israel. The King Hussein Minaret is planned to be the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem.[42]

Facade and porch [edit] The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al­Mustansir. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade during their era of rule in Palestine, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the facade's [15] covering with tiles. The second­hand material of the facade's arches includes sculpted ornamental material from taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem.[43] There are fourteen stone arches along the facade,[1] most of which are of a Romanesque style. The outer arches added by the Mamluks follow the same general design. The entrance to the mosque is through the facade's central arch.[44]

The porch is located at the top of the facade. The central bays of the porch were built by the Knights Templar The facade and porch of the during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew al­Mu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. mosque [15] Interior [edit] The al­Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building.[16] There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924.[23]

The mosque's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.[33] The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted, having a circumference of 9 inches (23 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and a height of 16 inches (41 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm). The remaining four rows are better proportioned. The capitals of the columns are Interior view of the mosque of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively showing the central naves and [33] designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order, and columns made from Italian white marble donated to the mosque by Benito Mussolini. [44] The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket­shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket­shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly­squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing.[33] A great portion of the mosque is covered with whitewash, but the drum of the dome and the walls immediately beneath it are decorated with mosaics and marble. Some wretched paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927.[33] The ceiling of The doors of the Saladin Minbar, the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44] early 1900s The minbar ("pulpit") of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from Aleppo on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad­Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad­Din would liberate Jerusalem and took six years to build (1168­74). Nur ad­Din died and the Crusaders held control of Jerusalem, but in 1187, Saladin captured the city and the minbar was installed. The structure was made of ivory and carefully crafted wood. Arabic calligraphy, geometrical and floral designs were inscribed in the woodwork.[45] After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al­Husayni — head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al­Aqsa — stated that a new minbar would be installed;[20] it was installed in February 2007.[46] The design of the new minbar was drawn by Jamil Badran based on an exact replica of the Saladin Minbar and was finished by Badran within a period of five years.[45] The minbar itself was built in Jordan over a period of four years and the craftsmen used "ancient woodworking methods, joining the pieces with pegs instead of nails, but employed computer images to design the pulpit [minbar]."[20]

Ablution fountain [edit] The mosque's main ablution fountain, known as al­Kas ("the Cup"), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock.[38] It is used by worshipers to perform wudu, a ritual washing of the hands, arms, legs, feet, and face before entry into the mosque. It was first built in 709 by the Ummayads, but in 1327­28 Governor Tankiz enlarged it to accommodate more worshipers. Although originally supplied with water from

Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, it currently receives water from pipes connected to Jerusalem's water supply. [47] In the 20th century, al­Kas was provided taps and stone seating.[48] The Fountain of Qasim Pasha , built by the Ottomans in 1526 and located north of the mosque on the platform of the Dome of the Rock, was used by worshipers for ablution and for drinking until the 1940s. Today, it stands as a The al­Kas ablution fountain monumental structure.[38]

Religious significance [edit]

Islam [edit]

In Islam, the term "al­Aqsa Mosque" is not restricted to the mosque only, but to the entire Temple Mount.[49] The mosque is known to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al­Haram in Mecca. Imam Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?" "The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al­Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said. "'And then which', I asked?" "The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa)", he said. "I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?" "Forty years," prophet Muhammad replied.[50]

During his night journey toward Bayt al­Maqdis (Jerusalem), Muhammad rode on Buraq to Jerusalem and once there he prayed two raka'ah on the Temple Mount. After he finished his prayers, the angel Gabriel took him to Heaven, where he met several of the prophets and upon encouragement from Moses, negotiated with God via Gabriel that Muslims would be required to make five prayers daily.[5][51] The al­Aqsa Mosque is known as the "farthest mosque" in sura al­Isra in the Qur'an.[52] It is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, (Arabic: masjid), literally means "place of prostration",[53] and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in the Qur'an is described as a masjid.[54] Western historians Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson believe this is the intended interpretation.[55][56] [clarification needed] First qibla [edit] The historical significance of the al­Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al­Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624, thus it became the qibla ("direction") that Muslims faced for prayer.[57] According to Allame Tabatabayee, God prepared for change of qibla, first by revealing the story of Abraham and his son, Ishmael, their prayers for the Ka'bah and Mecca, their construction of the House (Ka'aba) and the order then received to cleanse it for the worship of Allah. Then Quranic verses were revealed which ordered Muslims to turn towards Masjid al­Haram in [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5] their prayers. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the Rock — which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven — upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Ka'aba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site.[58] According to early Qur'anic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, Interior view of the mosque upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al­Ahbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with showing the mihrab, indicating the him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al­Ahbar suggested to him that it qibla should be behind the Rock "... so that all of Jerusalem would be before you". Umar replied, "You correspond to Judaism!" Nonetheless, immediately after this conversation, Umar began to clean up the site — which was filled with trash and debris — with his cloak, and other Muslim followers imitated him until the site was clean. Umar then prayed at the spot where it was believed that Muhammad had prayed before his night journey, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[58] Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque.[59] Because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself — being a place where Abraham, Solomon, and David had prayed — Umar constructed a small prayer house in the southern corner of its platform, taking care to avoid allowing the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Ka'aba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[58]

Third holiest site [edit] Main article: Holiest sites in Islam Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in Sunni Islam according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[60] Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern­day political tracts, tend to treat al­Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[61] For example, Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al­Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al­Masjid al­Aqsa is worth 500 prayers," more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate al Aqsa An exterior view of the mosque, from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the al­Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in 1856 the city) as the third holiest site in Islam.[62] According to the scholar Maimunah bint Sa'd on traveling to the al­Aqsa Mosque, he said, "the messenger of Allah [Muhammad] said, 'He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the al­Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed salaah (five daily ritual prayers in Islam) therein.'[63][64] Some Western scholars, such as Martin Gilbert, claim that the use of the term "third holiest" is driven by political motives and that the al­Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site in Islam. According to Gilbert, Jerusalem is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and points to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. He argues that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al­Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[65] Others, such as Ghada Hashem Talhami and Jonathan Silverman, point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al­Fadhail (history of cities), where the perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[66][67]

Judaism [edit] Main article: Temple Mount The Al­Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. According to tradition, this temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the Ten Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[68] Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where Adam was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac. [69]

Current situations [edit]

Administration [edit] The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al­Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six­Day War. After Israel's victory in that war, instead of the government taking control of the al­Aqsa Mosque, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Temple Mount to the Islamic waqf trust who are independent of the Israeli government. However, Israeli Security Forces are permitted to patrol and conduct searches within the perimeter of the mosque. After the 1969 arson attack, the waqf employed architects, technicians and craftsmen in a committee that carry out regular maintenance operations. In order to counteract Israeli policies and their escalating presence around the site since the al­Aqsa Intifada, the local Arab leadership, in cooperation with the waqf, have attempted to increase Muslim control inside the Temple Mount. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and making renovations for the mosque.[70] Muhammad Ahmad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al­Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[71] Ownership of the al­Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel­Palestinian conflict. Israel holds sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount, but Palestinians hold unofficial custodianship of the site through the Islamic waqf. During the negotiations at the 2000 Camp David Summit, Palestinians demanded complete ownership of the mosque and other Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem.[72]

Access [edit] While all Arab and Muslim citizens of Israel are allowed to enter and pray at the al­Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip face several restrictions. Palestinian males must be married and 50 years of age and women must be married and 45 years of age to enter the mosque. Palestinian visits are therefore rare during most of the year, except during the month of Ramadan. Israeli reasoning for the restrictions is that older, married Palestinians are less likely "to cause trouble".[73] The site of the mosque is not accessible to Jews due to a restriction placed on them by Israel's chief rabbinates in 1967. Their position was that the Jewish people were "ceremonially unclean and might accidentally tread on the place."[74] Israeli governmental restrictions only forbid Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allow Jews as well as, other non­Muslims to visit for certain hours on certain days in the week. Several rabbis, and several Zionist leaders have demanded the right of Jews to pray at the site on Jewish holidays.[75]

Al­Aqsa Intifada [edit]

Main article: Al­Aqsa Intifada Sign in Hebrew and English On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited outside the Temple Mount warning the al­Aqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party Jews not to enter the mosque compound members left, a demonstration erupted and Palestinians on the grounds of the Haram al­Sharif began throwing stones and other missiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a seven­year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al­Aqsa Intifada.[76] On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they hurled stones at the police. The police then stormed the mosque compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians, killing four and wounding about 200.[77]

Excavations [edit] Main article: Excavations of Al­Aqsa Mosque Several excavations of the al­Aqsa Mosque took place throughout the 1970s: In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations directly beneath the mosque on the southern and western sides. In 1977, digging continued and a large tunnel was opened below the women's prayer area and a new tunnel was dug under the mosque, going east to west in 1979. In addition, the Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984.[32] In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the mosque.[78] The excavations provoked anger throughout the Islamic world, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya — then Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas leader —[79] called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel.[80] Israel denied all charges against them, calling them "ludicrous".[81]

See also [edit]

Islamic architecture List of mosques Mosque of Omar Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories Masjid an­Nabawi Palestinian nationalism

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c "Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved on 2008­06­29. 2. ^ Barton, George (1901­1906). "Temple of Solomon" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 3. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007­10­23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers ", National Geographic. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 4. ^ Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Merriam­Webster. pp. 70. 5. ^ a b c Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn. AL­MIZAN:AN EXEGESIS OF THE QUR'AN, translation by S. Saeed Rizvi. WOFIS. ISBN 9646521142. 6. ^ Al­Aqsa Mosque , Noble Sanctuary Online Guide., retrieved on 7 September 2008 7. ^ "Lailat al Miraj ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 8. ^ Chiffolo, Anthony F. Dome of the Rock and El­Aqsa Mosque Divine Nature. 9. ^ John M. Lundquist (2007). The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 45. ISBN 0275983390, 9780275983390. 10. ^ Charles Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 0415121825, 9780415121828. 11. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71­1099)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 12. ^ Rivka Gonen (2003). Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. p. 85. ISBN 0881257990, 9780881257991. 13. ^ a b c d e Elad, Amikam. (1995). Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship Holy Places, Ceremonies, Pilgrimage BRILL, pp.29­43. ISBN 9004100105. 14. ^ a b c d le Strange, Guy. (1890). Palestine under the Moslems, pp.80­98. 15. ^ a b c d e f g h Ma'oz, Moshe and Nusseibeh, Sari. (2000). Jerusalem: Points of Friction, and Beyond BRILL. pp.136­138. ISBN 9041188436. 16. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Archnet Digital Library. 17. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). Contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple . KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. 18. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule . Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 0415230004. 19. ^ The travels of Nasir­i­Khusrau to Jerusalem, 1047 C.E. 20. ^ a b c Jordan sending replacement for Al Aqsa pulpit destroyed in 1969 attack Associated Press. International Herald Tribune. 2007­01­23. 21. ^ a b Thomas F. Madden (2002). The Crusades: The Essential Readings . Blackwell Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0631230238, 9780631230236. 22. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of Al­Aqsa 2007. 23. ^ a b Necipogulu, Gulru. (1996). Muqarnas, Volume 13: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World . BRILL, pp.149­153. ISBN 9004106332. 24. ^ "The Burning of Al­Aqsa ", Time Magazine (1969­08­29), p. 1. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (1970­01­12). Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 26. ^ About the OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference. 27. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East . Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 158826226. 28. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations . Routledge. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0714681792. 29. ^ Dated 18 January 1988 from the Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva Addressed to the Under­Secretary­General for Human Rights Ramlawi, Nabil. Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 30. ^ Palestine Facts Timeline, 1963­1988 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 31. ^ Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 1991 32. ^ a b Amayreh, Khaled. Catalogue of provocations: Israel's encroachments upon the Al­Aqsa Mosque have not been sporadic, but, rather, a systematic endeavor Al­Ahram Weekly. February 2007. 33. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Mosque Life in the Holy Land. 34. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Universal Tours. 35. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.95. ISBN 0881257990. 36. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Restoration Archnet Digital Library. 37. ^ Necipogulu, Gulru. (1999). Muqarnas, Volume 16: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World BRILL, p.14. ISBN 9004114823. 38. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of al­Aqsa. 39. ^ Ghawanima Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 40. ^ Bab al­Silsila Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 41. ^ a b Bab al­Asbat Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 42. ^ Klein, Aaron. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given permission for Jordan to build a large minaret adjacent to a mosque on the Temple Mount to call Muslims to prayer at the holy site, WND has learned World Net Daily News. 2007­02­10. 43. ^ Hillenbrand, Carolle. (2000). The Crusades: The Islamic Perspective Routeledge, p.382 ISBN 0415929148. 44. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Sacred Destinations. 45. ^ a b Oweis, Fayeq S. (2002) The Elements of Unity in Islamic Art as Examined Through the Work of Jamal Badran Universal­Publishers, pp.115­ 117. ISBN 1581121628. 46. ^ Mikdadi , Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine. 47. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Esplanade . 48. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.28. ISBN 0881257990. 49. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers ­ Islamic History and Biography . MSA Publication Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1861793235. 50. ^ Masjid al­Aqsa: Second house of prayer established on Earth World Press. 51. ^ Sahih Muslim 1:309 52. ^ [Qur'an 17:1 ] 53. ^ Hillenbrand, R. "Masdjid. I. In the central Islamic lands". in P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573­3912 . 54. ^ [Qur'an 17:7 ] 55. ^ Busse, Heribert. (1991). Jerusalem in the Story of prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension. Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 14 pp.1–40 56. ^ Robinson, Neal. (1996). Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text. SCM Press Ltd: London, p.192 57. ^ Allen, Edgar (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521525756, retrieved on 9 June 2008 58. ^ a b c Mosaad, Mohamed. Bayt al­Maqdis: An Islamic Perspective pp.3­8 59. ^ The Furthest Mosque, The History of Al ­ Aqsa Mosque From Earliest Times Mustaqim Islamic Art & Literature. 2008­01­05. 60. ^ el­Khatib, Abdallah (2001­05­01). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān " (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 28 (1): 25–53. doi:10.1080/13530190120034549 . Retrieved on 17 November 2006. 61. ^ Doninger, Wendy (1999­09­01). Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam­Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0­877­79044­2. 62. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2­IS ". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1974­02­24). Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 63. ^ Virtues of al­Aqsa Friends of Al­Aqsa. 64. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah 65. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97­224015 . ISBN 0701130709. 66. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda ". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 67. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (2005­05­06). "The opposite of holiness ". Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 68. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2001­01­18). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 69. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 70. ^ Social Structure and Geography Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 71. ^ Yaniv Berman, "Top Palestinian Muslim Cleric Okays Suicide Bombings" , Media Line, 2006­10­23. 72. ^ Camp David Projections Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. July 2000. 73. ^ Ramadan prayers at al­Aqsa mosque BBC News. 2008­09­05. 74. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Mount Restored to Muslim Control 75. ^ Klein, Aaron. Jews Demand Right to Pray on the Temple Mount The Temple Institute. 76. ^ "Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2000­09­28). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 77. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003). The Middle East and North Africa 2004 . Routledge. p. 560. ISBN 1857431847. 78. ^ Lis, Jonathan (2007­12­02). "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ", Haaretz, Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 79. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2006­12­14). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 80. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007­02­08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ", The Australian. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 81. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007­10­14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.

External links [edit]

Noble Sanctuary: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque MuslimWiki History of Palestine mp3 lecture (listen or download) Al­Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review Islamic Architecture. 360° view of the inside of the Mosque by Visual Dhikr Islamic Virtual Arts. Image Gallery of Masjid Al­Aqsa Muslim Ways. Al­Aqsa Mosque Photos Jerusalem Photos Archive. History of Al­Aqsa hWeb. Al­Aqsa Mosque Real facts about the Al­Aqsa Mosque.

v • d • e Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territories Hassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • al­Muallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque • Israel White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla) East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • al­Aqsa Mosque • Al­Khanqah al­Salahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar Great Mosque of Nablus • al­Hamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • al­Khadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque • West Bank an­Nasr Mosque • Mosque of Omar • Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque Gaza Strip Great Mosque of Gaza • Mosque of al­Sayed Hashem • Umm al­Naser Mosque • Weleyat Mosque

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 710s architecture | 1030s architecture | Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners | Islamic holy places | Mosques in Jerusalem | Palestinian nationalism | Conversion of non­Christian places of worship into Churches | Ziyarat

This page was last modified on 8 January 2009, at 21:54. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Al­Aqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses see al­Aqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.

,/IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ] ,ﻰﺼﻗﻻﺍ ﺪﺠﺴﻤﻟﺍ:Al­Aqsa Mosque (Arabic navigation al­Aqsa Mosque al­Masjid al­Aqsa (help∙info) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al­Aqsa, is an Masjid al­Aqsa Main page Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al­Haram Contents ash­Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and Featured content Current events considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in [2][3] Random article Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred search Mosque in Mecca to al­Aqsa during the Night Journey.[4] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, [5] Go Search when he turned towards the Ka'aba. The al­Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, interaction but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al­Malik and finished by his son al­ Eastern view of the al­Aqsa Mosque and the About Wikipedia Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and Fakhariyyah Minaret Community portal rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al­Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al­Mahdi in Recent changes Basic information Contact Wikipedia 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al­Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem Donate to Wikipedia caliph Ali az­Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present­day. During the Help periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate Geographic 31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, toolbox coordinates minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they What links here Religious Islam used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its Related changes affiliation recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later Upload file District Old City Special pages centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Printable version Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Ecclesiastical Mosque Permanent link Palestinian­led Islamic waqf. status Cite this page Contents Leadership Waqf languages 1 Etymology Architectural description Македонски 2 History Architectural type Mosque Afrikaans 2.1 Pre­construction ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ 2.2 Construction Architectural Early Islamic

2.3 Later constructions style Česky Dansk 2.4 Modern era Direction of north Deutsch 3 Architecture facade Español 3.1 Dome Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction) Euskara 3.2 Minarets 1033 CE (Second construction) Facade and porch 3.3 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 3.4 Interior Year completed 705 CE (First construction) Frysk 3.5 Ablution fountain 1035 CE (Second construction) Bahasa Indonesia 4 Religious significance Specifications Italiano 4.1 Islam Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000 תירבע 4.1.1 First qibla Magyar (precincts)[1] Македонски 4.1.2 Third holiest site Length 83 meters (272 ft) 4.2 Judaism Bahasa Melayu 5 Current situations Width 56 meters (184 ft) Nederlands 5.1 Administration Dome(s) 1 日本語 5.2 Access Norsk (bokmål) 5.3 Al­Aqsa Intifada Minaret(s) 4 Polski 5.4 Excavations Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest Português 6 See also minaret) Русский 7 References Simple English Materials Limestone (external walls, 8 External links Slovenčina minaret, facade) stalactite Српски / Srpski (minaret), lead (dome), white Suomi Etymology [edit] marble (interior columns) Svenska Masjid al­Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as "the farthest mosque", Its name refers to

a chapter of the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which it is said that prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque", and then Türkçe up to Heaven on a flying horse called al­Buraq al­Sharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca."[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 History [edit]

Pre­construction [edit] Jewish tradition holds that the site upon which al­Aqsa Mosque was constructed originally housed the Temple of Jerusalem. The destruction of the First Temple, known as the Temple of Solomon, is attributed to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and there are no physical remains attesting to its presence or structure.[9] Building of the Second Temple began during the rule of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, but this temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor (then general) Titus in 70 CE. All that remains of it is the Western Wall, which is thought to be a remnant of this second temple's platform.[10] Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and named "Church of Our Lady". The church was later destroyed by Khosrau II, the Sassanian empror in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[11]

Construction [edit] It is unknown exactly when the al­Aqsa Mosque was first constructed and who ordered its construction, but it is certain that it was built in the early Ummayad period of rule in Palestine. Contemporary Muslim and Jewish sources record that the site was covered with garbage dumped there by Byzantine Christians, and that the two communities participated in cleaning it up as Umar watched on, until the rock upon which the Temples of

Jerusalem were said to have been erected was revealed.[12] Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by the Gallic monk, Arculf, of his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679­82, notes that it is possible that Umar erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash­Sharif or Temple Mount. Arculf, however, visited Palestine during The mosque along the southern the reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is wall of the Temple Mount explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al­Muthannar bin Tahir.[13] According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad­Din, al­Suyuti, and al­Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al­Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock.[14][13] Guy le Strange claims that Abd al­Malik used materials from the destroyed Church of Our Lady to build the mosque and points to possible evidence that substructures on the southeast corners of the mosque are remains of the church.[14] In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al­Malik's son, al­Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from Damascus. Most Muslim and Western scholars agree that the mosque's reconstruction was started by Abd al­Malik, but that al­Walid oversaw its completion. In 713­14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al­Walid's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al­Walid had gold from the dome of the Dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material.[13]

Later constructions [edit] In 746, the al­Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as­Saffah overthrew the Ummayads and established the Abbasid Caliphate. The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al­Mansur declared his intent to repair the mosque in 753, and he had the gold and silver plaques that covered the gates of the mosque removed and turned into dinars and dirhams to finance the reconstruction which ended in 771. A second earthquake damaged most of al­Mansur's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774.[14][15] In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al­Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. [14][16] Al­Mahdi's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it.[17] In 985, Jerusalem­born Arab geographer al­Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had "fifteen naves and fifteen gates".[15] The facade and porch of the mosque were constructed and In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az­Zahir rebuilt expanded by the Fatimids, the and completely renovated the mosque between 1034­36. The number of naves was drastically reduced from Crusaders, the Mamluks and the fifteen to seven.[15] Az­Zahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the Ayyubids foundation of the mosque. The central aisle was double the width of the other aisles and had a large gable roof upon which the dome — made of wood — was constructed.[13] Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Crusaders used the mosque — which they called "Solomon's Temple" — as a palace. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch, and the addition of an apse and a dividing wall. A new cloister and church were also built at the site, along with various other structures.[18] The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building, the western currently serving as the women's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. [15] After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the [20] several repairs were undertaken at al­Aqsa Mosque. Saladin's predecessor — the city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area Zengid sultan Nur al­Din — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this "pulpit" of ivory and wood in 1168­69 but it was completed after his death; Nur ad­Din's gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq), [21] minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan each of which has nine­and­twenty marble pillars, whose of Damascus, al­Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al­Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of [15] the mosque's eastern side. masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah. included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E. of Raranj, and the building of the three free­standing domes — the most notable being (Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19] the Dome of the Prophet built in 1538. All construction was ordered by the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem and not the sultans themselves.[22] The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however.[22]

Modern era [edit] The first renovation of the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al­ Husayni hired Ahmet Kemalettin Bey — a Turkish architect — to restore al­Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924­25 under Kemalettin's supervision. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque's ancient Ummayad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the dome interior, rebuilding the southern wall, and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid­era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches The dome of the mosque in 1982. were decorated with green­tinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A It was made of aluminum, but replaced with its original lead plating quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and in 1983 Fatimid designs.[23] Severe damage was caused by the 1927 and 1937 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942.[15] On August 21, 1969, there was a fire inside al­Aqsa Mosque that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. Among other things the fire destroyed was Salahuddin Ayubi's minbar.[21] Initially, Palestinians blamed Israel for the fire, and some Israelis blamed Fatah, alleging they had started the fire so as to blame Israel and provoke hostility. However, the fire was started by neither Fatah nor Israel. The arsonist turned out to be a tourist from

Australia named Michael Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God.[24] He hoped that by burning down al­Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus, making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel.[25] The attack on al­ The mosque seen from the Aqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971, former area of the Moroccan [26] Quarter, 1991 which brought together dozens of Islamic countries. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al­Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that blowing up the two mosques would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the mosque.[27][28] On January 15, 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque wounding 40 worshipers.[29][30] On October 8, 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during riots that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a fringe group of religious Jews, to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple.[31][32]

Architecture [edit]

The rectangular al­Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters (1,550,003.1 sq ft), with a capacity of 400,000 worshipers, although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters (376,736.9 sq ft) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers.[33][34] It is 272 feet (83 m) long, 184 feet (56 m) wide.[33]

Dome [edit] The dome of the al­Aqsa Mosque, unlike the Dome of the Rock which reflects classical Byzantine architecture, is strictly early Islamic architecture.[35] Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al­Malik. The present­ day dome was built by az­Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork.[13] In 1969, the dome was reconstructed in concrete and covered with anodized aluminum instead of the original ribbed lead enamel work

sheeting. In 1983, the aluminum outer covering was replaced with lead to match the original design by az­Zahir. [36] Al­Aqsa's dome is one of the few domes to be built in front of the mihrab during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the others being the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (715) and the Great Mosque at Sousse (850).[37] The interior of the dome is painted with 14th century­era decorations. During the 1969 burning, the paintings were The silver­colored dome consists assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that of lead sheeting uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]

Minarets [edit]

The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides.[34] The first minaret, known as al­Fakhariyya Minaret, was built in 1278 on the southwestern corner of the mosque, on the orders of the Mamluk sultan Lajin. The minaret was built in the traditional Syrian style, with the base and shaft square and divided by moldings into three floors above which two lines of muqarnas decorate the muezzin's balcony. The niche is surrounded by a square chamber that ends in a lead­covered stone dome.[38] The second, known as the Ghawanima minaret, was built at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount in 1297­98 by architect Qadi Sharaf al­Din al­Khalili, also on the orders of the Sultan Lajin. Thirty­seven meters in height,[38] it is almost entirely made of stone, apart from a timber canopy over the muezzin's balcony. Because of its firm structure, the Ghawanima minaret has been nearly untouched by earthquakes. The minaret is divided into several stories by stone molding and stalactite galleries. The first two stories are wider and form the base of the tower. The additional four stories are surmounted by a cylindrical drum and a bulbous dome. The stairway is externally located on the first two floors, but becomes an internal spiral structure from the third floor until it reaches the muezzin's balcony.[39] In 1329, the Tankiz — the Mamluk governor of Syria — ordered the construction of a third minaret called the Bab al­Silsila Minaret located on the western border of the al­Aqsa Mosque. This minaret, possibly replacing an earlier Umayyad minaret, is built in the traditional Syrian square tower type and is made entirely out of stone.[40] It is an old Muslim tradition that the best muezzin ("reciter") of the adhan (the call to prayer), is assigned to this minaret because the first call to each of the five daily prayers is raised from it.[38] General view of the Ghawanima Minaret, 1900 The last and most notable minaret was built in 1367, and is known as Minarat al­Asbat. It is composed of a cylindrical stone shaft (built later by the Ottomans), which springs up from a rectangular Mamluk­built base on top of a triangular transition zone.[41] The shaft narrows above the muezzin's balcony, and is dotted with circular windows,[38] ending with a bulbous dome. The dome was reconstructed after the 1927 earthquake.[41] There are no minarets in the eastern portion of the mosque because historically there were very few inhabitants on that side and so there was little reason to have an additional minaret to call Muslims to prayer.[34] However, in 2007, it was announced that King Abdullah II of Jordan was planning to build a fifth minaret named after his father King Hussein and has been granted permission to do so from Israel. The King Hussein Minaret is planned to be the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem.[42]

Facade and porch [edit] The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al­Mustansir. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade during their era of rule in Palestine, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the facade's [15] covering with tiles. The second­hand material of the facade's arches includes sculpted ornamental material from taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem.[43] There are fourteen stone arches along the facade,[1] most of which are of a Romanesque style. The outer arches added by the Mamluks follow the same general design. The entrance to the mosque is through the facade's central arch.[44]

The porch is located at the top of the facade. The central bays of the porch were built by the Knights Templar The facade and porch of the during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew al­Mu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. mosque [15] Interior [edit] The al­Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building.[16] There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924.[23]

The mosque's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.[33] The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted, having a circumference of 9 inches (23 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and a height of 16 inches (41 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm). The remaining four rows are better proportioned. The capitals of the columns are Interior view of the mosque of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively showing the central naves and [33] designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order, and columns made from Italian white marble donated to the mosque by Benito Mussolini. [44] The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket­shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket­shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly­squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing.[33] A great portion of the mosque is covered with whitewash, but the drum of the dome and the walls immediately beneath it are decorated with mosaics and marble. Some wretched paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927.[33] The ceiling of The doors of the Saladin Minbar, the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44] early 1900s The minbar ("pulpit") of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from Aleppo on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad­Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad­Din would liberate Jerusalem and took six years to build (1168­74). Nur ad­Din died and the Crusaders held control of Jerusalem, but in 1187, Saladin captured the city and the minbar was installed. The structure was made of ivory and carefully crafted wood. Arabic calligraphy, geometrical and floral designs were inscribed in the woodwork.[45] After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al­Husayni — head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al­Aqsa — stated that a new minbar would be installed;[20] it was installed in February 2007.[46] The design of the new minbar was drawn by Jamil Badran based on an exact replica of the Saladin Minbar and was finished by Badran within a period of five years.[45] The minbar itself was built in Jordan over a period of four years and the craftsmen used "ancient woodworking methods, joining the pieces with pegs instead of nails, but employed computer images to design the pulpit [minbar]."[20]

Ablution fountain [edit] The mosque's main ablution fountain, known as al­Kas ("the Cup"), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock.[38] It is used by worshipers to perform wudu, a ritual washing of the hands, arms, legs, feet, and face before entry into the mosque. It was first built in 709 by the Ummayads, but in 1327­28 Governor Tankiz enlarged it to accommodate more worshipers. Although originally supplied with water from

Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, it currently receives water from pipes connected to Jerusalem's water supply. [47] In the 20th century, al­Kas was provided taps and stone seating.[48] The Fountain of Qasim Pasha , built by the Ottomans in 1526 and located north of the mosque on the platform of the Dome of the Rock, was used by worshipers for ablution and for drinking until the 1940s. Today, it stands as a The al­Kas ablution fountain monumental structure.[38]

Religious significance [edit]

Islam [edit]

In Islam, the term "al­Aqsa Mosque" is not restricted to the mosque only, but to the entire Temple Mount.[49] The mosque is known to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al­Haram in Mecca. Imam Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?" "The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al­Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said. "'And then which', I asked?" "The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa)", he said. "I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?" "Forty years," prophet Muhammad replied.[50]

During his night journey toward Bayt al­Maqdis (Jerusalem), Muhammad rode on Buraq to Jerusalem and once there he prayed two raka'ah on the Temple Mount. After he finished his prayers, the angel Gabriel took him to Heaven, where he met several of the prophets and upon encouragement from Moses, negotiated with God via Gabriel that Muslims would be required to make five prayers daily.[5][51] The al­Aqsa Mosque is known as the "farthest mosque" in sura al­Isra in the Qur'an.[52] It is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, (Arabic: masjid), literally means "place of prostration",[53] and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in the Qur'an is described as a masjid.[54] Western historians Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson believe this is the intended interpretation.[55][56] [clarification needed] First qibla [edit] The historical significance of the al­Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al­Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624, thus it became the qibla ("direction") that Muslims faced for prayer.[57] According to Allame Tabatabayee, God prepared for change of qibla, first by revealing the story of Abraham and his son, Ishmael, their prayers for the Ka'bah and Mecca, their construction of the House (Ka'aba) and the order then received to cleanse it for the worship of Allah. Then Quranic verses were revealed which ordered Muslims to turn towards Masjid al­Haram in [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5] their prayers. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the Rock — which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven — upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Ka'aba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site.[58] According to early Qur'anic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, Interior view of the mosque upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al­Ahbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with showing the mihrab, indicating the him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al­Ahbar suggested to him that it qibla should be behind the Rock "... so that all of Jerusalem would be before you". Umar replied, "You correspond to Judaism!" Nonetheless, immediately after this conversation, Umar began to clean up the site — which was filled with trash and debris — with his cloak, and other Muslim followers imitated him until the site was clean. Umar then prayed at the spot where it was believed that Muhammad had prayed before his night journey, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[58] Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque.[59] Because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself — being a place where Abraham, Solomon, and David had prayed — Umar constructed a small prayer house in the southern corner of its platform, taking care to avoid allowing the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Ka'aba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[58]

Third holiest site [edit] Main article: Holiest sites in Islam Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in Sunni Islam according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[60] Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern­day political tracts, tend to treat al­Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[61] For example, Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al­Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al­Masjid al­Aqsa is worth 500 prayers," more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate al Aqsa An exterior view of the mosque, from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the al­Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in 1856 the city) as the third holiest site in Islam.[62] According to the scholar Maimunah bint Sa'd on traveling to the al­Aqsa Mosque, he said, "the messenger of Allah [Muhammad] said, 'He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the al­Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed salaah (five daily ritual prayers in Islam) therein.'[63][64] Some Western scholars, such as Martin Gilbert, claim that the use of the term "third holiest" is driven by political motives and that the al­Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site in Islam. According to Gilbert, Jerusalem is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and points to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. He argues that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al­Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[65] Others, such as Ghada Hashem Talhami and Jonathan Silverman, point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al­Fadhail (history of cities), where the perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[66][67]

Judaism [edit] Main article: Temple Mount The Al­Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. According to tradition, this temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the Ten Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[68] Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where Adam was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac. [69]

Current situations [edit]

Administration [edit] The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al­Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six­Day War. After Israel's victory in that war, instead of the government taking control of the al­Aqsa Mosque, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Temple Mount to the Islamic waqf trust who are independent of the Israeli government. However, Israeli Security Forces are permitted to patrol and conduct searches within the perimeter of the mosque. After the 1969 arson attack, the waqf employed architects, technicians and craftsmen in a committee that carry out regular maintenance operations. In order to counteract Israeli policies and their escalating presence around the site since the al­Aqsa Intifada, the local Arab leadership, in cooperation with the waqf, have attempted to increase Muslim control inside the Temple Mount. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and making renovations for the mosque.[70] Muhammad Ahmad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al­Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[71] Ownership of the al­Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel­Palestinian conflict. Israel holds sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount, but Palestinians hold unofficial custodianship of the site through the Islamic waqf. During the negotiations at the 2000 Camp David Summit, Palestinians demanded complete ownership of the mosque and other Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem.[72]

Access [edit] While all Arab and Muslim citizens of Israel are allowed to enter and pray at the al­Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip face several restrictions. Palestinian males must be married and 50 years of age and women must be married and 45 years of age to enter the mosque. Palestinian visits are therefore rare during most of the year, except during the month of Ramadan. Israeli reasoning for the restrictions is that older, married Palestinians are less likely "to cause trouble".[73] The site of the mosque is not accessible to Jews due to a restriction placed on them by Israel's chief rabbinates in 1967. Their position was that the Jewish people were "ceremonially unclean and might accidentally tread on the place."[74] Israeli governmental restrictions only forbid Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allow Jews as well as, other non­Muslims to visit for certain hours on certain days in the week. Several rabbis, and several Zionist leaders have demanded the right of Jews to pray at the site on Jewish holidays.[75]

Al­Aqsa Intifada [edit]

Main article: Al­Aqsa Intifada Sign in Hebrew and English On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited outside the Temple Mount warning the al­Aqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party Jews not to enter the mosque compound members left, a demonstration erupted and Palestinians on the grounds of the Haram al­Sharif began throwing stones and other missiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a seven­year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al­Aqsa Intifada.[76] On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they hurled stones at the police. The police then stormed the mosque compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians, killing four and wounding about 200.[77]

Excavations [edit] Main article: Excavations of Al­Aqsa Mosque Several excavations of the al­Aqsa Mosque took place throughout the 1970s: In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations directly beneath the mosque on the southern and western sides. In 1977, digging continued and a large tunnel was opened below the women's prayer area and a new tunnel was dug under the mosque, going east to west in 1979. In addition, the Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984.[32] In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the mosque.[78] The excavations provoked anger throughout the Islamic world, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya — then Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas leader —[79] called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel.[80] Israel denied all charges against them, calling them "ludicrous".[81]

See also [edit]

Islamic architecture List of mosques Mosque of Omar Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories Masjid an­Nabawi Palestinian nationalism

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c "Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved on 2008­06­29. 2. ^ Barton, George (1901­1906). "Temple of Solomon" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 3. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007­10­23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers ", National Geographic. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 4. ^ Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Merriam­Webster. pp. 70. 5. ^ a b c Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn. AL­MIZAN:AN EXEGESIS OF THE QUR'AN, translation by S. Saeed Rizvi. WOFIS. ISBN 9646521142. 6. ^ Al­Aqsa Mosque , Noble Sanctuary Online Guide., retrieved on 7 September 2008 7. ^ "Lailat al Miraj ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 8. ^ Chiffolo, Anthony F. Dome of the Rock and El­Aqsa Mosque Divine Nature. 9. ^ John M. Lundquist (2007). The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 45. ISBN 0275983390, 9780275983390. 10. ^ Charles Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 0415121825, 9780415121828. 11. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71­1099)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 12. ^ Rivka Gonen (2003). Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. p. 85. ISBN 0881257990, 9780881257991. 13. ^ a b c d e Elad, Amikam. (1995). Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship Holy Places, Ceremonies, Pilgrimage BRILL, pp.29­43. ISBN 9004100105. 14. ^ a b c d le Strange, Guy. (1890). Palestine under the Moslems, pp.80­98. 15. ^ a b c d e f g h Ma'oz, Moshe and Nusseibeh, Sari. (2000). Jerusalem: Points of Friction, and Beyond BRILL. pp.136­138. ISBN 9041188436. 16. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Archnet Digital Library. 17. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). Contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple . KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. 18. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule . Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 0415230004. 19. ^ The travels of Nasir­i­Khusrau to Jerusalem, 1047 C.E. 20. ^ a b c Jordan sending replacement for Al Aqsa pulpit destroyed in 1969 attack Associated Press. International Herald Tribune. 2007­01­23. 21. ^ a b Thomas F. Madden (2002). The Crusades: The Essential Readings . Blackwell Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0631230238, 9780631230236. 22. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of Al­Aqsa 2007. 23. ^ a b Necipogulu, Gulru. (1996). Muqarnas, Volume 13: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World . BRILL, pp.149­153. ISBN 9004106332. 24. ^ "The Burning of Al­Aqsa ", Time Magazine (1969­08­29), p. 1. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (1970­01­12). Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 26. ^ About the OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference. 27. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East . Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 158826226. 28. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations . Routledge. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0714681792. 29. ^ Dated 18 January 1988 from the Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva Addressed to the Under­Secretary­General for Human Rights Ramlawi, Nabil. Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 30. ^ Palestine Facts Timeline, 1963­1988 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 31. ^ Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 1991 32. ^ a b Amayreh, Khaled. Catalogue of provocations: Israel's encroachments upon the Al­Aqsa Mosque have not been sporadic, but, rather, a systematic endeavor Al­Ahram Weekly. February 2007. 33. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Mosque Life in the Holy Land. 34. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Universal Tours. 35. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.95. ISBN 0881257990. 36. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Restoration Archnet Digital Library. 37. ^ Necipogulu, Gulru. (1999). Muqarnas, Volume 16: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World BRILL, p.14. ISBN 9004114823. 38. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of al­Aqsa. 39. ^ Ghawanima Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 40. ^ Bab al­Silsila Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 41. ^ a b Bab al­Asbat Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 42. ^ Klein, Aaron. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given permission for Jordan to build a large minaret adjacent to a mosque on the Temple Mount to call Muslims to prayer at the holy site, WND has learned World Net Daily News. 2007­02­10. 43. ^ Hillenbrand, Carolle. (2000). The Crusades: The Islamic Perspective Routeledge, p.382 ISBN 0415929148. 44. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Sacred Destinations. 45. ^ a b Oweis, Fayeq S. (2002) The Elements of Unity in Islamic Art as Examined Through the Work of Jamal Badran Universal­Publishers, pp.115­ 117. ISBN 1581121628. 46. ^ Mikdadi , Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine. 47. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Esplanade . 48. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.28. ISBN 0881257990. 49. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers ­ Islamic History and Biography . MSA Publication Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1861793235. 50. ^ Masjid al­Aqsa: Second house of prayer established on Earth World Press. 51. ^ Sahih Muslim 1:309 52. ^ [Qur'an 17:1 ] 53. ^ Hillenbrand, R. "Masdjid. I. In the central Islamic lands". in P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573­3912 . 54. ^ [Qur'an 17:7 ] 55. ^ Busse, Heribert. (1991). Jerusalem in the Story of prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension. Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 14 pp.1–40 56. ^ Robinson, Neal. (1996). Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text. SCM Press Ltd: London, p.192 57. ^ Allen, Edgar (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521525756, retrieved on 9 June 2008 58. ^ a b c Mosaad, Mohamed. Bayt al­Maqdis: An Islamic Perspective pp.3­8 59. ^ The Furthest Mosque, The History of Al ­ Aqsa Mosque From Earliest Times Mustaqim Islamic Art & Literature. 2008­01­05. 60. ^ el­Khatib, Abdallah (2001­05­01). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān " (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 28 (1): 25–53. doi:10.1080/13530190120034549 . Retrieved on 17 November 2006. 61. ^ Doninger, Wendy (1999­09­01). Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam­Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0­877­79044­2. 62. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2­IS ". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1974­02­24). Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 63. ^ Virtues of al­Aqsa Friends of Al­Aqsa. 64. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah 65. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97­224015 . ISBN 0701130709. 66. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda ". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 67. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (2005­05­06). "The opposite of holiness ". Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 68. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2001­01­18). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 69. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 70. ^ Social Structure and Geography Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 71. ^ Yaniv Berman, "Top Palestinian Muslim Cleric Okays Suicide Bombings" , Media Line, 2006­10­23. 72. ^ Camp David Projections Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. July 2000. 73. ^ Ramadan prayers at al­Aqsa mosque BBC News. 2008­09­05. 74. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Mount Restored to Muslim Control 75. ^ Klein, Aaron. Jews Demand Right to Pray on the Temple Mount The Temple Institute. 76. ^ "Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2000­09­28). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 77. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003). The Middle East and North Africa 2004 . Routledge. p. 560. ISBN 1857431847. 78. ^ Lis, Jonathan (2007­12­02). "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ", Haaretz, Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 79. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2006­12­14). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 80. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007­02­08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ", The Australian. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 81. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007­10­14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.

External links [edit]

Noble Sanctuary: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque MuslimWiki History of Palestine mp3 lecture (listen or download) Al­Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review Islamic Architecture. 360° view of the inside of the Mosque by Visual Dhikr Islamic Virtual Arts. Image Gallery of Masjid Al­Aqsa Muslim Ways. Al­Aqsa Mosque Photos Jerusalem Photos Archive. History of Al­Aqsa hWeb. Al­Aqsa Mosque Real facts about the Al­Aqsa Mosque.

v • d • e Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territories Hassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • al­Muallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque • Israel White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla) East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • al­Aqsa Mosque • Al­Khanqah al­Salahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar

Great Mosque of Nablus • al­Hamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • al­Khadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque • West Bank an­Nasr Mosque • Mosque of Omar • Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque Gaza Strip Great Mosque of Gaza • Mosque of al­Sayed Hashem • Umm al­Naser Mosque • Weleyat Mosque

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 710s architecture | 1030s architecture | Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners | Islamic holy places | Mosques in Jerusalem | Palestinian nationalism | Conversion of non­Christian places of worship into Churches | Ziyarat

This page was last modified on 8 January 2009, at 21:54. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Al­Aqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses see al­Aqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.

,/IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ] ,ﻰﺼﻗﻻﺍ ﺪﺠﺴﻤﻟﺍ:Al­Aqsa Mosque (Arabic navigation al­Aqsa Mosque al­Masjid al­Aqsa (help∙info) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al­Aqsa, is an Masjid al­Aqsa Main page Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al­Haram Contents ash­Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and Featured content Current events considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in [2][3] Random article Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred search Mosque in Mecca to al­Aqsa during the Night Journey.[4] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, [5] Go Search when he turned towards the Ka'aba. The al­Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, interaction but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al­Malik and finished by his son al­ Eastern view of the al­Aqsa Mosque and the About Wikipedia Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and Fakhariyyah Minaret Community portal rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al­Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al­Mahdi in Recent changes Basic information Contact Wikipedia 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al­Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem Donate to Wikipedia caliph Ali az­Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present­day. During the Help periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate Geographic 31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, toolbox coordinates minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they What links here Religious Islam used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its Related changes affiliation recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later Upload file District Old City Special pages centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Printable version Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Ecclesiastical Mosque Permanent link Palestinian­led Islamic waqf. status Cite this page Contents Leadership Waqf languages 1 Etymology Architectural description Македонски 2 History Architectural type Mosque Afrikaans 2.1 Pre­construction ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ 2.2 Construction Architectural Early Islamic

2.3 Later constructions style Česky Dansk 2.4 Modern era Direction of north Deutsch 3 Architecture facade 3.1 Dome Español Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction) Euskara 3.2 Minarets 1033 CE (Second construction) Facade and porch 3.3 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 3.4 Interior Year completed 705 CE (First construction) Frysk 3.5 Ablution fountain 1035 CE (Second construction) Bahasa Indonesia 4 Religious significance Specifications Italiano 4.1 Islam Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000 תירבע 4.1.1 First qibla Magyar (precincts)[1] Македонски 4.1.2 Third holiest site Length 83 meters (272 ft) 4.2 Judaism Bahasa Melayu 5 Current situations Width 56 meters (184 ft) Nederlands 5.1 Administration Dome(s) 1 日本語 5.2 Access Norsk (bokmål) 5.3 Al­Aqsa Intifada Minaret(s) 4 Polski 5.4 Excavations Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest Português 6 See also minaret) Русский 7 References Simple English Materials Limestone (external walls, 8 External links Slovenčina minaret, facade) stalactite Српски / Srpski (minaret), lead (dome), white Suomi Etymology [edit] marble (interior columns) Svenska Masjid al­Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as "the farthest mosque", Its name refers to

a chapter of the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which it is said that prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque", and then Türkçe up to Heaven on a flying horse called al­Buraq al­Sharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca."[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 History [edit]

Pre­construction [edit] Jewish tradition holds that the site upon which al­Aqsa Mosque was constructed originally housed the Temple of Jerusalem. The destruction of the First Temple, known as the Temple of Solomon, is attributed to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and there are no physical remains attesting to its presence or structure.[9] Building of the Second Temple began during the rule of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, but this temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor (then general) Titus in 70 CE. All that remains of it is the Western Wall, which is thought to be a remnant of this second temple's platform.[10] Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and named "Church of Our Lady". The church was later destroyed by Khosrau II, the Sassanian empror in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[11]

Construction [edit] It is unknown exactly when the al­Aqsa Mosque was first constructed and who ordered its construction, but it is certain that it was built in the early Ummayad period of rule in Palestine. Contemporary Muslim and Jewish sources record that the site was covered with garbage dumped there by Byzantine Christians, and that the two communities participated in cleaning it up as Umar watched on, until the rock upon which the Temples of

Jerusalem were said to have been erected was revealed.[12] Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by the Gallic monk, Arculf, of his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679­82, notes that it is possible that Umar erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash­Sharif or Temple Mount. Arculf, however, visited Palestine during The mosque along the southern the reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is wall of the Temple Mount explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al­Muthannar bin Tahir.[13] According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad­Din, al­Suyuti, and al­Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al­Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock.[14][13] Guy le Strange claims that Abd al­Malik used materials from the destroyed Church of Our Lady to build the mosque and points to possible evidence that substructures on the southeast corners of the mosque are remains of the church.[14] In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al­Malik's son, al­Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from Damascus. Most Muslim and Western scholars agree that the mosque's reconstruction was started by Abd al­Malik, but that al­Walid oversaw its completion. In 713­14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al­Walid's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al­Walid had gold from the dome of the Dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material.[13]

Later constructions [edit] In 746, the al­Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as­Saffah overthrew the Ummayads and established the Abbasid Caliphate. The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al­Mansur declared his intent to repair the mosque in 753, and he had the gold and silver plaques that covered the gates of the mosque removed and turned into dinars and dirhams to finance the reconstruction which ended in 771. A second earthquake damaged most of al­Mansur's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774.[14][15] In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al­Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. [14][16] Al­Mahdi's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it.[17] In 985, Jerusalem­born Arab geographer al­Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had "fifteen naves and fifteen gates".[15] The facade and porch of the mosque were constructed and In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az­Zahir rebuilt expanded by the Fatimids, the and completely renovated the mosque between 1034­36. The number of naves was drastically reduced from Crusaders, the Mamluks and the fifteen to seven.[15] Az­Zahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the Ayyubids foundation of the mosque. The central aisle was double the width of the other aisles and had a large gable roof upon which the dome — made of wood — was constructed.[13] Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Crusaders used the mosque — which they called "Solomon's Temple" — as a palace. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch, and the addition of an apse and a dividing wall. A new cloister and church were also built at the site, along with various other structures.[18] The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building, the western currently serving as the women's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. [15] After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the [20] several repairs were undertaken at al­Aqsa Mosque. Saladin's predecessor — the city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area Zengid sultan Nur al­Din — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this "pulpit" of ivory and wood in 1168­69 but it was completed after his death; Nur ad­Din's gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq), [21] minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan each of which has nine­and­twenty marble pillars, whose of Damascus, al­Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al­Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of [15] the mosque's eastern side. masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah. included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E. of Raranj, and the building of the three free­standing domes — the most notable being (Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19] the Dome of the Prophet built in 1538. All construction was ordered by the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem and not the sultans themselves.[22] The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however.[22]

Modern era [edit] The first renovation of the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al­ Husayni hired Ahmet Kemalettin Bey — a Turkish architect — to restore al­Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924­25 under Kemalettin's supervision. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque's ancient Ummayad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the dome interior, rebuilding the southern wall, and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid­era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches The dome of the mosque in 1982. were decorated with green­tinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A It was made of aluminum, but replaced with its original lead plating quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and in 1983 Fatimid designs.[23] Severe damage was caused by the 1927 and 1937 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942.[15] On August 21, 1969, there was a fire inside al­Aqsa Mosque that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. Among other things the fire destroyed was Salahuddin Ayubi's minbar.[21] Initially, Palestinians blamed Israel for the fire, and some Israelis blamed Fatah, alleging they had started the fire so as to blame Israel and provoke hostility. However, the fire was started by neither Fatah nor Israel. The arsonist turned out to be a tourist from

Australia named Michael Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God.[24] He hoped that by burning down al­Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus, making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel.[25] The attack on al­ The mosque seen from the Aqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971, former area of the Moroccan [26] Quarter, 1991 which brought together dozens of Islamic countries. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al­Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that blowing up the two mosques would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the mosque.[27][28] On January 15, 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque wounding 40 worshipers.[29][30] On October 8, 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during riots that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a fringe group of religious Jews, to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple.[31][32]

Architecture [edit]

The rectangular al­Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters (1,550,003.1 sq ft), with a capacity of 400,000 worshipers, although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters (376,736.9 sq ft) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers.[33][34] It is 272 feet (83 m) long, 184 feet (56 m) wide.[33]

Dome [edit] The dome of the al­Aqsa Mosque, unlike the Dome of the Rock which reflects classical Byzantine architecture, is strictly early Islamic architecture.[35] Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al­Malik. The present­ day dome was built by az­Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork.[13] In 1969, the dome was reconstructed in concrete and covered with anodized aluminum instead of the original ribbed lead enamel work

sheeting. In 1983, the aluminum outer covering was replaced with lead to match the original design by az­Zahir. [36] Al­Aqsa's dome is one of the few domes to be built in front of the mihrab during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the others being the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (715) and the Great Mosque at Sousse (850).[37] The interior of the dome is painted with 14th century­era decorations. During the 1969 burning, the paintings were The silver­colored dome consists assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that of lead sheeting uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]

Minarets [edit]

The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides.[34] The first minaret, known as al­Fakhariyya Minaret, was built in 1278 on the southwestern corner of the mosque, on the orders of the Mamluk sultan Lajin. The minaret was built in the traditional Syrian style, with the base and shaft square and divided by moldings into three floors above which two lines of muqarnas decorate the muezzin's balcony. The niche is surrounded by a square chamber that ends in a lead­covered stone dome.[38] The second, known as the Ghawanima minaret, was built at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount in 1297­98 by architect Qadi Sharaf al­Din al­Khalili, also on the orders of the Sultan Lajin. Thirty­seven meters in height,[38] it is almost entirely made of stone, apart from a timber canopy over the muezzin's balcony. Because of its firm structure, the Ghawanima minaret has been nearly untouched by earthquakes. The minaret is divided into several stories by stone molding and stalactite galleries. The first two stories are wider and form the base of the tower. The additional four stories are surmounted by a cylindrical drum and a bulbous dome. The stairway is externally located on the first two floors, but becomes an internal spiral structure from the third floor until it reaches the muezzin's balcony.[39] In 1329, the Tankiz — the Mamluk governor of Syria — ordered the construction of a third minaret called the Bab al­Silsila Minaret located on the western border of the al­Aqsa Mosque. This minaret, possibly replacing an earlier Umayyad minaret, is built in the traditional Syrian square tower type and is made entirely out of stone.[40] It is an old Muslim tradition that the best muezzin ("reciter") of the adhan (the call to prayer), is assigned to this minaret because the first call to each of the five daily prayers is raised from it.[38] General view of the Ghawanima Minaret, 1900 The last and most notable minaret was built in 1367, and is known as Minarat al­Asbat. It is composed of a cylindrical stone shaft (built later by the Ottomans), which springs up from a rectangular Mamluk­built base on top of a triangular transition zone.[41] The shaft narrows above the muezzin's balcony, and is dotted with circular windows,[38] ending with a bulbous dome. The dome was reconstructed after the 1927 earthquake.[41] There are no minarets in the eastern portion of the mosque because historically there were very few inhabitants on that side and so there was little reason to have an additional minaret to call Muslims to prayer.[34] However, in 2007, it was announced that King Abdullah II of Jordan was planning to build a fifth minaret named after his father King Hussein and has been granted permission to do so from Israel. The King Hussein Minaret is planned to be the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem.[42]

Facade and porch [edit] The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al­Mustansir. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade during their era of rule in Palestine, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the facade's [15] covering with tiles. The second­hand material of the facade's arches includes sculpted ornamental material from taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem.[43] There are fourteen stone arches along the facade,[1] most of which are of a Romanesque style. The outer arches added by the Mamluks follow the same general design. The entrance to the mosque is through the facade's central arch.[44]

The porch is located at the top of the facade. The central bays of the porch were built by the Knights Templar The facade and porch of the during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew al­Mu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. mosque [15] Interior [edit] The al­Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building.[16] There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924.[23]

The mosque's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.[33] The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted, having a circumference of 9 inches (23 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and a height of 16 inches (41 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm). The remaining four rows are better proportioned. The capitals of the columns are Interior view of the mosque of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively showing the central naves and [33] designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order, and columns made from Italian white marble donated to the mosque by Benito Mussolini. [44] The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket­shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket­shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly­squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing.[33] A great portion of the mosque is covered with whitewash, but the drum of the dome and the walls immediately beneath it are decorated with mosaics and marble. Some wretched paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927.[33] The ceiling of The doors of the Saladin Minbar, the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44] early 1900s The minbar ("pulpit") of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from Aleppo on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad­Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad­Din would liberate Jerusalem and took six years to build (1168­74). Nur ad­Din died and the Crusaders held control of Jerusalem, but in 1187, Saladin captured the city and the minbar was installed. The structure was made of ivory and carefully crafted wood. Arabic calligraphy, geometrical and floral designs were inscribed in the woodwork.[45] After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al­Husayni — head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al­Aqsa — stated that a new minbar would be installed;[20] it was installed in February 2007.[46] The design of the new minbar was drawn by Jamil Badran based on an exact replica of the Saladin Minbar and was finished by Badran within a period of five years.[45] The minbar itself was built in Jordan over a period of four years and the craftsmen used "ancient woodworking methods, joining the pieces with pegs instead of nails, but employed computer images to design the pulpit [minbar]."[20]

Ablution fountain [edit] The mosque's main ablution fountain, known as al­Kas ("the Cup"), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock.[38] It is used by worshipers to perform wudu, a ritual washing of the hands, arms, legs, feet, and face before entry into the mosque. It was first built in 709 by the Ummayads, but in 1327­28 Governor Tankiz enlarged it to accommodate more worshipers. Although originally supplied with water from

Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, it currently receives water from pipes connected to Jerusalem's water supply. [47] In the 20th century, al­Kas was provided taps and stone seating.[48] The Fountain of Qasim Pasha , built by the Ottomans in 1526 and located north of the mosque on the platform of the Dome of the Rock, was used by worshipers for ablution and for drinking until the 1940s. Today, it stands as a The al­Kas ablution fountain monumental structure.[38]

Religious significance [edit]

Islam [edit]

In Islam, the term "al­Aqsa Mosque" is not restricted to the mosque only, but to the entire Temple Mount.[49] The mosque is known to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al­Haram in Mecca. Imam Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?" "The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al­Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said. "'And then which', I asked?" "The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa)", he said. "I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?" "Forty years," prophet Muhammad replied.[50]

During his night journey toward Bayt al­Maqdis (Jerusalem), Muhammad rode on Buraq to Jerusalem and once there he prayed two raka'ah on the Temple Mount. After he finished his prayers, the angel Gabriel took him to Heaven, where he met several of the prophets and upon encouragement from Moses, negotiated with God via Gabriel that Muslims would be required to make five prayers daily.[5][51] The al­Aqsa Mosque is known as the "farthest mosque" in sura al­Isra in the Qur'an.[52] It is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, (Arabic: masjid), literally means "place of prostration",[53] and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in the Qur'an is described as a masjid.[54] Western historians Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson believe this is the intended interpretation.[55][56] [clarification needed] First qibla [edit] The historical significance of the al­Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al­Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624, thus it became the qibla ("direction") that Muslims faced for prayer.[57] According to Allame Tabatabayee, God prepared for change of qibla, first by revealing the story of Abraham and his son, Ishmael, their prayers for the Ka'bah and Mecca, their construction of the House (Ka'aba) and the order then received to cleanse it for the worship of Allah. Then Quranic verses were revealed which ordered Muslims to turn towards Masjid al­Haram in [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5] their prayers. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the Rock — which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven — upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Ka'aba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site.[58] According to early Qur'anic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, Interior view of the mosque upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al­Ahbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with showing the mihrab, indicating the him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al­Ahbar suggested to him that it qibla should be behind the Rock "... so that all of Jerusalem would be before you". Umar replied, "You correspond to Judaism!" Nonetheless, immediately after this conversation, Umar began to clean up the site — which was filled with trash and debris — with his cloak, and other Muslim followers imitated him until the site was clean. Umar then prayed at the spot where it was believed that Muhammad had prayed before his night journey, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[58] Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque.[59] Because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself — being a place where Abraham, Solomon, and David had prayed — Umar constructed a small prayer house in the southern corner of its platform, taking care to avoid allowing the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Ka'aba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[58]

Third holiest site [edit] Main article: Holiest sites in Islam Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in Sunni Islam according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[60] Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern­day political tracts, tend to treat al­Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[61] For example, Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al­Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al­Masjid al­Aqsa is worth 500 prayers," more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate al Aqsa An exterior view of the mosque, from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the al­Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in 1856 the city) as the third holiest site in Islam.[62] According to the scholar Maimunah bint Sa'd on traveling to the al­Aqsa Mosque, he said, "the messenger of Allah [Muhammad] said, 'He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the al­Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed salaah (five daily ritual prayers in Islam) therein.'[63][64] Some Western scholars, such as Martin Gilbert, claim that the use of the term "third holiest" is driven by political motives and that the al­Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site in Islam. According to Gilbert, Jerusalem is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and points to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. He argues that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al­Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[65] Others, such as Ghada Hashem Talhami and Jonathan Silverman, point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al­Fadhail (history of cities), where the perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[66][67]

Judaism [edit] Main article: Temple Mount The Al­Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. According to tradition, this temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the Ten Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[68] Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where Adam was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac. [69]

Current situations [edit]

Administration [edit] The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al­Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six­Day War. After Israel's victory in that war, instead of the government taking control of the al­Aqsa Mosque, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Temple Mount to the Islamic waqf trust who are independent of the Israeli government. However, Israeli Security Forces are permitted to patrol and conduct searches within the perimeter of the mosque. After the 1969 arson attack, the waqf employed architects, technicians and craftsmen in a committee that carry out regular maintenance operations. In order to counteract Israeli policies and their escalating presence around the site since the al­Aqsa Intifada, the local Arab leadership, in cooperation with the waqf, have attempted to increase Muslim control inside the Temple Mount. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and making renovations for the mosque.[70] Muhammad Ahmad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al­Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[71] Ownership of the al­Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel­Palestinian conflict. Israel holds sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount, but Palestinians hold unofficial custodianship of the site through the Islamic waqf. During the negotiations at the 2000 Camp David Summit, Palestinians demanded complete ownership of the mosque and other Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem.[72]

Access [edit] While all Arab and Muslim citizens of Israel are allowed to enter and pray at the al­Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip face several restrictions. Palestinian males must be married and 50 years of age and women must be married and 45 years of age to enter the mosque. Palestinian visits are therefore rare during most of the year, except during the month of Ramadan. Israeli reasoning for the restrictions is that older, married Palestinians are less likely "to cause trouble".[73] The site of the mosque is not accessible to Jews due to a restriction placed on them by Israel's chief rabbinates in 1967. Their position was that the Jewish people were "ceremonially unclean and might accidentally tread on the place."[74] Israeli governmental restrictions only forbid Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allow Jews as well as, other non­Muslims to visit for certain hours on certain days in the week. Several rabbis, and several Zionist leaders have demanded the right of Jews to pray at the site on Jewish holidays.[75]

Al­Aqsa Intifada [edit]

Main article: Al­Aqsa Intifada Sign in Hebrew and English On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited outside the Temple Mount warning the al­Aqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party Jews not to enter the mosque compound members left, a demonstration erupted and Palestinians on the grounds of the Haram al­Sharif began throwing stones and other missiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a seven­year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al­Aqsa Intifada.[76] On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they hurled stones at the police. The police then stormed the mosque compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians, killing four and wounding about 200.[77]

Excavations [edit] Main article: Excavations of Al­Aqsa Mosque Several excavations of the al­Aqsa Mosque took place throughout the 1970s: In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations directly beneath the mosque on the southern and western sides. In 1977, digging continued and a large tunnel was opened below the women's prayer area and a new tunnel was dug under the mosque, going east to west in 1979. In addition, the Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984.[32] In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the mosque.[78] The excavations provoked anger throughout the Islamic world, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya — then Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas leader —[79] called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel.[80] Israel denied all charges against them, calling them "ludicrous".[81]

See also [edit]

Islamic architecture List of mosques Mosque of Omar Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories Masjid an­Nabawi Palestinian nationalism

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c "Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved on 2008­06­29. 2. ^ Barton, George (1901­1906). "Temple of Solomon" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 3. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007­10­23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers ", National Geographic. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 4. ^ Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Merriam­Webster. pp. 70. 5. ^ a b c Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn. AL­MIZAN:AN EXEGESIS OF THE QUR'AN, translation by S. Saeed Rizvi. WOFIS. ISBN 9646521142. 6. ^ Al­Aqsa Mosque , Noble Sanctuary Online Guide., retrieved on 7 September 2008 7. ^ "Lailat al Miraj ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 8. ^ Chiffolo, Anthony F. Dome of the Rock and El­Aqsa Mosque Divine Nature. 9. ^ John M. Lundquist (2007). The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 45. ISBN 0275983390, 9780275983390. 10. ^ Charles Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 0415121825, 9780415121828. 11. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71­1099)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 12. ^ Rivka Gonen (2003). Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. p. 85. ISBN 0881257990, 9780881257991. 13. ^ a b c d e Elad, Amikam. (1995). Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship Holy Places, Ceremonies, Pilgrimage BRILL, pp.29­43. ISBN 9004100105. 14. ^ a b c d le Strange, Guy. (1890). Palestine under the Moslems, pp.80­98. 15. ^ a b c d e f g h Ma'oz, Moshe and Nusseibeh, Sari. (2000). Jerusalem: Points of Friction, and Beyond BRILL. pp.136­138. ISBN 9041188436. 16. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Archnet Digital Library. 17. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). Contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple . KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. 18. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule . Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 0415230004. 19. ^ The travels of Nasir­i­Khusrau to Jerusalem, 1047 C.E. 20. ^ a b c Jordan sending replacement for Al Aqsa pulpit destroyed in 1969 attack Associated Press. International Herald Tribune. 2007­01­23. 21. ^ a b Thomas F. Madden (2002). The Crusades: The Essential Readings . Blackwell Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0631230238, 9780631230236. 22. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of Al­Aqsa 2007. 23. ^ a b Necipogulu, Gulru. (1996). Muqarnas, Volume 13: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World . BRILL, pp.149­153. ISBN 9004106332. 24. ^ "The Burning of Al­Aqsa ", Time Magazine (1969­08­29), p. 1. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (1970­01­12). Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 26. ^ About the OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference. 27. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East . Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 158826226. 28. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations . Routledge. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0714681792. 29. ^ Dated 18 January 1988 from the Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva Addressed to the Under­Secretary­General for Human Rights Ramlawi, Nabil. Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 30. ^ Palestine Facts Timeline, 1963­1988 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 31. ^ Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 1991 32. ^ a b Amayreh, Khaled. Catalogue of provocations: Israel's encroachments upon the Al­Aqsa Mosque have not been sporadic, but, rather, a systematic endeavor Al­Ahram Weekly. February 2007. 33. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Mosque Life in the Holy Land. 34. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Universal Tours. 35. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.95. ISBN 0881257990. 36. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Restoration Archnet Digital Library. 37. ^ Necipogulu, Gulru. (1999). Muqarnas, Volume 16: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World BRILL, p.14. ISBN 9004114823. 38. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of al­Aqsa. 39. ^ Ghawanima Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 40. ^ Bab al­Silsila Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 41. ^ a b Bab al­Asbat Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 42. ^ Klein, Aaron. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given permission for Jordan to build a large minaret adjacent to a mosque on the Temple Mount to call Muslims to prayer at the holy site, WND has learned World Net Daily News. 2007­02­10. 43. ^ Hillenbrand, Carolle. (2000). The Crusades: The Islamic Perspective Routeledge, p.382 ISBN 0415929148. 44. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Sacred Destinations. 45. ^ a b Oweis, Fayeq S. (2002) The Elements of Unity in Islamic Art as Examined Through the Work of Jamal Badran Universal­Publishers, pp.115­ 117. ISBN 1581121628. 46. ^ Mikdadi , Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine. 47. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Esplanade . 48. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.28. ISBN 0881257990. 49. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers ­ Islamic History and Biography . MSA Publication Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1861793235. 50. ^ Masjid al­Aqsa: Second house of prayer established on Earth World Press. 51. ^ Sahih Muslim 1:309 52. ^ [Qur'an 17:1 ] 53. ^ Hillenbrand, R. "Masdjid. I. In the central Islamic lands". in P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573­3912 . 54. ^ [Qur'an 17:7 ] 55. ^ Busse, Heribert. (1991). Jerusalem in the Story of prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension. Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 14 pp.1–40 56. ^ Robinson, Neal. (1996). Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text. SCM Press Ltd: London, p.192 57. ^ Allen, Edgar (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521525756, retrieved on 9 June 2008 58. ^ a b c Mosaad, Mohamed. Bayt al­Maqdis: An Islamic Perspective pp.3­8 59. ^ The Furthest Mosque, The History of Al ­ Aqsa Mosque From Earliest Times Mustaqim Islamic Art & Literature. 2008­01­05. 60. ^ el­Khatib, Abdallah (2001­05­01). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān " (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 28 (1): 25–53. doi:10.1080/13530190120034549 . Retrieved on 17 November 2006. 61. ^ Doninger, Wendy (1999­09­01). Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam­Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0­877­79044­2. 62. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2­IS ". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1974­02­24). Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 63. ^ Virtues of al­Aqsa Friends of Al­Aqsa. 64. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah 65. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97­224015 . ISBN 0701130709. 66. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda ". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 67. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (2005­05­06). "The opposite of holiness ". Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 68. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2001­01­18). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 69. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 70. ^ Social Structure and Geography Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 71. ^ Yaniv Berman, "Top Palestinian Muslim Cleric Okays Suicide Bombings" , Media Line, 2006­10­23. 72. ^ Camp David Projections Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. July 2000. 73. ^ Ramadan prayers at al­Aqsa mosque BBC News. 2008­09­05. 74. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Mount Restored to Muslim Control 75. ^ Klein, Aaron. Jews Demand Right to Pray on the Temple Mount The Temple Institute. 76. ^ "Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2000­09­28). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 77. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003). The Middle East and North Africa 2004 . Routledge. p. 560. ISBN 1857431847. 78. ^ Lis, Jonathan (2007­12­02). "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ", Haaretz, Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 79. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2006­12­14). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 80. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007­02­08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ", The Australian. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 81. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007­10­14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.

External links [edit]

Noble Sanctuary: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque MuslimWiki History of Palestine mp3 lecture (listen or download) Al­Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review Islamic Architecture. 360° view of the inside of the Mosque by Visual Dhikr Islamic Virtual Arts. Image Gallery of Masjid Al­Aqsa Muslim Ways. Al­Aqsa Mosque Photos Jerusalem Photos Archive. History of Al­Aqsa hWeb. Al­Aqsa Mosque Real facts about the Al­Aqsa Mosque.

v • d • e Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territories Hassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • al­Muallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque • Israel White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla) East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • al­Aqsa Mosque • Al­Khanqah al­Salahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar Great Mosque of Nablus • al­Hamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • al­Khadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque • West Bank an­Nasr Mosque • Mosque of Omar • Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque Gaza Strip Great Mosque of Gaza • Mosque of al­Sayed Hashem • Umm al­Naser Mosque • Weleyat Mosque

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables

Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 710s architecture | 1030s architecture | Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners | Islamic holy places | Mosques in Jerusalem | Palestinian nationalism | Conversion of non­Christian places of worship into Churches | Ziyarat

This page was last modified on 8 January 2009, at 21:54. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Al­Aqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses see al­Aqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.

,/IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ] ,ﻰﺼﻗﻻﺍ ﺪﺠﺴﻤﻟﺍ:Al­Aqsa Mosque (Arabic navigation al­Aqsa Mosque al­Masjid al­Aqsa (help∙info) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al­Aqsa, is an Masjid al­Aqsa Main page Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al­Haram Contents ash­Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and Featured content Current events considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in [2][3] Random article Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred search Mosque in Mecca to al­Aqsa during the Night Journey.[4] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, [5] Go Search when he turned towards the Ka'aba. The al­Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, interaction but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al­Malik and finished by his son al­ Eastern view of the al­Aqsa Mosque and the About Wikipedia Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and Fakhariyyah Minaret Community portal rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al­Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al­Mahdi in Recent changes Basic information Contact Wikipedia 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al­Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem Donate to Wikipedia caliph Ali az­Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present­day. During the Help periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate Geographic 31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, toolbox coordinates minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they What links here Religious Islam used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its Related changes affiliation recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later Upload file District Old City Special pages centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Printable version Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Ecclesiastical Mosque Permanent link Palestinian­led Islamic waqf. status Cite this page Contents Leadership Waqf languages 1 Etymology Architectural description Македонски 2 History Architectural type Mosque Afrikaans 2.1 Pre­construction ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ 2.2 Construction Architectural Early Islamic

2.3 Later constructions style Česky Dansk 2.4 Modern era Direction of north Deutsch 3 Architecture facade 3.1 Dome Español Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction) Euskara 3.2 Minarets 1033 CE (Second construction) Facade and porch 3.3 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 3.4 Interior Year completed 705 CE (First construction) Frysk 3.5 Ablution fountain 1035 CE (Second construction) Bahasa Indonesia 4 Religious significance Specifications Italiano 4.1 Islam Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000 תירבע 4.1.1 First qibla Magyar (precincts)[1] Македонски 4.1.2 Third holiest site Length 83 meters (272 ft) 4.2 Judaism Bahasa Melayu 5 Current situations Width 56 meters (184 ft) Nederlands 5.1 Administration Dome(s) 1 日本語 5.2 Access Norsk (bokmål) 5.3 Al­Aqsa Intifada Minaret(s) 4 Polski 5.4 Excavations Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest Português 6 See also minaret) Русский 7 References Simple English Materials Limestone (external walls, 8 External links Slovenčina minaret, facade) stalactite Српски / Srpski (minaret), lead (dome), white Suomi Etymology [edit] marble (interior columns) Svenska Masjid al­Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as "the farthest mosque", Its name refers to

a chapter of the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which it is said that prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque", and then Türkçe up to Heaven on a flying horse called al­Buraq al­Sharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca."[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 History [edit]

Pre­construction [edit] Jewish tradition holds that the site upon which al­Aqsa Mosque was constructed originally housed the Temple of Jerusalem. The destruction of the First Temple, known as the Temple of Solomon, is attributed to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and there are no physical remains attesting to its presence or structure.[9] Building of the Second Temple began during the rule of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, but this temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor (then general) Titus in 70 CE. All that remains of it is the Western Wall, which is thought to be a remnant of this second temple's platform.[10] Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and named "Church of Our Lady". The church was later destroyed by Khosrau II, the Sassanian empror in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[11]

Construction [edit] It is unknown exactly when the al­Aqsa Mosque was first constructed and who ordered its construction, but it is certain that it was built in the early Ummayad period of rule in Palestine. Contemporary Muslim and Jewish sources record that the site was covered with garbage dumped there by Byzantine Christians, and that the two communities participated in cleaning it up as Umar watched on, until the rock upon which the Temples of

Jerusalem were said to have been erected was revealed.[12] Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by the Gallic monk, Arculf, of his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679­82, notes that it is possible that Umar erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash­Sharif or Temple Mount. Arculf, however, visited Palestine during The mosque along the southern the reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is wall of the Temple Mount explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al­Muthannar bin Tahir.[13] According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad­Din, al­Suyuti, and al­Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al­Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock.[14][13] Guy le Strange claims that Abd al­Malik used materials from the destroyed Church of Our Lady to build the mosque and points to possible evidence that substructures on the southeast corners of the mosque are remains of the church.[14] In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al­Malik's son, al­Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from Damascus. Most Muslim and Western scholars agree that the mosque's reconstruction was started by Abd al­Malik, but that al­Walid oversaw its completion. In 713­14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al­Walid's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al­Walid had gold from the dome of the Dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material.[13]

Later constructions [edit] In 746, the al­Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as­Saffah overthrew the Ummayads and established the Abbasid Caliphate. The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al­Mansur declared his intent to repair the mosque in 753, and he had the gold and silver plaques that covered the gates of the mosque removed and turned into dinars and dirhams to finance the reconstruction which ended in 771. A second earthquake damaged most of al­Mansur's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774.[14][15] In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al­Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. [14][16] Al­Mahdi's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it.[17] In 985, Jerusalem­born Arab geographer al­Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had "fifteen naves and fifteen gates".[15] The facade and porch of the mosque were constructed and In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az­Zahir rebuilt expanded by the Fatimids, the and completely renovated the mosque between 1034­36. The number of naves was drastically reduced from Crusaders, the Mamluks and the fifteen to seven.[15] Az­Zahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the Ayyubids foundation of the mosque. The central aisle was double the width of the other aisles and had a large gable roof upon which the dome — made of wood — was constructed.[13] Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Crusaders used the mosque — which they called "Solomon's Temple" — as a palace. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch, and the addition of an apse and a dividing wall. A new cloister and church were also built at the site, along with various other structures.[18] The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building, the western currently serving as the women's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. [15] After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the [20] several repairs were undertaken at al­Aqsa Mosque. Saladin's predecessor — the city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area Zengid sultan Nur al­Din — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this "pulpit" of ivory and wood in 1168­69 but it was completed after his death; Nur ad­Din's gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq), [21] minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan each of which has nine­and­twenty marble pillars, whose of Damascus, al­Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al­Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of [15] the mosque's eastern side. masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah. included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E. of Raranj, and the building of the three free­standing domes — the most notable being (Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19] the Dome of the Prophet built in 1538. All construction was ordered by the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem and not the sultans themselves.[22] The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however.[22]

Modern era [edit] The first renovation of the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al­ Husayni hired Ahmet Kemalettin Bey — a Turkish architect — to restore al­Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924­25 under Kemalettin's supervision. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque's ancient Ummayad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the dome interior, rebuilding the southern wall, and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid­era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches The dome of the mosque in 1982. were decorated with green­tinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A It was made of aluminum, but replaced with its original lead plating quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and in 1983 Fatimid designs.[23] Severe damage was caused by the 1927 and 1937 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942.[15] On August 21, 1969, there was a fire inside al­Aqsa Mosque that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. Among other things the fire destroyed was Salahuddin Ayubi's minbar.[21] Initially, Palestinians blamed Israel for the fire, and some Israelis blamed Fatah, alleging they had started the fire so as to blame Israel and provoke hostility. However, the fire was started by neither Fatah nor Israel. The arsonist turned out to be a tourist from

Australia named Michael Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God.[24] He hoped that by burning down al­Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus, making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel.[25] The attack on al­ The mosque seen from the Aqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971, former area of the Moroccan [26] Quarter, 1991 which brought together dozens of Islamic countries. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al­Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that blowing up the two mosques would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the mosque.[27][28] On January 15, 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque wounding 40 worshipers.[29][30] On October 8, 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during riots that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a fringe group of religious Jews, to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple.[31][32]

Architecture [edit]

The rectangular al­Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters (1,550,003.1 sq ft), with a capacity of 400,000 worshipers, although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters (376,736.9 sq ft) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers.[33][34] It is 272 feet (83 m) long, 184 feet (56 m) wide.[33]

Dome [edit] The dome of the al­Aqsa Mosque, unlike the Dome of the Rock which reflects classical Byzantine architecture, is strictly early Islamic architecture.[35] Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al­Malik. The present­ day dome was built by az­Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork.[13] In 1969, the dome was reconstructed in concrete and covered with anodized aluminum instead of the original ribbed lead enamel work

sheeting. In 1983, the aluminum outer covering was replaced with lead to match the original design by az­Zahir. [36] Al­Aqsa's dome is one of the few domes to be built in front of the mihrab during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the others being the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (715) and the Great Mosque at Sousse (850).[37] The interior of the dome is painted with 14th century­era decorations. During the 1969 burning, the paintings were The silver­colored dome consists assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that of lead sheeting uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]

Minarets [edit]

The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides.[34] The first minaret, known as al­Fakhariyya Minaret, was built in 1278 on the southwestern corner of the mosque, on the orders of the Mamluk sultan Lajin. The minaret was built in the traditional Syrian style, with the base and shaft square and divided by moldings into three floors above which two lines of muqarnas decorate the muezzin's balcony. The niche is surrounded by a square chamber that ends in a lead­covered stone dome.[38] The second, known as the Ghawanima minaret, was built at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount in 1297­98 by architect Qadi Sharaf al­Din al­Khalili, also on the orders of the Sultan Lajin. Thirty­seven meters in height,[38] it is almost entirely made of stone, apart from a timber canopy over the muezzin's balcony. Because of its firm structure, the Ghawanima minaret has been nearly untouched by earthquakes. The minaret is divided into several stories by stone molding and stalactite galleries. The first two stories are wider and form the base of the tower. The additional four stories are surmounted by a cylindrical drum and a bulbous dome. The stairway is externally located on the first two floors, but becomes an internal spiral structure from the third floor until it reaches the muezzin's balcony.[39] In 1329, the Tankiz — the Mamluk governor of Syria — ordered the construction of a third minaret called the Bab al­Silsila Minaret located on the western border of the al­Aqsa Mosque. This minaret, possibly replacing an earlier Umayyad minaret, is built in the traditional Syrian square tower type and is made entirely out of stone.[40] It is an old Muslim tradition that the best muezzin ("reciter") of the adhan (the call to prayer), is assigned to this minaret because the first call to each of the five daily prayers is raised from it.[38] General view of the Ghawanima Minaret, 1900 The last and most notable minaret was built in 1367, and is known as Minarat al­Asbat. It is composed of a cylindrical stone shaft (built later by the Ottomans), which springs up from a rectangular Mamluk­built base on top of a triangular transition zone.[41] The shaft narrows above the muezzin's balcony, and is dotted with circular windows,[38] ending with a bulbous dome. The dome was reconstructed after the 1927 earthquake.[41] There are no minarets in the eastern portion of the mosque because historically there were very few inhabitants on that side and so there was little reason to have an additional minaret to call Muslims to prayer.[34] However, in 2007, it was announced that King Abdullah II of Jordan was planning to build a fifth minaret named after his father King Hussein and has been granted permission to do so from Israel. The King Hussein Minaret is planned to be the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem.[42]

Facade and porch [edit] The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al­Mustansir. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade during their era of rule in Palestine, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the facade's [15] covering with tiles. The second­hand material of the facade's arches includes sculpted ornamental material from taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem.[43] There are fourteen stone arches along the facade,[1] most of which are of a Romanesque style. The outer arches added by the Mamluks follow the same general design. The entrance to the mosque is through the facade's central arch.[44]

The porch is located at the top of the facade. The central bays of the porch were built by the Knights Templar The facade and porch of the during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew al­Mu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. mosque [15] Interior [edit] The al­Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building.[16] There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924.[23]

The mosque's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.[33] The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted, having a circumference of 9 inches (23 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and a height of 16 inches (41 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm). The remaining four rows are better proportioned. The capitals of the columns are Interior view of the mosque of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively showing the central naves and [33] designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order, and columns made from Italian white marble donated to the mosque by Benito Mussolini. [44] The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket­shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket­shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly­squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing.[33] A great portion of the mosque is covered with whitewash, but the drum of the dome and the walls immediately beneath it are decorated with mosaics and marble. Some wretched paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927.[33] The ceiling of The doors of the Saladin Minbar, the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44] early 1900s The minbar ("pulpit") of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from Aleppo on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad­Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad­Din would liberate Jerusalem and took six years to build (1168­74). Nur ad­Din died and the Crusaders held control of Jerusalem, but in 1187, Saladin captured the city and the minbar was installed. The structure was made of ivory and carefully crafted wood. Arabic calligraphy, geometrical and floral designs were inscribed in the woodwork.[45] After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al­Husayni — head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al­Aqsa — stated that a new minbar would be installed;[20] it was installed in February 2007.[46] The design of the new minbar was drawn by Jamil Badran based on an exact replica of the Saladin Minbar and was finished by Badran within a period of five years.[45] The minbar itself was built in Jordan over a period of four years and the craftsmen used "ancient woodworking methods, joining the pieces with pegs instead of nails, but employed computer images to design the pulpit [minbar]."[20]

Ablution fountain [edit] The mosque's main ablution fountain, known as al­Kas ("the Cup"), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock.[38] It is used by worshipers to perform wudu, a ritual washing of the hands, arms, legs, feet, and face before entry into the mosque. It was first built in 709 by the Ummayads, but in 1327­28 Governor Tankiz enlarged it to accommodate more worshipers. Although originally supplied with water from

Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, it currently receives water from pipes connected to Jerusalem's water supply. [47] In the 20th century, al­Kas was provided taps and stone seating.[48] The Fountain of Qasim Pasha , built by the Ottomans in 1526 and located north of the mosque on the platform of the Dome of the Rock, was used by worshipers for ablution and for drinking until the 1940s. Today, it stands as a The al­Kas ablution fountain monumental structure.[38]

Religious significance [edit]

Islam [edit]

In Islam, the term "al­Aqsa Mosque" is not restricted to the mosque only, but to the entire Temple Mount.[49] The mosque is known to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al­Haram in Mecca. Imam Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?" "The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al­Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said. "'And then which', I asked?" "The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa)", he said. "I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?" "Forty years," prophet Muhammad replied.[50]

During his night journey toward Bayt al­Maqdis (Jerusalem), Muhammad rode on Buraq to Jerusalem and once there he prayed two raka'ah on the Temple Mount. After he finished his prayers, the angel Gabriel took him to Heaven, where he met several of the prophets and upon encouragement from Moses, negotiated with God via Gabriel that Muslims would be required to make five prayers daily.[5][51] The al­Aqsa Mosque is known as the "farthest mosque" in sura al­Isra in the Qur'an.[52] It is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, (Arabic: masjid), literally means "place of prostration",[53] and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in the Qur'an is described as a masjid.[54] Western historians Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson believe this is the intended interpretation.[55][56] [clarification needed] First qibla [edit] The historical significance of the al­Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al­Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624, thus it became the qibla ("direction") that Muslims faced for prayer.[57] According to Allame Tabatabayee, God prepared for change of qibla, first by revealing the story of Abraham and his son, Ishmael, their prayers for the Ka'bah and Mecca, their construction of the House (Ka'aba) and the order then received to cleanse it for the worship of Allah. Then Quranic verses were revealed which ordered Muslims to turn towards Masjid al­Haram in [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5] their prayers. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the Rock — which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven — upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Ka'aba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site.[58] According to early Qur'anic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, Interior view of the mosque upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al­Ahbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with showing the mihrab, indicating the him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al­Ahbar suggested to him that it qibla should be behind the Rock "... so that all of Jerusalem would be before you". Umar replied, "You correspond to Judaism!" Nonetheless, immediately after this conversation, Umar began to clean up the site — which was filled with trash and debris — with his cloak, and other Muslim followers imitated him until the site was clean. Umar then prayed at the spot where it was believed that Muhammad had prayed before his night journey, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[58] Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque.[59] Because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself — being a place where Abraham, Solomon, and David had prayed — Umar constructed a small prayer house in the southern corner of its platform, taking care to avoid allowing the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Ka'aba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[58]

Third holiest site [edit] Main article: Holiest sites in Islam Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in Sunni Islam according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[60] Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern­day political tracts, tend to treat al­Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[61] For example, Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al­Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al­Masjid al­Aqsa is worth 500 prayers," more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate al Aqsa An exterior view of the mosque, from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the al­Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in 1856 the city) as the third holiest site in Islam.[62] According to the scholar Maimunah bint Sa'd on traveling to the al­Aqsa Mosque, he said, "the messenger of Allah [Muhammad] said, 'He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the al­Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed salaah (five daily ritual prayers in Islam) therein.'[63][64] Some Western scholars, such as Martin Gilbert, claim that the use of the term "third holiest" is driven by political motives and that the al­Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site in Islam. According to Gilbert, Jerusalem is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and points to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. He argues that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al­Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[65] Others, such as Ghada Hashem Talhami and Jonathan Silverman, point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al­Fadhail (history of cities), where the perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[66][67]

Judaism [edit] Main article: Temple Mount The Al­Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. According to tradition, this temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the Ten Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[68] Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where Adam was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac. [69]

Current situations [edit]

Administration [edit] The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al­Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six­Day War. After Israel's victory in that war, instead of the government taking control of the al­Aqsa Mosque, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Temple Mount to the Islamic waqf trust who are independent of the Israeli government. However, Israeli Security Forces are permitted to patrol and conduct searches within the perimeter of the mosque. After the 1969 arson attack, the waqf employed architects, technicians and craftsmen in a committee that carry out regular maintenance operations. In order to counteract Israeli policies and their escalating presence around the site since the al­Aqsa Intifada, the local Arab leadership, in cooperation with the waqf, have attempted to increase Muslim control inside the Temple Mount. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and making renovations for the mosque.[70] Muhammad Ahmad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al­Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[71] Ownership of the al­Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel­Palestinian conflict. Israel holds sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount, but Palestinians hold unofficial custodianship of the site through the Islamic waqf. During the negotiations at the 2000 Camp David Summit, Palestinians demanded complete ownership of the mosque and other Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem.[72]

Access [edit] While all Arab and Muslim citizens of Israel are allowed to enter and pray at the al­Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip face several restrictions. Palestinian males must be married and 50 years of age and women must be married and 45 years of age to enter the mosque. Palestinian visits are therefore rare during most of the year, except during the month of Ramadan. Israeli reasoning for the restrictions is that older, married Palestinians are less likely "to cause trouble".[73] The site of the mosque is not accessible to Jews due to a restriction placed on them by Israel's chief rabbinates in 1967. Their position was that the Jewish people were "ceremonially unclean and might accidentally tread on the place."[74] Israeli governmental restrictions only forbid Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allow Jews as well as, other non­Muslims to visit for certain hours on certain days in the week. Several rabbis, and several Zionist leaders have demanded the right of Jews to pray at the site on Jewish holidays.[75]

Al­Aqsa Intifada [edit]

Main article: Al­Aqsa Intifada Sign in Hebrew and English On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited outside the Temple Mount warning the al­Aqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party Jews not to enter the mosque compound members left, a demonstration erupted and Palestinians on the grounds of the Haram al­Sharif began throwing stones and other missiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a seven­year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al­Aqsa Intifada.[76] On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they hurled stones at the police. The police then stormed the mosque compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians, killing four and wounding about 200.[77]

Excavations [edit] Main article: Excavations of Al­Aqsa Mosque Several excavations of the al­Aqsa Mosque took place throughout the 1970s: In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations directly beneath the mosque on the southern and western sides. In 1977, digging continued and a large tunnel was opened below the women's prayer area and a new tunnel was dug under the mosque, going east to west in 1979. In addition, the Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984.[32] In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the mosque.[78] The excavations provoked anger throughout the Islamic world, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya — then Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas leader —[79] called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel.[80] Israel denied all charges against them, calling them "ludicrous".[81]

See also [edit]

Islamic architecture List of mosques Mosque of Omar Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories Masjid an­Nabawi Palestinian nationalism

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c "Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved on 2008­06­29. 2. ^ Barton, George (1901­1906). "Temple of Solomon" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 3. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007­10­23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers ", National Geographic. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 4. ^ Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Merriam­Webster. pp. 70. 5. ^ a b c Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn. AL­MIZAN:AN EXEGESIS OF THE QUR'AN, translation by S. Saeed Rizvi. WOFIS. ISBN 9646521142. 6. ^ Al­Aqsa Mosque , Noble Sanctuary Online Guide., retrieved on 7 September 2008 7. ^ "Lailat al Miraj ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 8. ^ Chiffolo, Anthony F. Dome of the Rock and El­Aqsa Mosque Divine Nature. 9. ^ John M. Lundquist (2007). The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 45. ISBN 0275983390, 9780275983390. 10. ^ Charles Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 0415121825, 9780415121828. 11. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71­1099)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 12. ^ Rivka Gonen (2003). Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. p. 85. ISBN 0881257990, 9780881257991. 13. ^ a b c d e Elad, Amikam. (1995). Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship Holy Places, Ceremonies, Pilgrimage BRILL, pp.29­43. ISBN 9004100105. 14. ^ a b c d le Strange, Guy. (1890). Palestine under the Moslems, pp.80­98. 15. ^ a b c d e f g h Ma'oz, Moshe and Nusseibeh, Sari. (2000). Jerusalem: Points of Friction, and Beyond BRILL. pp.136­138. ISBN 9041188436. 16. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Archnet Digital Library. 17. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). Contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple . KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. 18. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule . Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 0415230004. 19. ^ The travels of Nasir­i­Khusrau to Jerusalem, 1047 C.E. 20. ^ a b c Jordan sending replacement for Al Aqsa pulpit destroyed in 1969 attack Associated Press. International Herald Tribune. 2007­01­23. 21. ^ a b Thomas F. Madden (2002). The Crusades: The Essential Readings . Blackwell Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0631230238, 9780631230236. 22. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of Al­Aqsa 2007. 23. ^ a b Necipogulu, Gulru. (1996). Muqarnas, Volume 13: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World . BRILL, pp.149­153. ISBN 9004106332. 24. ^ "The Burning of Al­Aqsa ", Time Magazine (1969­08­29), p. 1. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (1970­01­12). Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 26. ^ About the OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference. 27. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East . Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 158826226. 28. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations . Routledge. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0714681792. 29. ^ Dated 18 January 1988 from the Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva Addressed to the Under­Secretary­General for Human Rights Ramlawi, Nabil. Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 30. ^ Palestine Facts Timeline, 1963­1988 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 31. ^ Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 1991 32. ^ a b Amayreh, Khaled. Catalogue of provocations: Israel's encroachments upon the Al­Aqsa Mosque have not been sporadic, but, rather, a systematic endeavor Al­Ahram Weekly. February 2007. 33. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Mosque Life in the Holy Land. 34. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Universal Tours. 35. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.95. ISBN 0881257990. 36. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Restoration Archnet Digital Library. 37. ^ Necipogulu, Gulru. (1999). Muqarnas, Volume 16: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World BRILL, p.14. ISBN 9004114823. 38. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of al­Aqsa. 39. ^ Ghawanima Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 40. ^ Bab al­Silsila Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 41. ^ a b Bab al­Asbat Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 42. ^ Klein, Aaron. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given permission for Jordan to build a large minaret adjacent to a mosque on the Temple Mount to call Muslims to prayer at the holy site, WND has learned World Net Daily News. 2007­02­10. 43. ^ Hillenbrand, Carolle. (2000). The Crusades: The Islamic Perspective Routeledge, p.382 ISBN 0415929148. 44. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Sacred Destinations. 45. ^ a b Oweis, Fayeq S. (2002) The Elements of Unity in Islamic Art as Examined Through the Work of Jamal Badran Universal­Publishers, pp.115­ 117. ISBN 1581121628. 46. ^ Mikdadi , Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine. 47. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Esplanade . 48. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.28. ISBN 0881257990. 49. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers ­ Islamic History and Biography . MSA Publication Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1861793235. 50. ^ Masjid al­Aqsa: Second house of prayer established on Earth World Press. 51. ^ Sahih Muslim 1:309 52. ^ [Qur'an 17:1 ] 53. ^ Hillenbrand, R. "Masdjid. I. In the central Islamic lands". in P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573­3912 . 54. ^ [Qur'an 17:7 ] 55. ^ Busse, Heribert. (1991). Jerusalem in the Story of prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension. Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 14 pp.1–40 56. ^ Robinson, Neal. (1996). Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text. SCM Press Ltd: London, p.192 57. ^ Allen, Edgar (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521525756, retrieved on 9 June 2008 58. ^ a b c Mosaad, Mohamed. Bayt al­Maqdis: An Islamic Perspective pp.3­8 59. ^ The Furthest Mosque, The History of Al ­ Aqsa Mosque From Earliest Times Mustaqim Islamic Art & Literature. 2008­01­05. 60. ^ el­Khatib, Abdallah (2001­05­01). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān " (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 28 (1): 25–53. doi:10.1080/13530190120034549 . Retrieved on 17 November 2006. 61. ^ Doninger, Wendy (1999­09­01). Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam­Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0­877­79044­2. 62. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2­IS ". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1974­02­24). Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 63. ^ Virtues of al­Aqsa Friends of Al­Aqsa. 64. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah 65. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97­224015 . ISBN 0701130709. 66. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda ". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 67. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (2005­05­06). "The opposite of holiness ". Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 68. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2001­01­18). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 69. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 70. ^ Social Structure and Geography Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 71. ^ Yaniv Berman, "Top Palestinian Muslim Cleric Okays Suicide Bombings" , Media Line, 2006­10­23. 72. ^ Camp David Projections Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. July 2000. 73. ^ Ramadan prayers at al­Aqsa mosque BBC News. 2008­09­05. 74. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Mount Restored to Muslim Control 75. ^ Klein, Aaron. Jews Demand Right to Pray on the Temple Mount The Temple Institute. 76. ^ "Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2000­09­28). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 77. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003). The Middle East and North Africa 2004 . Routledge. p. 560. ISBN 1857431847. 78. ^ Lis, Jonathan (2007­12­02). "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ", Haaretz, Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 79. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2006­12­14). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 80. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007­02­08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ", The Australian. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 81. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007­10­14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.

External links [edit]

Noble Sanctuary: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque MuslimWiki History of Palestine mp3 lecture (listen or download) Al­Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review Islamic Architecture. 360° view of the inside of the Mosque by Visual Dhikr Islamic Virtual Arts. Image Gallery of Masjid Al­Aqsa Muslim Ways. Al­Aqsa Mosque Photos Jerusalem Photos Archive. History of Al­Aqsa hWeb. Al­Aqsa Mosque Real facts about the Al­Aqsa Mosque.

v • d • e Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territories Hassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • al­Muallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque • Israel White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla) East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • al­Aqsa Mosque • Al­Khanqah al­Salahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar

Great Mosque of Nablus • al­Hamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • al­Khadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque • West Bank an­Nasr Mosque • Mosque of Omar • Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque

Gaza Strip Great Mosque of Gaza • Mosque of al­Sayed Hashem • Umm al­Naser Mosque • Weleyat Mosque

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 710s architecture | 1030s architecture | Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners | Islamic holy places | Mosques in Jerusalem | Palestinian nationalism | Conversion of non­Christian places of worship into Churches | Ziyarat

This page was last modified on 8 January 2009, at 21:54. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Al­Aqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses see al­Aqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.

,/IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ] ,ﻰﺼﻗﻻﺍ ﺪﺠﺴﻤﻟﺍ:Al­Aqsa Mosque (Arabic navigation al­Aqsa Mosque al­Masjid al­Aqsa (help∙info) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al­Aqsa, is an Masjid al­Aqsa Main page Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al­Haram Contents ash­Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and Featured content Current events considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in [2][3] Random article Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred search Mosque in Mecca to al­Aqsa during the Night Journey.[4] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, [5] Go Search when he turned towards the Ka'aba. The al­Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, interaction but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al­Malik and finished by his son al­ Eastern view of the al­Aqsa Mosque and the About Wikipedia Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and Fakhariyyah Minaret Community portal rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al­Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al­Mahdi in Recent changes Basic information Contact Wikipedia 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al­Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem Donate to Wikipedia caliph Ali az­Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present­day. During the Help periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate Geographic 31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, toolbox coordinates minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they What links here Religious Islam used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its Related changes affiliation recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later Upload file District Old City Special pages centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Printable version Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Ecclesiastical Mosque Permanent link Palestinian­led Islamic waqf. status Cite this page Contents Leadership Waqf languages 1 Etymology Architectural description Македонски 2 History Architectural type Mosque Afrikaans 2.1 Pre­construction ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ 2.2 Construction Architectural Early Islamic

2.3 Later constructions style Česky Dansk 2.4 Modern era Direction of north Deutsch 3 Architecture facade 3.1 Dome Español Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction) Euskara 3.2 Minarets 1033 CE (Second construction) Facade and porch 3.3 ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ Français 3.4 Interior Year completed 705 CE (First construction) Frysk 3.5 Ablution fountain 1035 CE (Second construction) Bahasa Indonesia 4 Religious significance Specifications Italiano 4.1 Islam Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000 תירבע 4.1.1 First qibla Magyar (precincts)[1] Македонски 4.1.2 Third holiest site Length 83 meters (272 ft) 4.2 Judaism Bahasa Melayu 5 Current situations Width 56 meters (184 ft) Nederlands 5.1 Administration Dome(s) 1 日本語 5.2 Access Norsk (bokmål) 5.3 Al­Aqsa Intifada Minaret(s) 4 Polski 5.4 Excavations Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest Português 6 See also minaret) Русский 7 References Simple English Materials Limestone (external walls, 8 External links Slovenčina minaret, facade) stalactite Српски / Srpski (minaret), lead (dome), white Suomi Etymology [edit] marble (interior columns) Svenska Masjid al­Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as "the farthest mosque", Its name refers to

a chapter of the Qu'ran called "The Night Journey" in which it is said that prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque", and then Türkçe up to Heaven on a flying horse called al­Buraq al­Sharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca."[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 History [edit]

Pre­construction [edit] Jewish tradition holds that the site upon which al­Aqsa Mosque was constructed originally housed the Temple of Jerusalem. The destruction of the First Temple, known as the Temple of Solomon, is attributed to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and there are no physical remains attesting to its presence or structure.[9] Building of the Second Temple began during the rule of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, but this temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor (then general) Titus in 70 CE. All that remains of it is the Western Wall, which is thought to be a remnant of this second temple's platform.[10] Emperor Justinian built a Christian church on the site in the 530s which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and named "Church of Our Lady". The church was later destroyed by Khosrau II, the Sassanian empror in the early 7th century and left in ruins.[11]

Construction [edit] It is unknown exactly when the al­Aqsa Mosque was first constructed and who ordered its construction, but it is certain that it was built in the early Ummayad period of rule in Palestine. Contemporary Muslim and Jewish sources record that the site was covered with garbage dumped there by Byzantine Christians, and that the two communities participated in cleaning it up as Umar watched on, until the rock upon which the Temples of

Jerusalem were said to have been erected was revealed.[12] Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by the Gallic monk, Arculf, of his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679­82, notes that it is possible that Umar erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash­Sharif or Temple Mount. Arculf, however, visited Palestine during The mosque along the southern the reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is wall of the Temple Mount explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al­Muthannar bin Tahir.[13] According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad­Din, al­Suyuti, and al­Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al­Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock.[14][13] Guy le Strange claims that Abd al­Malik used materials from the destroyed Church of Our Lady to build the mosque and points to possible evidence that substructures on the southeast corners of the mosque are remains of the church.[14] In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al­Malik's son, al­Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from Damascus. Most Muslim and Western scholars agree that the mosque's reconstruction was started by Abd al­Malik, but that al­Walid oversaw its completion. In 713­14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al­Walid's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al­Walid had gold from the dome of the Dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material.[13]

Later constructions [edit] In 746, the al­Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as­Saffah overthrew the Ummayads and established the Abbasid Caliphate. The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al­Mansur declared his intent to repair the mosque in 753, and he had the gold and silver plaques that covered the gates of the mosque removed and turned into dinars and dirhams to finance the reconstruction which ended in 771. A second earthquake damaged most of al­Mansur's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774.[14][15] In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al­Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. [14][16] Al­Mahdi's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it.[17] In 985, Jerusalem­born Arab geographer al­Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had "fifteen naves and fifteen gates".[15] The facade and porch of the mosque were constructed and In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az­Zahir rebuilt expanded by the Fatimids, the and completely renovated the mosque between 1034­36. The number of naves was drastically reduced from Crusaders, the Mamluks and the fifteen to seven.[15] Az­Zahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the Ayyubids foundation of the mosque. The central aisle was double the width of the other aisles and had a large gable roof upon which the dome — made of wood — was constructed.[13] Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Crusaders used the mosque — which they called "Solomon's Temple" — as a palace. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. During this period, the mosque underwent some structural changes, including the expansion of its northern porch, and the addition of an apse and a dividing wall. A new cloister and church were also built at the site, along with various other structures.[18] The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building, the western currently serving as the women's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. [15] After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the [20] several repairs were undertaken at al­Aqsa Mosque. Saladin's predecessor — the city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area Zengid sultan Nur al­Din — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this "pulpit" of ivory and wood in 1168­69 but it was completed after his death; Nur ad­Din's gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq), [21] minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan each of which has nine­and­twenty marble pillars, whose of Damascus, al­Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al­Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of [15] the mosque's eastern side. masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah. included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E. of Raranj, and the building of the three free­standing domes — the most notable being (Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19] the Dome of the Prophet built in 1538. All construction was ordered by the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem and not the sultans themselves.[22] The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however.[22]

Modern era [edit] The first renovation of the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al­ Husayni hired Ahmet Kemalettin Bey — a Turkish architect — to restore al­Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924­25 under Kemalettin's supervision. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque's ancient Ummayad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the dome interior, rebuilding the southern wall, and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid­era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches The dome of the mosque in 1982. were decorated with green­tinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A It was made of aluminum, but replaced with its original lead plating quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and in 1983 Fatimid designs.[23] Severe damage was caused by the 1927 and 1937 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942.[15] On August 21, 1969, there was a fire inside al­Aqsa Mosque that gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. Among other things the fire destroyed was Salahuddin Ayubi's minbar.[21] Initially, Palestinians blamed Israel for the fire, and some Israelis blamed Fatah, alleging they had started the fire so as to blame Israel and provoke hostility. However, the fire was started by neither Fatah nor Israel. The arsonist turned out to be a tourist from

Australia named Michael Dennis Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God.[24] He hoped that by burning down al­Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus, making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel.[25] The attack on al­ The mosque seen from the Aqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971, former area of the Moroccan [26] Quarter, 1991 which brought together dozens of Islamic countries. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al­Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Etzion believed that blowing up the two mosques would cause a spiritual awakening in Israel, and would solve all the problems of the Jewish people. They also hoped the Third Temple of Jerusalem would be built on the location of the mosque.[27][28] On January 15, 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque wounding 40 worshipers.[29][30] On October 8, 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during riots that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a fringe group of religious Jews, to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple.[31][32]

Architecture [edit]

The rectangular al­Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters (1,550,003.1 sq ft), with a capacity of 400,000 worshipers, although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters (376,736.9 sq ft) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers.[33][34] It is 272 feet (83 m) long, 184 feet (56 m) wide.[33]

Dome [edit] The dome of the al­Aqsa Mosque, unlike the Dome of the Rock which reflects classical Byzantine architecture, is strictly early Islamic architecture.[35] Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al­Malik. The present­ day dome was built by az­Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork.[13] In 1969, the dome was reconstructed in concrete and covered with anodized aluminum instead of the original ribbed lead enamel work

sheeting. In 1983, the aluminum outer covering was replaced with lead to match the original design by az­Zahir. [36] Al­Aqsa's dome is one of the few domes to be built in front of the mihrab during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the others being the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (715) and the Great Mosque at Sousse (850).[37] The interior of the dome is painted with 14th century­era decorations. During the 1969 burning, the paintings were The silver­colored dome consists assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that of lead sheeting uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]

Minarets [edit]

The mosque has four minarets on the southern, northern and western sides.[34] The first minaret, known as al­Fakhariyya Minaret, was built in 1278 on the southwestern corner of the mosque, on the orders of the Mamluk sultan Lajin. The minaret was built in the traditional Syrian style, with the base and shaft square and divided by moldings into three floors above which two lines of muqarnas decorate the muezzin's balcony. The niche is surrounded by a square chamber that ends in a lead­covered stone dome.[38] The second, known as the Ghawanima minaret, was built at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount in 1297­98 by architect Qadi Sharaf al­Din al­Khalili, also on the orders of the Sultan Lajin. Thirty­seven meters in height,[38] it is almost entirely made of stone, apart from a timber canopy over the muezzin's balcony. Because of its firm structure, the Ghawanima minaret has been nearly untouched by earthquakes. The minaret is divided into several stories by stone molding and stalactite galleries. The first two stories are wider and form the base of the tower. The additional four stories are surmounted by a cylindrical drum and a bulbous dome. The stairway is externally located on the first two floors, but becomes an internal spiral structure from the third floor until it reaches the muezzin's balcony.[39] In 1329, the Tankiz — the Mamluk governor of Syria — ordered the construction of a third minaret called the Bab al­Silsila Minaret located on the western border of the al­Aqsa Mosque. This minaret, possibly replacing an earlier Umayyad minaret, is built in the traditional Syrian square tower type and is made entirely out of stone.[40] It is an old Muslim tradition that the best muezzin ("reciter") of the adhan (the call to prayer), is assigned to this minaret because the first call to each of the five daily prayers is raised from it.[38] General view of the Ghawanima Minaret, 1900 The last and most notable minaret was built in 1367, and is known as Minarat al­Asbat. It is composed of a cylindrical stone shaft (built later by the Ottomans), which springs up from a rectangular Mamluk­built base on top of a triangular transition zone.[41] The shaft narrows above the muezzin's balcony, and is dotted with circular windows,[38] ending with a bulbous dome. The dome was reconstructed after the 1927 earthquake.[41] There are no minarets in the eastern portion of the mosque because historically there were very few inhabitants on that side and so there was little reason to have an additional minaret to call Muslims to prayer.[34] However, in 2007, it was announced that King Abdullah II of Jordan was planning to build a fifth minaret named after his father King Hussein and has been granted permission to do so from Israel. The King Hussein Minaret is planned to be the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem.[42]

Facade and porch [edit] The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al­Mustansir. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade during their era of rule in Palestine, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the facade's [15] covering with tiles. The second­hand material of the facade's arches includes sculpted ornamental material from taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem.[43] There are fourteen stone arches along the facade,[1] most of which are of a Romanesque style. The outer arches added by the Mamluks follow the same general design. The entrance to the mosque is through the facade's central arch.[44]

The porch is located at the top of the facade. The central bays of the porch were built by the Knights Templar The facade and porch of the during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew al­Mu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. mosque [15] Interior [edit] The al­Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building.[16] There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924.[23]

The mosque's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.[33] The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted, having a circumference of 9 inches (23 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm) and a height of 16 inches (41 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm). The remaining four rows are better proportioned. The capitals of the columns are Interior view of the mosque of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively showing the central naves and [33] designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order, and columns made from Italian white marble donated to the mosque by Benito Mussolini. [44] The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket­shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket­shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly­squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing.[33] A great portion of the mosque is covered with whitewash, but the drum of the dome and the walls immediately beneath it are decorated with mosaics and marble. Some wretched paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927.[33] The ceiling of The doors of the Saladin Minbar, the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44] early 1900s The minbar ("pulpit") of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from Aleppo on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad­Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad­Din would liberate Jerusalem and took six years to build (1168­74). Nur ad­Din died and the Crusaders held control of Jerusalem, but in 1187, Saladin captured the city and the minbar was installed. The structure was made of ivory and carefully crafted wood. Arabic calligraphy, geometrical and floral designs were inscribed in the woodwork.[45] After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al­Husayni — head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al­Aqsa — stated that a new minbar would be installed;[20] it was installed in February 2007.[46] The design of the new minbar was drawn by Jamil Badran based on an exact replica of the Saladin Minbar and was finished by Badran within a period of five years.[45] The minbar itself was built in Jordan over a period of four years and the craftsmen used "ancient woodworking methods, joining the pieces with pegs instead of nails, but employed computer images to design the pulpit [minbar]."[20]

Ablution fountain [edit] The mosque's main ablution fountain, known as al­Kas ("the Cup"), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock.[38] It is used by worshipers to perform wudu, a ritual washing of the hands, arms, legs, feet, and face before entry into the mosque. It was first built in 709 by the Ummayads, but in 1327­28 Governor Tankiz enlarged it to accommodate more worshipers. Although originally supplied with water from

Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, it currently receives water from pipes connected to Jerusalem's water supply. [47] In the 20th century, al­Kas was provided taps and stone seating.[48] The Fountain of Qasim Pasha , built by the Ottomans in 1526 and located north of the mosque on the platform of the Dome of the Rock, was used by worshipers for ablution and for drinking until the 1940s. Today, it stands as a The al­Kas ablution fountain monumental structure.[38]

Religious significance [edit]

Islam [edit]

In Islam, the term "al­Aqsa Mosque" is not restricted to the mosque only, but to the entire Temple Mount.[49] The mosque is known to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al­Haram in Mecca. Imam Muslim quotes Abu Dharr as saying:

"I asked the beloved Prophet Muhammad which was the first "mosque" [i.e. house of prayer] on Earth?" "The Sacred House of Prayer (Masjid al­Haram), i.e. Kaaba)," he said. "'And then which', I asked?" "The Furthest House of Prayer (Masjid al Aqsa)", he said. "I further asked, 'what was the time span between the two'?" "Forty years," prophet Muhammad replied.[50]

During his night journey toward Bayt al­Maqdis (Jerusalem), Muhammad rode on Buraq to Jerusalem and once there he prayed two raka'ah on the Temple Mount. After he finished his prayers, the angel Gabriel took him to Heaven, where he met several of the prophets and upon encouragement from Moses, negotiated with God via Gabriel that Muslims would be required to make five prayers daily.[5][51] The al­Aqsa Mosque is known as the "farthest mosque" in sura al­Isra in the Qur'an.[52] It is traditionally interpreted by Muslims as referring to the site at the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands. According to this tradition, the term used for mosque, (Arabic: masjid), literally means "place of prostration",[53] and includes monotheistic places of worship such as Solomon's Temple, which in the Qur'an is described as a masjid.[54] Western historians Heribert Busse and Neal Robinson believe this is the intended interpretation.[55][56] [clarification needed] First qibla [edit] The historical significance of the al­Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al­Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624, thus it became the qibla ("direction") that Muslims faced for prayer.[57] According to Allame Tabatabayee, God prepared for change of qibla, first by revealing the story of Abraham and his son, Ishmael, their prayers for the Ka'bah and Mecca, their construction of the House (Ka'aba) and the order then received to cleanse it for the worship of Allah. Then Quranic verses were revealed which ordered Muslims to turn towards Masjid al­Haram in [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5] their prayers. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the Rock — which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven — upon his arrival at the Temple Mount in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Temple Mount was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Ka'aba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site.[58] According to early Qur'anic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, Interior view of the mosque upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al­Ahbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with showing the mihrab, indicating the him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al­Ahbar suggested to him that it qibla should be behind the Rock "... so that all of Jerusalem would be before you". Umar replied, "You correspond to Judaism!" Nonetheless, immediately after this conversation, Umar began to clean up the site — which was filled with trash and debris — with his cloak, and other Muslim followers imitated him until the site was clean. Umar then prayed at the spot where it was believed that Muhammad had prayed before his night journey, reciting the Qur'anic sura Sad.[58] Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque.[59] Because of the holiness of Temple Mount itself — being a place where Abraham, Solomon, and David had prayed — Umar constructed a small prayer house in the southern corner of its platform, taking care to avoid allowing the Rock to come between the mosque and the direction of Ka'aba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed.[58]

Third holiest site [edit] Main article: Holiest sites in Islam Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are recognized as the three most important sites in Sunni Islam according to interpretations of scriptures in the Qur'an and hadith. References to Jerusalem and events in it have been made more than seventy times in the Qur'an, in various states of ambiguity, and many times in the hadith.[60] Medieval scriptural references, as well as modern­day political tracts, tend to treat al­Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam.[61] For example, Sahih Bukhari quotes Abu al­Dardaa as saying: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al­Masjid al­Aqsa is worth 500 prayers," more than in an any other mosque. In addition, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose raison d'être is to "liberate al Aqsa An exterior view of the mosque, from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the al­Aqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in 1856 the city) as the third holiest site in Islam.[62] According to the scholar Maimunah bint Sa'd on traveling to the al­Aqsa Mosque, he said, "the messenger of Allah [Muhammad] said, 'He should make a gift of oil to be burnt therein, for he who gives a gift to the al­Aqsa Mosque will be like one who has prayed salaah (five daily ritual prayers in Islam) therein.'[63][64] Some Western scholars, such as Martin Gilbert, claim that the use of the term "third holiest" is driven by political motives and that the al­Aqsa mosque is not the third holiest site in Islam. According to Gilbert, Jerusalem is not one of Islam's holiest cities, and points to the politicized nature of construction on the Haram from the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock until present. He argues that this site is arguably the most contested religious site in the world and that the emphasis on al­Aqsa today is due to its construction on the Temple Mount precinct, considered the holiest site in Judaism.[65] Others, such as Ghada Hashem Talhami and Jonathan Silverman, point out that the term "third holiest city" would be better translated as "third holy city," denoting the order of designation of the holy cities of Islam rather than order of importance. They point to the literary genre al­Fadhail (history of cities), where the perceptions of the value of Jerusalem varied, with some scholars insisting on the superiority of Jerusalem to Mecca or Medina.[66][67]

Judaism [edit] Main article: Temple Mount The Al­Aqsa mosque takes up part of the Temple Mount. Solomon built the first permanent Jewish temple where the mosque is located. According to tradition, this temple housed the Ark of the Covenant, and the Ten Commandments, both considered holy by the Jews. The temple also became the only legal place to have sacrifices. It is also on the location where Herod built the Second Temple.[68] Various traditions exist about the location in Judaism. In rabbinical tradition it is the place where Adam was born, and built an altar to God. It is believed to be where Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, where Noah built an altar after the flood, and where Abraham intended sacrificing Isaac. [69]

Current situations [edit]

Administration [edit] The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al­Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six­Day War. After Israel's victory in that war, instead of the government taking control of the al­Aqsa Mosque, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Temple Mount to the Islamic waqf trust who are independent of the Israeli government. However, Israeli Security Forces are permitted to patrol and conduct searches within the perimeter of the mosque. After the 1969 arson attack, the waqf employed architects, technicians and craftsmen in a committee that carry out regular maintenance operations. In order to counteract Israeli policies and their escalating presence around the site since the al­Aqsa Intifada, the local Arab leadership, in cooperation with the waqf, have attempted to increase Muslim control inside the Temple Mount. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and making renovations for the mosque.[70] Muhammad Ahmad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al­Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[71] Ownership of the al­Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel­Palestinian conflict. Israel holds sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount, but Palestinians hold unofficial custodianship of the site through the Islamic waqf. During the negotiations at the 2000 Camp David Summit, Palestinians demanded complete ownership of the mosque and other Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem.[72]

Access [edit] While all Arab and Muslim citizens of Israel are allowed to enter and pray at the al­Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip face several restrictions. Palestinian males must be married and 50 years of age and women must be married and 45 years of age to enter the mosque. Palestinian visits are therefore rare during most of the year, except during the month of Ramadan. Israeli reasoning for the restrictions is that older, married Palestinians are less likely "to cause trouble".[73] The site of the mosque is not accessible to Jews due to a restriction placed on them by Israel's chief rabbinates in 1967. Their position was that the Jewish people were "ceremonially unclean and might accidentally tread on the place."[74] Israeli governmental restrictions only forbid Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allow Jews as well as, other non­Muslims to visit for certain hours on certain days in the week. Several rabbis, and several Zionist leaders have demanded the right of Jews to pray at the site on Jewish holidays.[75]

Al­Aqsa Intifada [edit]

Main article: Al­Aqsa Intifada Sign in Hebrew and English On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited outside the Temple Mount warning the al­Aqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party Jews not to enter the mosque compound members left, a demonstration erupted and Palestinians on the grounds of the Haram al­Sharif began throwing stones and other missiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a seven­year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al­Aqsa Intifada.[76] On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers, they hurled stones at the police. The police then stormed the mosque compound, firing both live ammunition and rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians, killing four and wounding about 200.[77]

Excavations [edit] Main article: Excavations of Al­Aqsa Mosque Several excavations of the al­Aqsa Mosque took place throughout the 1970s: In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations directly beneath the mosque on the southern and western sides. In 1977, digging continued and a large tunnel was opened below the women's prayer area and a new tunnel was dug under the mosque, going east to west in 1979. In addition, the Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984.[32] In February 2007, the Israeli government started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where they were going to build a pedestrian bridge. This site was 60 meters away from the mosque.[78] The excavations provoked anger throughout the Islamic world, and Israel was accused of trying to destroy the foundation of the mosque. Ismail Haniya — then Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas leader —[79] called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel.[80] Israel denied all charges against them, calling them "ludicrous".[81]

See also [edit]

Islamic architecture List of mosques Mosque of Omar Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories Masjid an­Nabawi Palestinian nationalism

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c "Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ". Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Retrieved on 2008­06­29. 2. ^ Barton, George (1901­1906). "Temple of Solomon" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 3. ^ Milstein, Mati (2007­10­23). "Solomon's Temple Artifacts Found by Muslim Workers ", National Geographic. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 4. ^ Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Merriam­Webster. pp. 70. 5. ^ a b c Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn. AL­MIZAN:AN EXEGESIS OF THE QUR'AN, translation by S. Saeed Rizvi. WOFIS. ISBN 9646521142. 6. ^ Al­Aqsa Mosque , Noble Sanctuary Online Guide., retrieved on 7 September 2008 7. ^ "Lailat al Miraj ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII. Retrieved on 29 June 2008. 8. ^ Chiffolo, Anthony F. Dome of the Rock and El­Aqsa Mosque Divine Nature. 9. ^ John M. Lundquist (2007). The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 45. ISBN 0275983390, 9780275983390. 10. ^ Charles Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 0415121825, 9780415121828. 11. ^ "Jerusalem (A.D. 71­1099)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 12. ^ Rivka Gonen (2003). Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. p. 85. ISBN 0881257990, 9780881257991. 13. ^ a b c d e Elad, Amikam. (1995). Medieval Jerusalem and Islamic Worship Holy Places, Ceremonies, Pilgrimage BRILL, pp.29­43. ISBN 9004100105. 14. ^ a b c d le Strange, Guy. (1890). Palestine under the Moslems, pp.80­98. 15. ^ a b c d e f g h Ma'oz, Moshe and Nusseibeh, Sari. (2000). Jerusalem: Points of Friction, and Beyond BRILL. pp.136­138. ISBN 9041188436. 16. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Archnet Digital Library. 17. ^ Jeffers, H. (2004). Contested holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple . KTAV Publishing House. pp. 95–96. 18. ^ Boas, Adrian (2001). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule . Routledge. p. 91. ISBN 0415230004. 19. ^ The travels of Nasir­i­Khusrau to Jerusalem, 1047 C.E. 20. ^ a b c Jordan sending replacement for Al Aqsa pulpit destroyed in 1969 attack Associated Press. International Herald Tribune. 2007­01­23. 21. ^ a b Thomas F. Madden (2002). The Crusades: The Essential Readings . Blackwell Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0631230238, 9780631230236. 22. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of Al­Aqsa 2007. 23. ^ a b Necipogulu, Gulru. (1996). Muqarnas, Volume 13: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World . BRILL, pp.149­153. ISBN 9004106332. 24. ^ "The Burning of Al­Aqsa ", Time Magazine (1969­08­29), p. 1. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (1970­01­12). Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 26. ^ About the OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference. 27. ^ Dumper, Michael (2002). The Politics of Sacred Space: The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East . Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 158826226. 28. ^ Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations . Routledge. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0714681792. 29. ^ Dated 18 January 1988 from the Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva Addressed to the Under­Secretary­General for Human Rights Ramlawi, Nabil. Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 30. ^ Palestine Facts Timeline, 1963­1988 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 31. ^ Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 1991 32. ^ a b Amayreh, Khaled. Catalogue of provocations: Israel's encroachments upon the Al­Aqsa Mosque have not been sporadic, but, rather, a systematic endeavor Al­Ahram Weekly. February 2007. 33. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Mosque Life in the Holy Land. 34. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Universal Tours. 35. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.95. ISBN 0881257990. 36. ^ a b Al­Aqsa Mosque Restoration Archnet Digital Library. 37. ^ Necipogulu, Gulru. (1999). Muqarnas, Volume 16: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World BRILL, p.14. ISBN 9004114823. 38. ^ a b c d e f Al­Aqsa Guide Friends of al­Aqsa. 39. ^ Ghawanima Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 40. ^ Bab al­Silsila Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 41. ^ a b Bab al­Asbat Minaret Archnet Digital Library. 42. ^ Klein, Aaron. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given permission for Jordan to build a large minaret adjacent to a mosque on the Temple Mount to call Muslims to prayer at the holy site, WND has learned World Net Daily News. 2007­02­10. 43. ^ Hillenbrand, Carolle. (2000). The Crusades: The Islamic Perspective Routeledge, p.382 ISBN 0415929148. 44. ^ a b c Al­Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Sacred Destinations. 45. ^ a b Oweis, Fayeq S. (2002) The Elements of Unity in Islamic Art as Examined Through the Work of Jamal Badran Universal­Publishers, pp.115­ 117. ISBN 1581121628. 46. ^ Mikdadi , Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine. 47. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Esplanade . 48. ^ Gonen, Rivka. (2003) Contested Holiness KTAV Publishing House, p.28. ISBN 0881257990. 49. ^ Saed, Muhammad (2003). Islam: Questions and Answers ­ Islamic History and Biography . MSA Publication Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1861793235. 50. ^ Masjid al­Aqsa: Second house of prayer established on Earth World Press. 51. ^ Sahih Muslim 1:309 52. ^ [Qur'an 17:1 ] 53. ^ Hillenbrand, R. "Masdjid. I. In the central Islamic lands". in P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573­3912 . 54. ^ [Qur'an 17:7 ] 55. ^ Busse, Heribert. (1991). Jerusalem in the Story of prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension. Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 14 pp.1–40 56. ^ Robinson, Neal. (1996). Discovering The Qur'ân: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text. SCM Press Ltd: London, p.192 57. ^ Allen, Edgar (2004), States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521525756, retrieved on 9 June 2008 58. ^ a b c Mosaad, Mohamed. Bayt al­Maqdis: An Islamic Perspective pp.3­8 59. ^ The Furthest Mosque, The History of Al ­ Aqsa Mosque From Earliest Times Mustaqim Islamic Art & Literature. 2008­01­05. 60. ^ el­Khatib, Abdallah (2001­05­01). "Jerusalem in the Qur'ān " (Abstract). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 28 (1): 25–53. doi:10.1080/13530190120034549 . Retrieved on 17 November 2006. 61. ^ Doninger, Wendy (1999­09­01). Merriam­Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam­Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0­877­79044­2. 62. ^ "Resolution No. 2/2­IS ". Second Islamic Summit Conference. Organisation of the Islamic Conference (1974­02­24). Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 63. ^ Virtues of al­Aqsa Friends of Al­Aqsa. 64. ^ Hadith of Imam Ahmad and Majah 65. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1996). Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century. Chatto and Windus. LCCN 97­224015 . ISBN 0701130709. 66. ^ Talhami, Ghada Hashem (February 2000). "The Modern History of Islamic Jerusalem: Academic Myths and Propaganda ". Middle East Policy Journal. Blackwell Publishing. Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 67. ^ Silverman, Jonathan (2005­05­06). "The opposite of holiness ". Retrieved on 2006­11­17. 68. ^ "The Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2001­01­18). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 69. ^ "Temple in Rabbinical Literature" . Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 3 July 2008. 70. ^ Social Structure and Geography Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. 71. ^ Yaniv Berman, "Top Palestinian Muslim Cleric Okays Suicide Bombings" , Media Line, 2006­10­23. 72. ^ Camp David Projections Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. July 2000. 73. ^ Ramadan prayers at al­Aqsa mosque BBC News. 2008­09­05. 74. ^ Dolphin, Lambert. The Temple Mount Restored to Muslim Control 75. ^ Klein, Aaron. Jews Demand Right to Pray on the Temple Mount The Temple Institute. 76. ^ "Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2000­09­28). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 77. ^ Dean, Lucy (2003). The Middle East and North Africa 2004 . Routledge. p. 560. ISBN 1857431847. 78. ^ Lis, Jonathan (2007­12­02). "Majadele: Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ", Haaretz, Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 79. ^ "Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya ", BBC News, BBC MMVIII (2006­12­14). Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 80. ^ Rabinovich, Abraham (2007­02­08). "Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ", The Australian. Retrieved on 1 July 2008. 81. ^ Friedman, Matti (2007­10­14). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.

External links [edit]

Noble Sanctuary: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al­Aqsa Mosque Al­Aqsa Mosque MuslimWiki History of Palestine mp3 lecture (listen or download) Al­Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review Islamic Architecture. 360° view of the inside of the Mosque by Visual Dhikr Islamic Virtual Arts. Image Gallery of Masjid Al­Aqsa Muslim Ways. Al­Aqsa Mosque Photos Jerusalem Photos Archive. History of Al­Aqsa hWeb. Al­Aqsa Mosque Real facts about the Al­Aqsa Mosque.

v • d • e Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territories Hassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • al­Muallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque • Israel White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla) East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • al­Aqsa Mosque • Al­Khanqah al­Salahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar

Great Mosque of Nablus • al­Hamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • al­Khadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque • West Bank an­Nasr Mosque • Mosque of Omar • Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque Gaza Strip Great Mosque of Gaza • Mosque of al­Sayed Hashem • Umm al­Naser Mosque • Weleyat Mosque

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables

Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj

Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 710s architecture | 1030s architecture | Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners | Islamic holy places | Mosques in Jerusalem | Palestinian nationalism | Conversion of non­Christian places of worship into Churches | Ziyarat

This page was last modified on 8 January 2009, at 21:54. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Dome of the Rock Coordinates: 31.778, 35.2354 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Mosque of Omar. ­translit.: Masjid Qubbat As , ﺓﺮﺨﺼﻟﺍ ﺔﺒﻗ ﺪﺠﺴﻣ :The Dome of the Rock (Arabic navigation translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra) is , עלסה תפיכ :Sakhrah, Hebrew Main page an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Haram al­Sharif in Contents Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in Featured content [1] Current events the world. Random article Contents search 1 Location, construction and dimensions 1.1 The Dome

2 History Go Search 2.1 Crusaders interaction 2.2 Ayyubids and Mamluks 2.3 Ottoman Empire 1517 ­ 1917 About Wikipedia Community portal 2.4 British Mandate 1917 ­ 1948 Recent changes 2.5 1948 to present The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount Contact Wikipedia 3 Accessibility Donate to Wikipedia 4 Religious significance Help 5 See also toolbox 6 Notes What links here 7 References Related changes 8 External links Upload file Special pages Location, construction and dimensions [edit] Printable version ;Har haBayit – תִיַבַּה רַה ,Permanent link The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient man­made platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew Cite this page literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jews and the Haram al­Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the languages rule of Herod the Great, is the site of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In 637 CE, Македонски Jerusalem was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate army during the Islamic invasion of the . The Dome of the Rock was erected between 685 and 691 CE. The names of the two engineers in charge of the project are given as: Yazid Ibn Salam ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Česky from Jerusalem and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Umayyad Caliph Abd al­Malik ibn Marwan who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it Dansk would “house the Muslims from cold and heat” [2] and intended the building to serve as a shrine for pilgrims and not as a mosque for public worship. Deutsch [3] Español Historians contend that the Caliph wished to create a structure which would compete with the existing buildings of other religions in the city. al­ Esperanto Maqdisi writes that he Euskara ”sought to build for the Muslims a masjid that should be unique and a wonder to the world. And in like manner, is it not evident that Caliph Abd al­Malik, ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ seeing the greatness of the martyrium of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and its magnificence was moved lest it should dazzle the minds of Muslims Français [4] 한국어 and hence erected above the Rock the dome which is now seen there.” Hrvatski Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein of the Hebrew University states that the Dome of the Rock was intended to Bahasa Indonesia remove the fitna, or 'annoyance,' constituted by the existence of the many fine buildings of worship of Italiano other religions. The very form of a rotunda, given to the Qubbat as­Sakhra, although it was foreign to תירבע [6] Македонски Islam, was intended to rival the many Christian domes. A.C. Cresswell in his book Origin of the Bahasa Melayu plan of the Dome of the Rock notes that those who built the shrine made use of the measurements Nederlands of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The diameter of the dome of the shrine is 20m 20cm and its 日本語 height 20m 48cm, while the diameter of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is 20m 90cm Norsk (bokmål) and its height 21m 5cm. Mark Crinson, a scholar of the architecture of imperialism, sees the Dome Polski of the Rock as the "archetypal missionary and imperial building (with) its exterior covered with Português decoration and inscriptions directed by the new Muslim rulers at the local Christian population."[7] Română Русский The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in Print from 1887. (Architect Frederick Simple English diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns. [3] Catherwood was the first westerner known to have Slovenščina Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. During his travels in made detailed drawings of the Dome of the Rock, Basa Sunda Jerusalem, Mark Twain wrote that: which he accomplished during a six­week period Suomi in 1833)[5] Svenska ”Every where about the Mosque of Omar are portions of pillars, curiously wrought altars, and fragments

of elegantly carved marble ­ precious remains of Solomon's Temple. These have been dug from all depths in the soil and rubbish of Mount Moriah, and Türkçe the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care.”[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 The outer side walls are made of porcelain [9] and mirror the octagonal design. They each measure approximately 60 feet (18 m) wide and 36 feet (11 m) high. Both the dome and the exterior walls contain many windows.[3]

The Dome [edit]

Exterior The Dome is in the shape of a Byzantine martyrium, a structure intended for the housing and veneration of saintly relics, and is an excellent example of middle Byzantine art. al­Maqdisi reports that surplus funds Exterior detail consisting of 100,000 gold dinar coins were melted down and cast on the dome's exterior, “which at the time had a strong glitter that no eye could look straight at it.” [10] During the reign of the exterior of the Dome of the Rock was covered with Iznik tiles. The work took seven years. Haj Amin Al­Husseini, The Dome of the Rock, in 1913. appointed Grand Mufti by the British, along with Yacoub Al Ghussein implemented restoration of Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In 1955 an extensive program of renovation was begun by the government of Jordan, with funds supplied by the Arab governments and . The work included replacement of large numbers of tiles dating back to the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, which had become dislodged by heavy rain. In 1960, as part of this restoration, the dome was covered with a durable aluminum and bronze alloy made in . The restoration was completed in August 1964. In 1998 the golden dome covering was refurbished following a donation of $8.2 million by King Hussein of Jordan who sold one of his houses in London to fund the 80 kilograms of gold required. Interior The interior of the dome is lavishly decorated with mosaic, faience and marble, much of which was added several centuries after its completion. It also contains Qur'anic inscriptions. sura Ya­Seen is inscribed across the top of the tile work and was commissioned in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent. al­Isra is inscribed above this. According to Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein, the inscriptions decorating the interior clearly display a spirit of polemic against Christianity, while stressing at the same time the Qur'anic doctrine that Jesus Christ was a true prophet. The formula la sharika lahu 'God has no companion' is repeated five times, the verses from sura 16:34­37, which strongly deny Jesus' sonship to God, are quoted together with the remarkable prayer: Allahumma salli (with ya; read salli without ya) ala rasulika wa'abdika 'Isa bin Maryam ­ "In the name of the One God (Allah) Pray for your Prophet and Servant Jesus son of Mary". He believes that this shows that rivalry with Christendom, together with the spirit of Islamic mission to the Christians, was at the work at the creation of the famous Dome. [6]

History [edit]

Crusaders [edit] During the Crusades the Dome of the Rock was given to the Augustinians, who turned it into a church,

and the Al­Aqsa Mosque became the royal palace of Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1104. The Knights Templar, who believed the Dome of the Rock was the site of the Temple of Solomon, set up their headquarters in the Al­Aqsa Mosque adjacent to the Dome for much of the 12th century. The "," as they called it, was featured on the official seals of the Order's Grand Masters (such as Evrard de Barres and Regnaud de Vichier), and it became the architectural model for Templar churches across The Dome of the Rock featured on the . Palestine Mandate banknote

Ayyubids and Mamluks [edit] Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin on Friday, 2 October 1187 and the Haram was reconsecrated as a Muslim sanctuary. The cross on top of the Dome of the Rock was replaced by a golden crescent and a wooden screen was placed around the rock below. al­Din's nephew al­Malik al­ Mu'azzam Isa (615­24/1218­27) carried out other restorations within the Haram and added the porch to the Aqsa mosque. The Haram was the focus of extensive royal patronage by the sultans during the Mamluk period, which lasted from 1250 until 1510.

Ottoman Empire 1517 ­ 1917 [edit] Large­scale renovation was undertaken during the reign of Mahmud II in 1817. Adjacent to the Dome of the Rock, the Ottomans built the free­standing Dome of the Prophet in 1620.

British Mandate 1917 ­ 1948 [edit] The Dome of the Rock was badly shaken during an earthquake in Palestine on Monday, 11 July 1927 rendering useless many of the repairs that had taken place over previous years.

1948 to present [edit] Under Jordanian rule of Jerusalem, Jews were forbidden from entering the Old City. Israel took control of the Dome of Rock during its victory in the Six­Day War in 1967. According to a posthumously­published interview with Haaretz, General Uzi Narkiss reported that on June 7, 1967, a few hours after East Jerusalem fell into Israeli hands, Rabbi Shlomo Goren had told him "Now is the time to put 100 kilograms of explosives into the Mosque of Omar so that we may rid ourselves of it once and for all." His request was denied; according to Goren's aide Dome of the Rock viewed Menahem Hacohen, he had not suggested blowing up the mosque, but had merely stated that "if, during the through the Old City's Cotton Gate course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have – you know – disappeared – that would (Bab al­Qattanin) have been a good thing." Later that year, in a speech to a military convention, he added: "Certainly we should have blown it up. It is a tragedy for generations that we did not do so. […] I myself would have gone up there and wiped it off the ground completely so that there was no trace that there was ever a Mosque of Omar there."[11] Shlomo Goren also entered the Dome of the Rock with a Torah book and the shofar.[12] A few hours after the Israeli flag was hoisted over the Dome of the Rock in 1967, at the conclusion of the Six­Day War, Israelis lowered it on the orders of General Moshe Dayan, and invested the Muslim Waqf (religious trust) with the authority to manage the Temple Mount­Haram al­Sharif in order to "keep the peace".[13] Groups such as the Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael Faithful Movement wish to relocate the Dome to Mecca and replace it with a Third Temple. Since Muslims consider the ground under the Dome to be sacred this would be a highly contentious move, and would provoke violence. Many Israelis are ambivalent about the movement's wishes. Some religious Jews, following a rabbinic dictum, feel that the Temple should only be rebuilt in the messianic era, and that it would be presumptuous of people to force God's hand. However, some Evangelical Christians consider this a prerequisite to Armageddon and the Second Coming. This view is steeped in the belief that there will be a prophetic rebuilding of the Temple in place of the Dome of the Rock.

Accessibility [edit]

It is formally owned and maintained by the Ministry of Awaqaf in Jordan.[14] Until the mid­nineteenth century, non­Muslims were barred from the area. Since 1967, non­Muslims have been allowed some entry, but non­Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount are not allowed.[15] After Ariel Sharon, then opposition leader, visited the Temple Mount in 2000, in what was considered by some a provocative gesture that set off Muslim rioting, non­Muslims were forbidden to enter the Temple compound.[16] In 2006, the compound was reopened to non­Muslim visitors free of charge, between 7:30­11:30 a.m. and 1:30­ 2:30 p.m. during Summer and 7:30­10:30 a.m. and 1:30­2:30 p.m. during Winter. Non­muslims may never enter on Fridays, Saturdays, or Muslim holidays. Entry is through a covered wooden walkway next to the security entrance to the Western Wall known as the Mugrabi or Gate. Entry to the mosques themselves is prohibited to non­Muslims, as is access to the Temple Mount through the Cotton Market. Visitors undergo strict security screening, and items such as Hebrew prayerbooks or musical instruments are not allowed. In addition to these restrictions put in place by the Muslim Council, many Orthodox rabbis regard entry to the Sign at visitors entrance to compound as a violation of Jewish law. This restriction is based on the belief that since the Temple was destroyed Temple Mount. centuries ago, the precise location of the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary that was only entered by the High Priest, is not known. Hence the restriction is applied to the entire compound. However, some rabbis believe that modern archeological and other evidence have enabled them to identify areas that can be safely entered without violating Jewish law. [17]

Religious significance [edit]

The Dome of the Rock, being among a complex of buildings on the Temple Mount, (the other being the Al­ Aqsa Mosque) is one of the holiest sites in Islam. Its significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock at its heart. According to Islamic tradition, the rock is the spot from where Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel. In Judaism the location of the stone is venerated as the holiest spot on Earth, the site of the Holy of Holies during the Temple Period. In Christianity it is believed that during

the time of the Byzantine Empire, the spot where the Dome was later constructed was where Constantine's mother built a small church, calling it the Church of St. Cyrus and St. John, later on enlarged and called the Church of the Holy Wisdom.[18] On the walls of the Dome of the Rock is an inscription in a mosaic frieze that includes the following words:

"Bless your envoy and your servant Jesus son of Mary and peace upon him on the day of birth and on the day of The Dome of the Rock illustrated death and on the day he is raised up again. It is a word of truth in which they doubt. It is not for God to take a son. Jewish religious works as early as the Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be, and it is."[1] 16th century

This appears to be the earliest extant citation (verses 3:45­47) from the Qur'an, with the date recorded as 72 after the Hijra (or 691­692 AD), which historians view as the year of the Dome's construction.[1]

The dome of the rock in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount

See also [edit]

Al­Aqsa Mosque Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dome of the Rock Islamic architecture Temple Mount Dome of the Chain

Notes [edit]

1. ^ a b c Rizwi Faizer (1998). "The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem ". Rizwi's Bibliography for Medieval Islam. 2. ^ Abu­Bakr al­Wasiti, Fada'il Bayt al­Maqdis, pp. 80­81, vol 136 3. ^ a b c Encyclopædia Britannica: Dome of the Rock 4. ^ Shams al­Din al­Maqdisi, Ahsan al­Taqasim fi Mar'rifat al­Aqalim, 2nd ed. (Leiden, 1967) pp. 159­171 5. ^ ""Drawings of Islamic Buildings: Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem." " (html). Victoria and Albert Museum. "Until 1833 the Dome of the Rock had not been measured or drawn; according to Victor von Hagen, ‘no architect had ever sketched its architecture, no antiquarian had traced its interior design…’ On 13 November in that year, however, Frederick Catherwood dressed up as an Egyptian officer and accompanied by an Egyptian servant ‘of great courage and assurance’, entered the buildings of the mosque with his drawing materials … ‘During six weeks, I continued to investigate every part of the mosque and its precincts.’ Thus, Catherwood made the first complete survey of the Dome of the Rock, and paved the way for many other artists in subsequent years, such as William Harvey, Ernest Richmond and Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner." 6. ^ a b Goitein, Shlomo Dov; The Historication background of the erection of the Dome of the Rock, Journal of American Oriental Society, Vol. 70, No. 2, 1950 7. ^ Mark Crinson, Empire Building, Routledge,London, 1996, p.8 8. ^ Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, Chapter LIV 9. ^ Dome of the Rock, The . Glass Steel and Stone. 10. ^ Abu­Bakr al­Wasiti, Fada'il Bayt al­Maqdis, pp. 80­81, vol 136 11. ^ The Political Role Of The Israeli Chief Rabbinate In The Temple Mount Question by Yoel Cohen 12. ^ Photo of Shlomo Goren inside the Dome 13. ^ Letter from Jerusalem: A Fight Over Sacred Turf by Sandra Scham 14. ^ Hashemite Restorations of the Islamic Holy Places in Jerusalem ­ kinghussein.gov.jo ­ Retrieved January 21, 2008 15. ^ Jerusalem's Holy Places and the Peace Process Marshall J. Breger and Thomas A. Idinopulos, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1998. 16. ^ Eyewitness: Inside al­Aqsa (BBC) March 20, 2002 17. ^ http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/4839.html 18. ^ Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades, page 204

References [edit]

Peterson, Andrew (1994). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture. London: Routledge. ISBN 0­415­06084­2

External links [edit]

Dome of the Rock Sacred Destinations ­ includes photo tour Dome of the Rock Public Domain Photos Dome of the Rock AutoCAD release 14, CAD drawing, 1995 Dome of the Rock Bible places Dome of the Rock Interior picture Dome of the Rock Sacred sites Re­envisioning the Dome of the Rock The Hope Dome of the Rock from Jerusalem photos portal 16X zoomable panoramic view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives Site surrounding the controversy over the excavations made by the Waqf A vision for the Temple Mount Photo Gallery of the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 690s architecture | Jerusalem | Knights Templar | Shrines | Domes | Octagonal buildings | Islam in Jerusalem

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 12:16. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Dome of the Rock Coordinates: 31.778, 35.2354 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Mosque of Omar. ­translit.: Masjid Qubbat As , ﺓﺮﺨﺼﻟﺍ ﺔﺒﻗ ﺪﺠﺴﻣ :The Dome of the Rock (Arabic navigation translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra) is , עלסה תפיכ :Sakhrah, Hebrew Main page an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Haram al­Sharif in Contents Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in Featured content [1] Current events the world. Random article Contents search 1 Location, construction and dimensions 1.1 The Dome

2 History Go Search 2.1 Crusaders interaction 2.2 Ayyubids and Mamluks 2.3 Ottoman Empire 1517 ­ 1917 About Wikipedia Community portal 2.4 British Mandate 1917 ­ 1948 Recent changes 2.5 1948 to present The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount Contact Wikipedia 3 Accessibility Donate to Wikipedia 4 Religious significance Help 5 See also toolbox 6 Notes What links here 7 References Related changes 8 External links Upload file Special pages Location, construction and dimensions [edit] Printable version ;Har haBayit – תִיַבַּה רַה ,Permanent link The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient man­made platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew Cite this page literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jews and the Haram al­Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the languages rule of Herod the Great, is the site of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In 637 CE, Македонски Jerusalem was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate army during the Islamic invasion of the Byzantine Empire. The Dome of the Rock was erected between 685 and 691 CE. The names of the two engineers in charge of the project are given as: Yazid Ibn Salam ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Česky from Jerusalem and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Umayyad Caliph Abd al­Malik ibn Marwan who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it Dansk would “house the Muslims from cold and heat” [2] and intended the building to serve as a shrine for pilgrims and not as a mosque for public worship. Deutsch [3] Español Historians contend that the Caliph wished to create a structure which would compete with the existing buildings of other religions in the city. al­ Esperanto Maqdisi writes that he Euskara ”sought to build for the Muslims a masjid that should be unique and a wonder to the world. And in like manner, is it not evident that Caliph Abd al­Malik, ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ seeing the greatness of the martyrium of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and its magnificence was moved lest it should dazzle the minds of Muslims Français [4] 한국어 and hence erected above the Rock the dome which is now seen there.” Hrvatski Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein of the Hebrew University states that the Dome of the Rock was intended to Bahasa Indonesia remove the fitna, or 'annoyance,' constituted by the existence of the many fine buildings of worship of Italiano other religions. The very form of a rotunda, given to the Qubbat as­Sakhra, although it was foreign to תירבע [6] Македонски Islam, was intended to rival the many Christian domes. A.C. Cresswell in his book Origin of the Bahasa Melayu plan of the Dome of the Rock notes that those who built the shrine made use of the measurements Nederlands of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The diameter of the dome of the shrine is 20m 20cm and its 日本語 height 20m 48cm, while the diameter of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is 20m 90cm Norsk (bokmål) and its height 21m 5cm. Mark Crinson, a scholar of the architecture of imperialism, sees the Dome Polski of the Rock as the "archetypal missionary and imperial building (with) its exterior covered with Português decoration and inscriptions directed by the new Muslim rulers at the local Christian population."[7] Română Русский The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in Print from 1887. (Architect Frederick Simple English diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns. [3] Catherwood was the first westerner known to have Slovenščina Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. During his travels in made detailed drawings of the Dome of the Rock, Basa Sunda Jerusalem, Mark Twain wrote that: which he accomplished during a six­week period Suomi in 1833)[5] Svenska ”Every where about the Mosque of Omar are portions of pillars, curiously wrought altars, and fragments

of elegantly carved marble ­ precious remains of Solomon's Temple. These have been dug from all depths in the soil and rubbish of Mount Moriah, and Türkçe the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care.”[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 The outer side walls are made of porcelain [9] and mirror the octagonal design. They each measure approximately 60 feet (18 m) wide and 36 feet (11 m) high. Both the dome and the exterior walls contain many windows.[3]

The Dome [edit]

Exterior The Dome is in the shape of a Byzantine martyrium, a structure intended for the housing and veneration of saintly relics, and is an excellent example of middle Byzantine art. al­Maqdisi reports that surplus funds Exterior detail consisting of 100,000 gold dinar coins were melted down and cast on the dome's exterior, “which at the time had a strong glitter that no eye could look straight at it.” [10] During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent the exterior of the Dome of the Rock was covered with Iznik tiles. The work took seven years. Haj Amin Al­Husseini, The Dome of the Rock, in 1913. appointed Grand Mufti by the British, along with Yacoub Al Ghussein implemented restoration of Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In 1955 an extensive program of renovation was begun by the government of Jordan, with funds supplied by the Arab governments and Turkey. The work included replacement of large numbers of tiles dating back to the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, which had become dislodged by heavy rain. In 1960, as part of this restoration, the dome was covered with a durable aluminum and bronze alloy made in Italy. The restoration was completed in August 1964. In 1998 the golden dome covering was refurbished following a donation of $8.2 million by King Hussein of Jordan who sold one of his houses in London to fund the 80 kilograms of gold required. Interior The interior of the dome is lavishly decorated with mosaic, faience and marble, much of which was added several centuries after its completion. It also contains Qur'anic inscriptions. sura Ya­Seen is inscribed across the top of the tile work and was commissioned in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent. al­Isra is inscribed above this. According to Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein, the inscriptions decorating the interior clearly display a spirit of polemic against Christianity, while stressing at the same time the Qur'anic doctrine that Jesus Christ was a true prophet. The formula la sharika lahu 'God has no companion' is repeated five times, the verses from sura Maryam 16:34­37, which strongly deny Jesus' sonship to God, are quoted together with the remarkable prayer: Allahumma salli (with ya; read salli without ya) ala rasulika wa'abdika 'Isa bin Maryam ­ "In the name of the One God (Allah) Pray for your Prophet and Servant Jesus son of Mary". He believes that this shows that rivalry with Christendom, together with the spirit of Islamic mission to the Christians, was at the work at the creation of the famous Dome. [6]

History [edit]

Crusaders [edit] During the Crusades the Dome of the Rock was given to the Augustinians, who turned it into a church,

and the Al­Aqsa Mosque became the royal palace of Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1104. The Knights Templar, who believed the Dome of the Rock was the site of the Temple of Solomon, set up their headquarters in the Al­Aqsa Mosque adjacent to the Dome for much of the 12th century. The "Templum Domini," as they called it, was featured on the official seals of the Order's Grand Masters (such as Evrard de Barres and Regnaud de Vichier), and it became the architectural model for Templar churches across The Dome of the Rock featured on the Europe. Palestine Mandate banknote

Ayyubids and Mamluks [edit] Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin on Friday, 2 October 1187 and the Haram was reconsecrated as a Muslim sanctuary. The cross on top of the Dome of the Rock was replaced by a golden crescent and a wooden screen was placed around the rock below. Salah al­Din's nephew al­Malik al­ Mu'azzam Isa (615­24/1218­27) carried out other restorations within the Haram and added the porch to the Aqsa mosque. The Haram was the focus of extensive royal patronage by the sultans during the Mamluk period, which lasted from 1250 until 1510.

Ottoman Empire 1517 ­ 1917 [edit] Large­scale renovation was undertaken during the reign of Mahmud II in 1817. Adjacent to the Dome of the Rock, the Ottomans built the free­standing Dome of the Prophet in 1620.

British Mandate 1917 ­ 1948 [edit] The Dome of the Rock was badly shaken during an earthquake in Palestine on Monday, 11 July 1927 rendering useless many of the repairs that had taken place over previous years.

1948 to present [edit] Under Jordanian rule of Jerusalem, Jews were forbidden from entering the Old City. Israel took control of the Dome of Rock during its victory in the Six­Day War in 1967. According to a posthumously­published interview with Haaretz, General Uzi Narkiss reported that on June 7, 1967, a few hours after East Jerusalem fell into Israeli hands, Rabbi Shlomo Goren had told him "Now is the time to put 100 kilograms of explosives into the Mosque of Omar so that we may rid ourselves of it once and for all." His request was denied; according to Goren's aide Dome of the Rock viewed Menahem Hacohen, he had not suggested blowing up the mosque, but had merely stated that "if, during the through the Old City's Cotton Gate course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have – you know – disappeared – that would (Bab al­Qattanin) have been a good thing." Later that year, in a speech to a military convention, he added: "Certainly we should have blown it up. It is a tragedy for generations that we did not do so. […] I myself would have gone up there and wiped it off the ground completely so that there was no trace that there was ever a Mosque of Omar there."[11] Shlomo Goren also entered the Dome of the Rock with a Torah book and the shofar.[12] A few hours after the Israeli flag was hoisted over the Dome of the Rock in 1967, at the conclusion of the Six­Day War, Israelis lowered it on the orders of General Moshe Dayan, and invested the Muslim Waqf (religious trust) with the authority to manage the Temple Mount­Haram al­Sharif in order to "keep the peace".[13] Groups such as the Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael Faithful Movement wish to relocate the Dome to Mecca and replace it with a Third Temple. Since Muslims consider the ground under the Dome to be sacred this would be a highly contentious move, and would provoke violence. Many Israelis are ambivalent about the movement's wishes. Some religious Jews, following a rabbinic dictum, feel that the Temple should only be rebuilt in the messianic era, and that it would be presumptuous of people to force God's hand. However, some Evangelical Christians consider this a prerequisite to Armageddon and the Second Coming. This view is steeped in the belief that there will be a prophetic rebuilding of the Temple in place of the Dome of the Rock.

Accessibility [edit]

It is formally owned and maintained by the Ministry of Awaqaf in Jordan.[14] Until the mid­nineteenth century, non­Muslims were barred from the area. Since 1967, non­Muslims have been allowed some entry, but non­Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount are not allowed.[15] After Ariel Sharon, then opposition leader, visited the Temple Mount in 2000, in what was considered by some a provocative gesture that set off Muslim rioting, non­Muslims were forbidden to enter the Temple compound.[16] In 2006, the compound was reopened to non­Muslim visitors free of charge, between 7:30­11:30 a.m. and 1:30­ 2:30 p.m. during Summer and 7:30­10:30 a.m. and 1:30­2:30 p.m. during Winter. Non­muslims may never enter on Fridays, Saturdays, or Muslim holidays. Entry is through a covered wooden walkway next to the security entrance to the Western Wall known as the Mugrabi or Maimonides Gate. Entry to the mosques themselves is prohibited to non­Muslims, as is access to the Temple Mount through the Cotton Market. Visitors undergo strict security screening, and items such as Hebrew prayerbooks or musical instruments are not allowed. In addition to these restrictions put in place by the Muslim Council, many Orthodox rabbis regard entry to the Sign at visitors entrance to compound as a violation of Jewish law. This restriction is based on the belief that since the Temple was destroyed Temple Mount. centuries ago, the precise location of the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary that was only entered by the High Priest, is not known. Hence the restriction is applied to the entire compound. However, some rabbis believe that modern archeological and other evidence have enabled them to identify areas that can be safely entered without violating Jewish law. [17]

Religious significance [edit]

The Dome of the Rock, being among a complex of buildings on the Temple Mount, (the other being the Al­ Aqsa Mosque) is one of the holiest sites in Islam. Its significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock at its heart. According to Islamic tradition, the rock is the spot from where Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel. In Judaism the location of the stone is venerated as the holiest spot on Earth, the site of the Holy of Holies during the Temple Period. In Christianity it is believed that during

the time of the Byzantine Empire, the spot where the Dome was later constructed was where Constantine's mother built a small church, calling it the Church of St. Cyrus and St. John, later on enlarged and called the Church of the Holy Wisdom.[18] On the walls of the Dome of the Rock is an inscription in a mosaic frieze that includes the following words:

"Bless your envoy and your servant Jesus son of Mary and peace upon him on the day of birth and on the day of The Dome of the Rock illustrated death and on the day he is raised up again. It is a word of truth in which they doubt. It is not for God to take a son. Jewish religious works as early as the Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be, and it is."[1] 16th century

This appears to be the earliest extant citation (verses 3:45­47) from the Qur'an, with the date recorded as 72 after the Hijra (or 691­692 AD), which historians view as the year of the Dome's construction.[1]

The dome of the rock in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount

See also [edit]

Al­Aqsa Mosque Foundation Stone Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dome of the Rock Islamic architecture Temple Mount Well of Souls Dome of the Chain

Notes [edit]

1. ^ a b c Rizwi Faizer (1998). "The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem ". Rizwi's Bibliography for Medieval Islam. 2. ^ Abu­Bakr al­Wasiti, Fada'il Bayt al­Maqdis, pp. 80­81, vol 136 3. ^ a b c Encyclopædia Britannica: Dome of the Rock 4. ^ Shams al­Din al­Maqdisi, Ahsan al­Taqasim fi Mar'rifat al­Aqalim, 2nd ed. (Leiden, 1967) pp. 159­171 5. ^ ""Drawings of Islamic Buildings: Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem." " (html). Victoria and Albert Museum. "Until 1833 the Dome of the Rock had not been measured or drawn; according to Victor von Hagen, ‘no architect had ever sketched its architecture, no antiquarian had traced its interior design…’ On 13 November in that year, however, Frederick Catherwood dressed up as an Egyptian officer and accompanied by an Egyptian servant ‘of great courage and assurance’, entered the buildings of the mosque with his drawing materials … ‘During six weeks, I continued to investigate every part of the mosque and its precincts.’ Thus, Catherwood made the first complete survey of the Dome of the Rock, and paved the way for many other artists in subsequent years, such as William Harvey, Ernest Richmond and Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner." 6. ^ a b Goitein, Shlomo Dov; The Historication background of the erection of the Dome of the Rock, Journal of American Oriental Society, Vol. 70, No. 2, 1950 7. ^ Mark Crinson, Empire Building, Routledge,London, 1996, p.8 8. ^ Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, Chapter LIV 9. ^ Dome of the Rock, The . Glass Steel and Stone. 10. ^ Abu­Bakr al­Wasiti, Fada'il Bayt al­Maqdis, pp. 80­81, vol 136 11. ^ The Political Role Of The Israeli Chief Rabbinate In The Temple Mount Question by Yoel Cohen 12. ^ Photo of Shlomo Goren inside the Dome 13. ^ Letter from Jerusalem: A Fight Over Sacred Turf by Sandra Scham 14. ^ Hashemite Restorations of the Islamic Holy Places in Jerusalem ­ kinghussein.gov.jo ­ Retrieved January 21, 2008 15. ^ Jerusalem's Holy Places and the Peace Process Marshall J. Breger and Thomas A. Idinopulos, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1998. 16. ^ Eyewitness: Inside al­Aqsa (BBC) March 20, 2002 17. ^ http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/4839.html 18. ^ Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades, page 204

References [edit]

Peterson, Andrew (1994). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture. London: Routledge. ISBN 0­415­06084­2

External links [edit]

Dome of the Rock Sacred Destinations ­ includes photo tour Dome of the Rock Public Domain Photos Dome of the Rock AutoCAD release 14, CAD drawing, 1995 Dome of the Rock Bible places Dome of the Rock Interior picture Dome of the Rock Sacred sites Re­envisioning the Dome of the Rock The Hope Dome of the Rock from Jerusalem photos portal 16X zoomable panoramic view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives Site surrounding the controversy over the excavations made by the Waqf A vision for the Temple Mount Photo Gallery of the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 690s architecture | Jerusalem shrines | Knights Templar | Shrines | Domes | Octagonal buildings | Islam in Jerusalem

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 12:16. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Dome of the Rock Coordinates: 31.778, 35.2354 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Mosque of Omar. ­translit.: Masjid Qubbat As , ﺓﺮﺨﺼﻟﺍ ﺔﺒﻗ ﺪﺠﺴﻣ :The Dome of the Rock (Arabic navigation translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra) is , עלסה תפיכ :Sakhrah, Hebrew Main page an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Haram al­Sharif in Contents Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in Featured content [1] Current events the world. Random article Contents search 1 Location, construction and dimensions 1.1 The Dome

2 History Go Search 2.1 Crusaders interaction 2.2 Ayyubids and Mamluks 2.3 Ottoman Empire 1517 ­ 1917 About Wikipedia Community portal 2.4 British Mandate 1917 ­ 1948 Recent changes 2.5 1948 to present The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount Contact Wikipedia 3 Accessibility Donate to Wikipedia 4 Religious significance Help 5 See also toolbox 6 Notes What links here 7 References Related changes 8 External links Upload file Special pages Location, construction and dimensions [edit] Printable version ;Har haBayit – תִיַבַּה רַה ,Permanent link The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient man­made platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew Cite this page literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jews and the Haram al­Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the languages rule of Herod the Great, is the site of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In 637 CE, Македонски Jerusalem was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate army during the Islamic invasion of the Byzantine Empire. The Dome of the Rock was erected between 685 and 691 CE. The names of the two engineers in charge of the project are given as: Yazid Ibn Salam ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Česky from Jerusalem and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Umayyad Caliph Abd al­Malik ibn Marwan who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it Dansk would “house the Muslims from cold and heat” [2] and intended the building to serve as a shrine for pilgrims and not as a mosque for public worship. Deutsch [3] Español Historians contend that the Caliph wished to create a structure which would compete with the existing buildings of other religions in the city. al­ Esperanto Maqdisi writes that he Euskara ”sought to build for the Muslims a masjid that should be unique and a wonder to the world. And in like manner, is it not evident that Caliph Abd al­Malik, ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ seeing the greatness of the martyrium of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and its magnificence was moved lest it should dazzle the minds of Muslims Français [4] 한국어 and hence erected above the Rock the dome which is now seen there.” Hrvatski Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein of the Hebrew University states that the Dome of the Rock was intended to Bahasa Indonesia remove the fitna, or 'annoyance,' constituted by the existence of the many fine buildings of worship of Italiano other religions. The very form of a rotunda, given to the Qubbat as­Sakhra, although it was foreign to תירבע [6] Македонски Islam, was intended to rival the many Christian domes. A.C. Cresswell in his book Origin of the Bahasa Melayu plan of the Dome of the Rock notes that those who built the shrine made use of the measurements Nederlands of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The diameter of the dome of the shrine is 20m 20cm and its 日本語 height 20m 48cm, while the diameter of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is 20m 90cm Norsk (bokmål) and its height 21m 5cm. Mark Crinson, a scholar of the architecture of imperialism, sees the Dome Polski of the Rock as the "archetypal missionary and imperial building (with) its exterior covered with Português decoration and inscriptions directed by the new Muslim rulers at the local Christian population."[7] Română Русский The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in Print from 1887. (Architect Frederick Simple English diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns. [3] Catherwood was the first westerner known to have Slovenščina Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. During his travels in made detailed drawings of the Dome of the Rock, Basa Sunda Jerusalem, Mark Twain wrote that: which he accomplished during a six­week period Suomi in 1833)[5] Svenska ”Every where about the Mosque of Omar are portions of pillars, curiously wrought altars, and fragments

of elegantly carved marble ­ precious remains of Solomon's Temple. These have been dug from all depths in the soil and rubbish of Mount Moriah, and Türkçe the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care.”[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 The outer side walls are made of porcelain [9] and mirror the octagonal design. They each measure approximately 60 feet (18 m) wide and 36 feet (11 m) high. Both the dome and the exterior walls contain many windows.[3]

The Dome [edit]

Exterior The Dome is in the shape of a Byzantine martyrium, a structure intended for the housing and veneration of saintly relics, and is an excellent example of middle Byzantine art. al­Maqdisi reports that surplus funds Exterior detail consisting of 100,000 gold dinar coins were melted down and cast on the dome's exterior, “which at the time had a strong glitter that no eye could look straight at it.” [10] During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent the exterior of the Dome of the Rock was covered with Iznik tiles. The work took seven years. Haj Amin Al­Husseini, The Dome of the Rock, in 1913. appointed Grand Mufti by the British, along with Yacoub Al Ghussein implemented restoration of Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In 1955 an extensive program of renovation was begun by the government of Jordan, with funds supplied by the Arab governments and Turkey. The work included replacement of large numbers of tiles dating back to the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, which had become dislodged by heavy rain. In 1960, as part of this restoration, the dome was covered with a durable aluminum and bronze alloy made in Italy. The restoration was completed in August 1964. In 1998 the golden dome covering was refurbished following a donation of $8.2 million by King Hussein of Jordan who sold one of his houses in London to fund the 80 kilograms of gold required. Interior The interior of the dome is lavishly decorated with mosaic, faience and marble, much of which was added several centuries after its completion. It also contains Qur'anic inscriptions. sura Ya­Seen is inscribed across the top of the tile work and was commissioned in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent. al­Isra is inscribed above this. According to Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein, the inscriptions decorating the interior clearly display a spirit of polemic against Christianity, while stressing at the same time the Qur'anic doctrine that Jesus Christ was a true prophet. The formula la sharika lahu 'God has no companion' is repeated five times, the verses from sura Maryam 16:34­37, which strongly deny Jesus' sonship to God, are quoted together with the remarkable prayer: Allahumma salli (with ya; read salli without ya) ala rasulika wa'abdika 'Isa bin Maryam ­ "In the name of the One God (Allah) Pray for your Prophet and Servant Jesus son of Mary". He believes that this shows that rivalry with Christendom, together with the spirit of Islamic mission to the Christians, was at the work at the creation of the famous Dome. [6]

History [edit]

Crusaders [edit] During the Crusades the Dome of the Rock was given to the Augustinians, who turned it into a church,

and the Al­Aqsa Mosque became the royal palace of Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1104. The Knights Templar, who believed the Dome of the Rock was the site of the Temple of Solomon, set up their headquarters in the Al­Aqsa Mosque adjacent to the Dome for much of the 12th century. The "Templum Domini," as they called it, was featured on the official seals of the Order's Grand Masters (such as Evrard de Barres and Regnaud de Vichier), and it became the architectural model for Templar churches across The Dome of the Rock featured on the Europe. Palestine Mandate banknote

Ayyubids and Mamluks [edit] Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin on Friday, 2 October 1187 and the Haram was reconsecrated as a Muslim sanctuary. The cross on top of the Dome of the Rock was replaced by a golden crescent and a wooden screen was placed around the rock below. Salah al­Din's nephew al­Malik al­ Mu'azzam Isa (615­24/1218­27) carried out other restorations within the Haram and added the porch to the Aqsa mosque. The Haram was the focus of extensive royal patronage by the sultans during the Mamluk period, which lasted from 1250 until 1510.

Ottoman Empire 1517 ­ 1917 [edit] Large­scale renovation was undertaken during the reign of Mahmud II in 1817. Adjacent to the Dome of the Rock, the Ottomans built the free­standing Dome of the Prophet in 1620.

British Mandate 1917 ­ 1948 [edit] The Dome of the Rock was badly shaken during an earthquake in Palestine on Monday, 11 July 1927 rendering useless many of the repairs that had taken place over previous years.

1948 to present [edit] Under Jordanian rule of Jerusalem, Jews were forbidden from entering the Old City. Israel took control of the Dome of Rock during its victory in the Six­Day War in 1967. According to a posthumously­published interview with Haaretz, General Uzi Narkiss reported that on June 7, 1967, a few hours after East Jerusalem fell into Israeli hands, Rabbi Shlomo Goren had told him "Now is the time to put 100 kilograms of explosives into the Mosque of Omar so that we may rid ourselves of it once and for all." His request was denied; according to Goren's aide Dome of the Rock viewed Menahem Hacohen, he had not suggested blowing up the mosque, but had merely stated that "if, during the through the Old City's Cotton Gate course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have – you know – disappeared – that would (Bab al­Qattanin) have been a good thing." Later that year, in a speech to a military convention, he added: "Certainly we should have blown it up. It is a tragedy for generations that we did not do so. […] I myself would have gone up there and wiped it off the ground completely so that there was no trace that there was ever a Mosque of Omar there."[11] Shlomo Goren also entered the Dome of the Rock with a Torah book and the shofar.[12] A few hours after the Israeli flag was hoisted over the Dome of the Rock in 1967, at the conclusion of the Six­Day War, Israelis lowered it on the orders of General Moshe Dayan, and invested the Muslim Waqf (religious trust) with the authority to manage the Temple Mount­Haram al­Sharif in order to "keep the peace".[13] Groups such as the Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael Faithful Movement wish to relocate the Dome to Mecca and replace it with a Third Temple. Since Muslims consider the ground under the Dome to be sacred this would be a highly contentious move, and would provoke violence. Many Israelis are ambivalent about the movement's wishes. Some religious Jews, following a rabbinic dictum, feel that the Temple should only be rebuilt in the messianic era, and that it would be presumptuous of people to force God's hand. However, some Evangelical Christians consider this a prerequisite to Armageddon and the Second Coming. This view is steeped in the belief that there will be a prophetic rebuilding of the Temple in place of the Dome of the Rock.

Accessibility [edit]

It is formally owned and maintained by the Ministry of Awaqaf in Jordan.[14] Until the mid­nineteenth century, non­Muslims were barred from the area. Since 1967, non­Muslims have been allowed some entry, but non­Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount are not allowed.[15] After Ariel Sharon, then opposition leader, visited the Temple Mount in 2000, in what was considered by some a provocative gesture that set off Muslim rioting, non­Muslims were forbidden to enter the Temple compound.[16] In 2006, the compound was reopened to non­Muslim visitors free of charge, between 7:30­11:30 a.m. and 1:30­ 2:30 p.m. during Summer and 7:30­10:30 a.m. and 1:30­2:30 p.m. during Winter. Non­muslims may never enter on Fridays, Saturdays, or Muslim holidays. Entry is through a covered wooden walkway next to the security entrance to the Western Wall known as the Mugrabi or Maimonides Gate. Entry to the mosques themselves is prohibited to non­Muslims, as is access to the Temple Mount through the Cotton Market. Visitors undergo strict security screening, and items such as Hebrew prayerbooks or musical instruments are not allowed. In addition to these restrictions put in place by the Muslim Council, many Orthodox rabbis regard entry to the Sign at visitors entrance to compound as a violation of Jewish law. This restriction is based on the belief that since the Temple was destroyed Temple Mount. centuries ago, the precise location of the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary that was only entered by the High Priest, is not known. Hence the restriction is applied to the entire compound. However, some rabbis believe that modern archeological and other evidence have enabled them to identify areas that can be safely entered without violating Jewish law. [17]

Religious significance [edit]

The Dome of the Rock, being among a complex of buildings on the Temple Mount, (the other being the Al­ Aqsa Mosque) is one of the holiest sites in Islam. Its significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock at its heart. According to Islamic tradition, the rock is the spot from where Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel. In Judaism the location of the stone is venerated as the holiest spot on Earth, the site of the Holy of Holies during the Temple Period. In Christianity it is believed that during

the time of the Byzantine Empire, the spot where the Dome was later constructed was where Constantine's mother built a small church, calling it the Church of St. Cyrus and St. John, later on enlarged and called the Church of the Holy Wisdom.[18] On the walls of the Dome of the Rock is an inscription in a mosaic frieze that includes the following words:

"Bless your envoy and your servant Jesus son of Mary and peace upon him on the day of birth and on the day of The Dome of the Rock illustrated death and on the day he is raised up again. It is a word of truth in which they doubt. It is not for God to take a son. Jewish religious works as early as the Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be, and it is."[1] 16th century

This appears to be the earliest extant citation (verses 3:45­47) from the Qur'an, with the date recorded as 72 after the Hijra (or 691­692 AD), which historians view as the year of the Dome's construction.[1]

The dome of the rock in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount

See also [edit]

Al­Aqsa Mosque Foundation Stone Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dome of the Rock Islamic architecture Temple Mount Well of Souls Dome of the Chain

Notes [edit]

1. ^ a b c Rizwi Faizer (1998). "The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem ". Rizwi's Bibliography for Medieval Islam. 2. ^ Abu­Bakr al­Wasiti, Fada'il Bayt al­Maqdis, pp. 80­81, vol 136 3. ^ a b c Encyclopædia Britannica: Dome of the Rock 4. ^ Shams al­Din al­Maqdisi, Ahsan al­Taqasim fi Mar'rifat al­Aqalim, 2nd ed. (Leiden, 1967) pp. 159­171 5. ^ ""Drawings of Islamic Buildings: Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem." " (html). Victoria and Albert Museum. "Until 1833 the Dome of the Rock had not been measured or drawn; according to Victor von Hagen, ‘no architect had ever sketched its architecture, no antiquarian had traced its interior design…’ On 13 November in that year, however, Frederick Catherwood dressed up as an Egyptian officer and accompanied by an Egyptian servant ‘of great courage and assurance’, entered the buildings of the mosque with his drawing materials … ‘During six weeks, I continued to investigate every part of the mosque and its precincts.’ Thus, Catherwood made the first complete survey of the Dome of the Rock, and paved the way for many other artists in subsequent years, such as William Harvey, Ernest Richmond and Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner." 6. ^ a b Goitein, Shlomo Dov; The Historication background of the erection of the Dome of the Rock, Journal of American Oriental Society, Vol. 70, No. 2, 1950 7. ^ Mark Crinson, Empire Building, Routledge,London, 1996, p.8 8. ^ Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, Chapter LIV 9. ^ Dome of the Rock, The . Glass Steel and Stone. 10. ^ Abu­Bakr al­Wasiti, Fada'il Bayt al­Maqdis, pp. 80­81, vol 136 11. ^ The Political Role Of The Israeli Chief Rabbinate In The Temple Mount Question by Yoel Cohen 12. ^ Photo of Shlomo Goren inside the Dome 13. ^ Letter from Jerusalem: A Fight Over Sacred Turf by Sandra Scham 14. ^ Hashemite Restorations of the Islamic Holy Places in Jerusalem ­ kinghussein.gov.jo ­ Retrieved January 21, 2008 15. ^ Jerusalem's Holy Places and the Peace Process Marshall J. Breger and Thomas A. Idinopulos, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1998. 16. ^ Eyewitness: Inside al­Aqsa (BBC) March 20, 2002 17. ^ http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/4839.html 18. ^ Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades, page 204

References [edit]

Peterson, Andrew (1994). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture. London: Routledge. ISBN 0­415­06084­2

External links [edit]

Dome of the Rock Sacred Destinations ­ includes photo tour Dome of the Rock Public Domain Photos Dome of the Rock AutoCAD release 14, CAD drawing, 1995 Dome of the Rock Bible places Dome of the Rock Interior picture Dome of the Rock Sacred sites Re­envisioning the Dome of the Rock The Hope Dome of the Rock from Jerusalem photos portal 16X zoomable panoramic view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives Site surrounding the controversy over the excavations made by the Waqf A vision for the Temple Mount Photo Gallery of the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 690s architecture | Jerusalem shrines | Knights Templar | Shrines | Domes | Octagonal buildings | Islam in Jerusalem

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 12:16. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Log in / create account article discussion edit this page history

Dome of the Rock Coordinates: 31.778, 35.2354 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Mosque of Omar. ­translit.: Masjid Qubbat As , ﺓﺮﺨﺼﻟﺍ ﺔﺒﻗ ﺪﺠﺴﻣ :The Dome of the Rock (Arabic navigation translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra) is , עלסה תפיכ :Sakhrah, Hebrew Main page an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Haram al­Sharif in Contents Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in Featured content [1] Current events the world. Random article Contents search 1 Location, construction and dimensions 1.1 The Dome

2 History Go Search 2.1 Crusaders interaction 2.2 Ayyubids and Mamluks 2.3 Ottoman Empire 1517 ­ 1917 About Wikipedia Community portal 2.4 British Mandate 1917 ­ 1948 Recent changes 2.5 1948 to present The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount Contact Wikipedia 3 Accessibility Donate to Wikipedia 4 Religious significance Help 5 See also toolbox 6 Notes What links here 7 References Related changes 8 External links Upload file Special pages Location, construction and dimensions [edit] Printable version ;Har haBayit – תִיַבַּה רַה ,Permanent link The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient man­made platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew Cite this page literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jews and the Haram al­Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the languages rule of Herod the Great, is the site of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In 637 CE, Македонски Jerusalem was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate army during the Islamic invasion of the Byzantine Empire. The Dome of the Rock was erected between 685 and 691 CE. The names of the two engineers in charge of the project are given as: Yazid Ibn Salam ﺔﻴﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍ Česky from Jerusalem and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Umayyad Caliph Abd al­Malik ibn Marwan who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it Dansk would “house the Muslims from cold and heat” [2] and intended the building to serve as a shrine for pilgrims and not as a mosque for public worship. Deutsch [3] Español Historians contend that the Caliph wished to create a structure which would compete with the existing buildings of other religions in the city. al­ Esperanto Maqdisi writes that he Euskara ”sought to build for the Muslims a masjid that should be unique and a wonder to the world. And in like manner, is it not evident that Caliph Abd al­Malik, ﯽﺳﺭﺎﻓ seeing the greatness of the martyrium of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and its magnificence was moved lest it should dazzle the minds of Muslims Français [4] 한국어 and hence erected above the Rock the dome which is now seen there.” Hrvatski Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein of the Hebrew University states that the Dome of the Rock was intended to Bahasa Indonesia remove the fitna, or 'annoyance,' constituted by the existence of the many fine buildings of worship of Italiano other religions. The very form of a rotunda, given to the Qubbat as­Sakhra, although it was foreign to תירבע [6] Македонски Islam, was intended to rival the many Christian domes. A.C. Cresswell in his book Origin of the Bahasa Melayu plan of the Dome of the Rock notes that those who built the shrine made use of the measurements Nederlands of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The diameter of the dome of the shrine is 20m 20cm and its 日本語 height 20m 48cm, while the diameter of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is 20m 90cm Norsk (bokmål) and its height 21m 5cm. Mark Crinson, a scholar of the architecture of imperialism, sees the Dome Polski of the Rock as the "archetypal missionary and imperial building (with) its exterior covered with Português decoration and inscriptions directed by the new Muslim rulers at the local Christian population."[7] Română Русский The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in Print from 1887. (Architect Frederick Simple English diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns. [3] Catherwood was the first westerner known to have Slovenščina Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. During his travels in made detailed drawings of the Dome of the Rock, Basa Sunda Jerusalem, Mark Twain wrote that: which he accomplished during a six­week period Suomi in 1833)[5] Svenska ”Every where about the Mosque of Omar are portions of pillars, curiously wrought altars, and fragments

of elegantly carved marble ­ precious remains of Solomon's Temple. These have been dug from all depths in the soil and rubbish of Mount Moriah, and Türkçe the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care.”[8] ﻭﺩﺭﺍ 中文 The outer side walls are made of porcelain [9] and mirror the octagonal design. They each measure approximately 60 feet (18 m) wide and 36 feet (11 m) high. Both the dome and the exterior walls contain many windows.[3]

The Dome [edit]

Exterior The Dome is in the shape of a Byzantine martyrium, a structure intended for the housing and veneration of saintly relics, and is an excellent example of middle Byzantine art. al­Maqdisi reports that surplus funds Exterior detail consisting of 100,000 gold dinar coins were melted down and cast on the dome's exterior, “which at the time had a strong glitter that no eye could look straight at it.” [10] During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent the exterior of the Dome of the Rock was covered with Iznik tiles. The work took seven years. Haj Amin Al­Husseini, The Dome of the Rock, in 1913. appointed Grand Mufti by the British, along with Yacoub Al Ghussein implemented restoration of Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In 1955 an extensive program of renovation was begun by the government of Jordan, with funds supplied by the Arab governments and Turkey. The work included replacement of large numbers of tiles dating back to the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, which had become dislodged by heavy rain. In 1960, as part of this restoration, the dome was covered with a durable aluminum and bronze alloy made in Italy. The restoration was completed in August 1964. In 1998 the golden dome covering was refurbished following a donation of $8.2 million by King Hussein of Jordan who sold one of his houses in London to fund the 80 kilograms of gold required. Interior The interior of the dome is lavishly decorated with mosaic, faience and marble, much of which was added several centuries after its completion. It also contains Qur'anic inscriptions. sura Ya­Seen is inscribed across the top of the tile work and was commissioned in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent. al­Isra is inscribed above this. According to Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein, the inscriptions decorating the interior clearly display a spirit of polemic against Christianity, while stressing at the same time the Qur'anic doctrine that Jesus Christ was a true prophet. The formula la sharika lahu 'God has no companion' is repeated five times, the verses from sura Maryam 16:34­37, which strongly deny Jesus' sonship to God, are quoted together with the remarkable prayer: Allahumma salli (with ya; read salli without ya) ala rasulika wa'abdika 'Isa bin Maryam ­ "In the name of the One God (Allah) Pray for your Prophet and Servant Jesus son of Mary". He believes that this shows that rivalry with Christendom, together with the spirit of Islamic mission to the Christians, was at the work at the creation of the famous Dome. [6]

History [edit]

Crusaders [edit] During the Crusades the Dome of the Rock was given to the Augustinians, who turned it into a church,

and the Al­Aqsa Mosque became the royal palace of Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1104. The Knights Templar, who believed the Dome of the Rock was the site of the Temple of Solomon, set up their headquarters in the Al­Aqsa Mosque adjacent to the Dome for much of the 12th century. The "Templum Domini," as they called it, was featured on the official seals of the Order's Grand Masters (such as Evrard de Barres and Regnaud de Vichier), and it became the architectural model for Templar churches across The Dome of the Rock featured on the Europe. Palestine Mandate banknote

Ayyubids and Mamluks [edit] Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin on Friday, 2 October 1187 and the Haram was reconsecrated as a Muslim sanctuary. The cross on top of the Dome of the Rock was replaced by a golden crescent and a wooden screen was placed around the rock below. Salah al­Din's nephew al­Malik al­ Mu'azzam Isa (615­24/1218­27) carried out other restorations within the Haram and added the porch to the Aqsa mosque. The Haram was the focus of extensive royal patronage by the sultans during the Mamluk period, which lasted from 1250 until 1510.

Ottoman Empire 1517 ­ 1917 [edit] Large­scale renovation was undertaken during the reign of Mahmud II in 1817. Adjacent to the Dome of the Rock, the Ottomans built the free­standing Dome of the Prophet in 1620.

British Mandate 1917 ­ 1948 [edit] The Dome of the Rock was badly shaken during an earthquake in Palestine on Monday, 11 July 1927 rendering useless many of the repairs that had taken place over previous years.

1948 to present [edit] Under Jordanian rule of Jerusalem, Jews were forbidden from entering the Old City. Israel took control of the Dome of Rock during its victory in the Six­Day War in 1967. According to a posthumously­published interview with Haaretz, General Uzi Narkiss reported that on June 7, 1967, a few hours after East Jerusalem fell into Israeli hands, Rabbi Shlomo Goren had told him "Now is the time to put 100 kilograms of explosives into the Mosque of Omar so that we may rid ourselves of it once and for all." His request was denied; according to Goren's aide Dome of the Rock viewed Menahem Hacohen, he had not suggested blowing up the mosque, but had merely stated that "if, during the through the Old City's Cotton Gate course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have – you know – disappeared – that would (Bab al­Qattanin) have been a good thing." Later that year, in a speech to a military convention, he added: "Certainly we should have blown it up. It is a tragedy for generations that we did not do so. […] I myself would have gone up there and wiped it off the ground completely so that there was no trace that there was ever a Mosque of Omar there."[11] Shlomo Goren also entered the Dome of the Rock with a Torah book and the shofar.[12] A few hours after the Israeli flag was hoisted over the Dome of the Rock in 1967, at the conclusion of the Six­Day War, Israelis lowered it on the orders of General Moshe Dayan, and invested the Muslim Waqf (religious trust) with the authority to manage the Temple Mount­Haram al­Sharif in order to "keep the peace".[13] Groups such as the Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael Faithful Movement wish to relocate the Dome to Mecca and replace it with a Third Temple. Since Muslims consider the ground under the Dome to be sacred this would be a highly contentious move, and would provoke violence. Many Israelis are ambivalent about the movement's wishes. Some religious Jews, following a rabbinic dictum, feel that the Temple should only be rebuilt in the messianic era, and that it would be presumptuous of people to force God's hand. However, some Evangelical Christians consider this a prerequisite to Armageddon and the Second Coming. This view is steeped in the belief that there will be a prophetic rebuilding of the Temple in place of the Dome of the Rock.

Accessibility [edit]

It is formally owned and maintained by the Ministry of Awaqaf in Jordan.[14] Until the mid­nineteenth century, non­Muslims were barred from the area. Since 1967, non­Muslims have been allowed some entry, but non­Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount are not allowed.[15] After Ariel Sharon, then opposition leader, visited the Temple Mount in 2000, in what was considered by some a provocative gesture that set off Muslim rioting, non­Muslims were forbidden to enter the Temple compound.[16] In 2006, the compound was reopened to non­Muslim visitors free of charge, between 7:30­11:30 a.m. and 1:30­ 2:30 p.m. during Summer and 7:30­10:30 a.m. and 1:30­2:30 p.m. during Winter. Non­muslims may never enter on Fridays, Saturdays, or Muslim holidays. Entry is through a covered wooden walkway next to the security entrance to the Western Wall known as the Mugrabi or Maimonides Gate. Entry to the mosques themselves is prohibited to non­Muslims, as is access to the Temple Mount through the Cotton Market. Visitors undergo strict security screening, and items such as Hebrew prayerbooks or musical instruments are not allowed. In addition to these restrictions put in place by the Muslim Council, many Orthodox rabbis regard entry to the Sign at visitors entrance to compound as a violation of Jewish law. This restriction is based on the belief that since the Temple was destroyed Temple Mount. centuries ago, the precise location of the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary that was only entered by the High Priest, is not known. Hence the restriction is applied to the entire compound. However, some rabbis believe that modern archeological and other evidence have enabled them to identify areas that can be safely entered without violating Jewish law. [17]

Religious significance [edit]

The Dome of the Rock, being among a complex of buildings on the Temple Mount, (the other being the Al­ Aqsa Mosque) is one of the holiest sites in Islam. Its significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock at its heart. According to Islamic tradition, the rock is the spot from where Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel. In Judaism the location of the stone is venerated as the holiest spot on Earth, the site of the Holy of Holies during the Temple Period. In Christianity it is believed that during

the time of the Byzantine Empire, the spot where the Dome was later constructed was where Constantine's mother built a small church, calling it the Church of St. Cyrus and St. John, later on enlarged and called the Church of the Holy Wisdom.[18] On the walls of the Dome of the Rock is an inscription in a mosaic frieze that includes the following words:

"Bless your envoy and your servant Jesus son of Mary and peace upon him on the day of birth and on the day of The Dome of the Rock illustrated death and on the day he is raised up again. It is a word of truth in which they doubt. It is not for God to take a son. Jewish religious works as early as the Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be, and it is."[1] 16th century

This appears to be the earliest extant citation (verses 3:45­47) from the Qur'an, with the date recorded as 72 after the Hijra (or 691­692 AD), which historians view as the year of the Dome's construction.[1]

The dome of the rock in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount

See also [edit]

Al­Aqsa Mosque Foundation Stone Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dome of the Rock Islamic architecture Temple Mount Well of Souls Dome of the Chain

Notes [edit]

1. ^ a b c Rizwi Faizer (1998). "The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem ". Rizwi's Bibliography for Medieval Islam. 2. ^ Abu­Bakr al­Wasiti, Fada'il Bayt al­Maqdis, pp. 80­81, vol 136 3. ^ a b c Encyclopædia Britannica: Dome of the Rock 4. ^ Shams al­Din al­Maqdisi, Ahsan al­Taqasim fi Mar'rifat al­Aqalim, 2nd ed. (Leiden, 1967) pp. 159­171 5. ^ ""Drawings of Islamic Buildings: Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem." " (html). Victoria and Albert Museum. "Until 1833 the Dome of the Rock had not been measured or drawn; according to Victor von Hagen, ‘no architect had ever sketched its architecture, no antiquarian had traced its interior design…’ On 13 November in that year, however, Frederick Catherwood dressed up as an Egyptian officer and accompanied by an Egyptian servant ‘of great courage and assurance’, entered the buildings of the mosque with his drawing materials … ‘During six weeks, I continued to investigate every part of the mosque and its precincts.’ Thus, Catherwood made the first complete survey of the Dome of the Rock, and paved the way for many other artists in subsequent years, such as William Harvey, Ernest Richmond and Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner." 6. ^ a b Goitein, Shlomo Dov; The Historication background of the erection of the Dome of the Rock, Journal of American Oriental Society, Vol. 70, No. 2, 1950 7. ^ Mark Crinson, Empire Building, Routledge,London, 1996, p.8 8. ^ Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, Chapter LIV 9. ^ Dome of the Rock, The . Glass Steel and Stone. 10. ^ Abu­Bakr al­Wasiti, Fada'il Bayt al­Maqdis, pp. 80­81, vol 136 11. ^ The Political Role Of The Israeli Chief Rabbinate In The Temple Mount Question by Yoel Cohen 12. ^ Photo of Shlomo Goren inside the Dome 13. ^ Letter from Jerusalem: A Fight Over Sacred Turf by Sandra Scham 14. ^ Hashemite Restorations of the Islamic Holy Places in Jerusalem ­ kinghussein.gov.jo ­ Retrieved January 21, 2008 15. ^ Jerusalem's Holy Places and the Peace Process Marshall J. Breger and Thomas A. Idinopulos, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1998. 16. ^ Eyewitness: Inside al­Aqsa (BBC) March 20, 2002 17. ^ http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/4839.html 18. ^ Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades, page 204

References [edit]

Peterson, Andrew (1994). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture. London: Routledge. ISBN 0­415­06084­2

External links [edit]

Dome of the Rock Sacred Destinations ­ includes photo tour Dome of the Rock Public Domain Photos Dome of the Rock AutoCAD release 14, CAD drawing, 1995 Dome of the Rock Bible places Dome of the Rock Interior picture Dome of the Rock Sacred sites Re­envisioning the Dome of the Rock The Hope Dome of the Rock from Jerusalem photos portal 16X zoomable panoramic view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives Site surrounding the controversy over the excavations made by the Waqf A vision for the Temple Mount Photo Gallery of the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock

v • d • e Islamic structures on the Temple Mount

Mosques al­Aqsa Mosque • Station of al­Buraq • Solomon's Stables Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of al­Khidr • Dome of al­Khalili • Dome of Moses • Domes Dome of the Muezzin • Dome of al­Nahawiyyah Dome of the Prophet • Dome of the Rock • Dome of Solomon • Dome of the Spirits • Dome of Yusuf • Dome of Yusuf Agha Fountain of Ibrahim al­Rumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan • Fountains Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran al­Din

Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 690s architecture | Jerusalem shrines | Knights Templar | Shrines | Domes | Octagonal buildings | Islam in Jerusalem

This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 12:16. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax­deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers