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Temple in Jerusalem From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: שדקמה תיב, Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to
a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two
temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical
Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.
"shechina") in the physical world.
The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960
BCE. [1] It was the center of ancient Judaism.[2] 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
the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed
520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra,
rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later,
this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the
Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple
itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was
the only wall standing.
An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and
the alAqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard.
Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of
The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple.
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]
Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4]
Etymology
The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House",
and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a
variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply
Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House).
The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by
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
used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver,
bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant,
and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man
could worship the God of Israel.
The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members
of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon.
Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the
tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah,
Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The
second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile
by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn
apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.
First and Second Temples
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]
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
sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.
Building a Third Temple
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
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
perform offerings[8]
Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments
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
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
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 Temple as the Garden of Eden
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
Main article: Jewish services
As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part
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
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
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
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
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
Kaufman).
The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph
Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007).
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
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
transcribed םנהכ שדק ה...יבל (Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the ה he remain.)
The following restoration of missing letters was proposed: םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל
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
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
Great Jewish Revolt
Siege of Jerusalem
Leontopolis
References
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
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
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)
Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount
Part of a series of articles on
Jews and Judaism
Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture
v • d • e
Contents
1 Etymology
2 First and Second Temples
3 Building a Third Temple
4 Physical layout
5 The Temple in the writings of the prophets
6 Temple services
7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden
8 Role in Jewish services
8.1 Orthodox Judaism
8.2 Conservative Judaism
8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism
9 Archaeological evidence
9.1 2004 artifact controversy
10 The Temple in Islam
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
14 Further reading
[edit]
A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of
Ezekiel 4047
[edit]
A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of
the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome.
[edit]
[edit]
Excavated steps on the South side of the
Temple Mount
[edit]
[edit]
“ 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
[edit]
El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the
descriptions of Solomon's temple. [9]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the
Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the
southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of
the Second Temple.
[edit]
[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)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
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Temple in Jerusalem From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: שדקמה תיב, Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to
a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two
temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical
Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.
"shechina") in the physical world.
The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960
BCE. [1] It was the center of ancient Judaism.[2] 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
the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed
520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra,
rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later,
this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the
Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple
itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was
the only wall standing.
An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and
the alAqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard.
Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of
The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple.
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]
Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4]
Etymology
The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House",
and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a
variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply
Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House).
The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by
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
used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver,
bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant,
and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man
could worship the God of Israel.
The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members
of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon.
Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the
tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah,
Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The
second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile
by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn
apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.
First and Second Temples
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]
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
sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.
Building a Third Temple
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
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
perform offerings[8]
Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments
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
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
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 Temple as the Garden of Eden
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
Main article: Jewish services
As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part
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
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
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
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
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
Kaufman).
The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph
Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007).
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
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
transcribed םנהכ שדק ה...יבל (Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the ה he remain.)
The following restoration of missing letters was proposed: םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל
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
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
Great Jewish Revolt
Siege of Jerusalem
Leontopolis
References
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
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
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)
Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount
Part of a series of articles on
Jews and Judaism
Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture
v • d • e
Contents
1 Etymology
2 First and Second Temples
3 Building a Third Temple
4 Physical layout
5 The Temple in the writings of the prophets
6 Temple services
7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden
8 Role in Jewish services
8.1 Orthodox Judaism
8.2 Conservative Judaism
8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism
9 Archaeological evidence
9.1 2004 artifact controversy
10 The Temple in Islam
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
14 Further reading
[edit]
A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of
Ezekiel 4047
[edit]
A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of
the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome.
[edit]
[edit]
Excavated steps on the South side of the
Temple Mount
[edit]
[edit]
“ 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
[edit]
El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the
descriptions of Solomon's temple. [9]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the
Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the
southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of
the Second Temple.
[edit]
[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)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
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Temple in Jerusalem From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: שדקמה תיב, Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to
a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two
temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical
Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.
"shechina") in the physical world.
The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960
BCE. [1] It was the center of ancient Judaism.[2] 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
the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed
520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra,
rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later,
this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the
Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple
itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was
the only wall standing.
An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and
the alAqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard.
Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of
The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple.
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]
Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4]
Etymology
The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House",
and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a
variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply
Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House).
The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by
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
used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver,
bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant,
and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man
could worship the God of Israel.
The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members
of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon.
Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the
tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah,
Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The
second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile
by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn
apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.
First and Second Temples
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]
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
sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.
Building a Third Temple
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
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
perform offerings[8]
Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments
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
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
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 Temple as the Garden of Eden
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
Main article: Jewish services
As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part
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
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
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
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
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
Kaufman).
The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph
Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007).
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
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
transcribed םנהכ שדק ה...יבל (Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the ה he remain.)
The following restoration of missing letters was proposed: םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל
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
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
Great Jewish Revolt
Siege of Jerusalem
Leontopolis
References
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
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
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)
Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount
Part of a series of articles on
Jews and Judaism
Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture
v • d • e
Contents
1 Etymology
2 First and Second Temples
3 Building a Third Temple
4 Physical layout
5 The Temple in the writings of the prophets
6 Temple services
7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden
8 Role in Jewish services
8.1 Orthodox Judaism
8.2 Conservative Judaism
8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism
9 Archaeological evidence
9.1 2004 artifact controversy
10 The Temple in Islam
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
14 Further reading
[edit]
A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of
Ezekiel 4047
[edit]
A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of
the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome.
[edit]
[edit]
Excavated steps on the South side of the
Temple Mount
[edit]
[edit]
“ 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
[edit]
El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the
descriptions of Solomon's temple. [9]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the
Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the
southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of
the Second Temple.
[edit]
[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)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Jews and Judaismv • d • e
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Temple in Jerusalem From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: שדקמה תיב, Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to
a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two
temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical
Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.
"shechina") in the physical world.
The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960
BCE. [1] It was the center of ancient Judaism.[2] 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
the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed
520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra,
rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later,
this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the
Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple
itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was
the only wall standing.
An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and
the alAqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard.
Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of
The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple.
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]
Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4]
Etymology
The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House",
and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a
variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply
Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House).
The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by
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
used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver,
bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant,
and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man
could worship the God of Israel.
The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members
of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon.
Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the
tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah,
Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The
second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile
by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn
apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.
First and Second Temples
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]
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
sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.
Building a Third Temple
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
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
perform offerings[8]
Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments
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
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
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 Temple as the Garden of Eden
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
Main article: Jewish services
As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part
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
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
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
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
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
Kaufman).
The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph
Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007).
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
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
transcribed םנהכ שדק ה...יבל (Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the ה he remain.)
The following restoration of missing letters was proposed: םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל
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
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
Great Jewish Revolt
Siege of Jerusalem
Leontopolis
References
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
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
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)
Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount
Part of a series of articles on
Jews and Judaism
Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture
v • d • e
Contents
1 Etymology
2 First and Second Temples
3 Building a Third Temple
4 Physical layout
5 The Temple in the writings of the prophets
6 Temple services
7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden
8 Role in Jewish services
8.1 Orthodox Judaism
8.2 Conservative Judaism
8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism
9 Archaeological evidence
9.1 2004 artifact controversy
10 The Temple in Islam
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
14 Further reading
[edit]
A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of
Ezekiel 4047
[edit]
A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of
the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome.
[edit]
[edit]
Excavated steps on the South side of the
Temple Mount
[edit]
[edit]
“ 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
[edit]
El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the
descriptions of Solomon's temple. [9]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the
Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the
southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of
the Second Temple.
[edit]
[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)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Jews and Judaismv • d • e
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Temple in Jerusalem From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: שדקמה תיב, Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to
a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two
temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical
Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.
"shechina") in the physical world.
The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960
BCE. [1] It was the center of ancient Judaism.[2] 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
the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed
520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra,
rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later,
this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the
Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple
itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was
the only wall standing.
An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and
the alAqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard.
Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of
The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple.
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]
Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4]
Etymology
The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House",
and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a
variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply
Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House).
The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by
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
used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver,
bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant,
and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man
could worship the God of Israel.
The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members
of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon.
Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the
tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah,
Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The
second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile
by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn
apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.
First and Second Temples
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]
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
sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.
Building a Third Temple
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
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
perform offerings[8]
Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments
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
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
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 Temple as the Garden of Eden
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
Main article: Jewish services
As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part
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
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
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
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
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
Kaufman).
The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph
Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007).
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
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
transcribed םנהכ שדק ה...יבל (Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the ה he remain.)
The following restoration of missing letters was proposed: םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל
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
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
Great Jewish Revolt
Siege of Jerusalem
Leontopolis
References
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
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
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)
Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount
Part of a series of articles on
Jews and Judaism
Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture
v • d • e
Contents
1 Etymology
2 First and Second Temples
3 Building a Third Temple
4 Physical layout
5 The Temple in the writings of the prophets
6 Temple services
7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden
8 Role in Jewish services
8.1 Orthodox Judaism
8.2 Conservative Judaism
8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism
9 Archaeological evidence
9.1 2004 artifact controversy
10 The Temple in Islam
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
14 Further reading
[edit]
A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of
Ezekiel 4047
[edit]
A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of
the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome.
[edit]
[edit]
Excavated steps on the South side of the
Temple Mount
[edit]
[edit]
“ 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
[edit]
El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the
descriptions of Solomon's temple. [9]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the
Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the
southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of
the Second Temple.
[edit]
[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)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Jews and Judaismv • d • e
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Temple in Jerusalem From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: שדקמה תיב, Bet HaMikdash ; "The Holy House"), refers to
a series of structures located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two
temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical
Jewish belief, the Temple (or the Temple Mount) acts as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence (Heb.
"shechina") in the physical world.
The First Temple was built by King Solomon in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960
BCE. [1] It was the center of ancient Judaism.[2] 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
the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Construction of a new temple was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed
520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra,
rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. Five centuries later,
this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. It was subsequently destroyed by the
Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). All of the outer walls still stand, although the Temple
itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was
the only wall standing.
An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and
the alAqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard.
Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of
The Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism anticipate a Third Temple.
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]
Then, in October 2007, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of First Temple artifacts.[4]
Etymology
The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House",
and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name. The temple is also called by a
variety of other names in the Hebrew Bible, such as Beit Adonai (House of God) or simply
Beiti (My house) or Beitechah (Your House).
The Temple of Solomon was constructed based on specific plans given to King David, by
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
used in the construction, from the wood, to the huge foundation stones, to the gold, silver,
bronze and other metals used. The Temple was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant,
and to serve all nations, particularly the Hebrew nation of Israel, as a place where any man
could worship the God of Israel.
The First Temple, referred to as the Temple of Solomon, was likely constructed by members
of all 12 tribes of Israel, since all the tribes were united under David and then Solomon.
Following Solomon's reign, his son Rehoboam, due to his arrogance, caused 10 of the
tribes of Israel split off to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the tribes of Judah,
Benjamin and much of Levi, remained in what was known as the Kingdom of Judah. The
second temple was subsequently built by the remnant of Judah only who were taken in exile
by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BCE The other 10 tribes had already been dispersed a few centuries earlier, when their kingdom was torn
apart by the Kingdom of Assyria.
First and Second Temples
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]
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
sanctuary in Jerusalem, but this project failed.
Building a Third Temple
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
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
perform offerings[8]
Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments
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
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
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 Temple as the Garden of Eden
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
Main article: Jewish services
As noted above, the heart of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part
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
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
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
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
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
Kaufman).
The Temple was located a little to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph
Patrich of the Hebrew University. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007).
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
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
transcribed םנהכ שדק ה...יבל (Only the lower horizontal stroke of the yod and the upper horizontal stroke of the ה he remain.)
The following restoration of missing letters was proposed: םנהכ שדק הוהי תיבל
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
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
Great Jewish Revolt
Siege of Jerusalem
Leontopolis
References
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
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
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)
Categories: Christian cosmology | Christian eschatology | Jewish history | Jewish theology | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples | Temple Mount
Part of a series of articles on
Jews and Judaism
Who is a Jew? ∙ Etymology ∙ Culture
v • d • e
Contents
1 Etymology
2 First and Second Temples
3 Building a Third Temple
4 Physical layout
5 The Temple in the writings of the prophets
6 Temple services
7 The Temple as the Garden of Eden
8 Role in Jewish services
8.1 Orthodox Judaism
8.2 Conservative Judaism
8.3 Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism
9 Archaeological evidence
9.1 2004 artifact controversy
10 The Temple in Islam
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
14 Further reading
[edit]
A drawing of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple from the Book of
Ezekiel 4047
[edit]
A model of Herod's Temple adjacent to the Shrine of
the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome.
[edit]
[edit]
Excavated steps on the South side of the
Temple Mount
[edit]
[edit]
“ 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
[edit]
El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the
descriptions of Solomon's temple. [9]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
A stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the
Trumpeting Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the
southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of
the Second Temple.
[edit]
[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)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Jews and Judaismv • d • e
DenominationsSchisms ∙ IntraJewish relations ∙ Orthodox ∙ (Haredi ∙ Hasidic ∙ Modern Orthodox) ∙ Conservative ∙ Reform ∙ Reconstructionist ∙ Jewish Renewal ∙
Rabbinic ∙ Karaite ∙ Samaritan ∙ Humanistic
PhilosophyPrinciples of faith ∙ Chosen people ∙ Eschatology ∙ Ethics ∙ Halakha ∙ Holocaust theology ∙ Kabbalah ∙ Kashrut ∙ Messianism ∙ Minyan ∙
Mussar Movement ∙ Names of God ∙ Seven Laws of Noah ∙ Tzedakah ∙ Tzniut
Religious textsTanakh (Torah ∙ Nevi'im ∙ Ketuvim) ∙ Arba'ah Turim ∙ Chumash ∙ Kuzari ∙ Midrash ∙ Mishnah Berurah ∙ Mishneh Torah ∙ Piyyut ∙ Rabbinic works ∙
Shulchan Aruch ∙ Siddur ∙ Talmud ∙ Tosefta ∙ Zohar
Jewish leadership
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 ∙
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
Life and cultureWho is a Jew? ∙ Bar and Bat Mitzvah ∙ Bereavement ∙ Brit milah ∙ Etymology of the word Jew ∙ Marriage ∙ Wedding ∙ Niddah ∙ Pidyon HaBen ∙
Secular Jewish culture ∙ Hiloni ∙ Shidduch ∙ Zeved habat
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AlAqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses see alAqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.
AlAqsa Mosque (Arabic:ىصقالا دجسملا, [IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, alMasjid alAqsa (help ∙info ) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as alAqsa, is an
Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the alHaram
ashSharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and
considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in
Jerusalem once stood. [2][3] Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred
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,
when he turned towards the Ka'aba.[5]
The alAqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar,
but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd alMalik and finished by his son al
Walid in 705 CE. [6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph alMansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor alMahdi in
780. Another earthquake destroyed most of alAqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid
caliph Ali azZahir built another mosque which has stood to the presentday. During the
periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate
constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar,
minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they
used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its
recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later
centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the
Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the
Palestinianled Islamic waqf.
Etymology
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
up to Heaven on a flying horse called alBuraq alSharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca." [8]
History
Preconstruction
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
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 reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is
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
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]
In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali azZahir rebuilt
and completely renovated the mosque between 103436. The number of naves was drastically reduced from
fifteen to seven.[15] AzZahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the 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,
several repairs were undertaken at alAqsa Mosque. [20] Saladin's predecessor — the Zengid sultan Nur alDin — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or
"pulpit" of ivory and wood in 116869 but it was completed after his death; Nur adDin's
minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. [21] The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, alMu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in
1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under alKamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to
the mosque's eastern side.[15]
After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations
or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This
included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool
of Raranj, and the building of the three freestanding domes — the most notable being
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
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
were decorated with greentinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A
quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and
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 alAqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971,
which brought together dozens of Islamic countries.[26]
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
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
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
assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that
uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]
Minarets
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]
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
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
covering with tiles. [15] 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
during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew alMu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217.[15]
Interior
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
of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively
designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order,[33] and 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 mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44]
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
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
monumental structure. [38]
Religious significance
Islam
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
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
their prayers. [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5]
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,
upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab alAhbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with
him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. AlAhbar suggested to him that it
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
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
from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the alAqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in
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
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
Administration
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
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
Main article: AlAqsa Intifada
On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited
the alAqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party
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
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
Islamic architecture
List of mosques
Mosque of Omar
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Masjid anNabawi
Palestinian nationalism
References
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22. a b AlAqsa Guide Friends of AlAqsa 2007.
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25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (19700112). Retrieved on 3 July 2008.
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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.115117. 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 .
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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.
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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.
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81. ^ Friedman, Matti (20071014). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.
External links
Noble Sanctuary: AlAqsa Mosque
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.
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
alAqsa Mosque
Masjid alAqsa
Eastern view of the alAqsa Mosque and the Fakhariyyah Minaret
Basic information
Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Geographic
coordinates
31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E
Religious
affiliation
Islam
District Old City
Ecclesiastical
status
Mosque
Leadership Waqf
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural
style
Early Islamic
Direction of
facade
north
Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction)
1033 CE (Second construction)
Year completed 705 CE (First construction)
1035 CE (Second construction)
Specifications
Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000
(precincts) [1]
Length 83 meters (272 ft)
Width 56 meters (184 ft)
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 4
Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest
minaret)
Materials Limestone (external walls,
minaret, facade) stalactite
(minaret), lead (dome), white
marble (interior columns)
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Preconstruction
2.2 Construction
2.3 Later constructions
2.4 Modern era
3 Architecture
3.1 Dome
3.2 Minarets
3.3 Facade and porch
3.4 Interior
3.5 Ablution fountain
4 Religious significance
4.1 Islam
4.1.1 First qibla
4.1.2 Third holiest site
4.2 Judaism
5 Current situations
5.1 Administration
5.2 Access
5.3 AlAqsa Intifada
5.4 Excavations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
The mosque along the southern
wall of the Temple Mount
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque were constructed and
expanded by the Fatimids, the
Crusaders, the Mamluks and the
Ayyubids
The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the
city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area
by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this
gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq),
each of which has nineandtwenty marble pillars, whose
capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set
in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of
masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is
constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These
colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah.
Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E.
(Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19]
[edit]
The dome of the mosque in 1982.
It was made of aluminum, but
replaced with its original lead plating
in 1983
The mosque seen from the
former area of the Moroccan
Quarter, 1991
[edit]
[edit]
The silvercolored dome consists
of lead sheeting
[edit]
General view of the Ghawanima
Minaret, 1900
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the central naves and
columns
The doors of the Saladin Minbar,
early 1900s
[edit]
The alKas ablution fountain
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the mihrab , indicating the
qibla
[edit]
An exterior view of the mosque,
1856
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign in Hebrew and English
outside the Temple Mount warning
Jews not to enter the mosque
compound
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AlAqsa Mosque
Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territoriesv • d • e
IsraelHassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • alMuallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque •
White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)
East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • alAqsa Mosque • AlKhanqah alSalahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar
West BankGreat Mosque of Nablus • alHamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • alKhadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque •
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
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
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AlAqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses see alAqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.
AlAqsa Mosque (Arabic:ىصقالا دجسملا, [IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, alMasjid alAqsa (help ∙info ) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as alAqsa, is an
Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the alHaram
ashSharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and
considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in
Jerusalem once stood. [2][3] Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred
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,
when he turned towards the Ka'aba.[5]
The alAqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar,
but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd alMalik and finished by his son al
Walid in 705 CE. [6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph alMansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor alMahdi in
780. Another earthquake destroyed most of alAqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid
caliph Ali azZahir built another mosque which has stood to the presentday. During the
periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate
constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar,
minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they
used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its
recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later
centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the
Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the
Palestinianled Islamic waqf.
Etymology
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
up to Heaven on a flying horse called alBuraq alSharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca." [8]
History
Preconstruction
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
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 reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is
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
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]
In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali azZahir rebuilt
and completely renovated the mosque between 103436. The number of naves was drastically reduced from
fifteen to seven.[15] AzZahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the 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,
several repairs were undertaken at alAqsa Mosque. [20] Saladin's predecessor — the Zengid sultan Nur alDin — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or
"pulpit" of ivory and wood in 116869 but it was completed after his death; Nur adDin's
minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. [21] The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, alMu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in
1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under alKamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to
the mosque's eastern side.[15]
After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations
or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This
included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool
of Raranj, and the building of the three freestanding domes — the most notable being
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
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
were decorated with greentinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A
quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and
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 alAqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971,
which brought together dozens of Islamic countries.[26]
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
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
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
assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that
uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]
Minarets
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]
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
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
covering with tiles. [15] 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
during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew alMu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217.[15]
Interior
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
of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively
designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order,[33] and 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 mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44]
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
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
monumental structure. [38]
Religious significance
Islam
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
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
their prayers. [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5]
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,
upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab alAhbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with
him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. AlAhbar suggested to him that it
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
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
from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the alAqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in
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
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
Administration
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
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
Main article: AlAqsa Intifada
On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited
the alAqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party
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
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
Islamic architecture
List of mosques
Mosque of Omar
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Masjid anNabawi
Palestinian nationalism
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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
Noble Sanctuary: AlAqsa Mosque
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.
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
alAqsa Mosque
Masjid alAqsa
Eastern view of the alAqsa Mosque and the Fakhariyyah Minaret
Basic information
Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Geographic
coordinates
31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E
Religious
affiliation
Islam
District Old City
Ecclesiastical
status
Mosque
Leadership Waqf
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural
style
Early Islamic
Direction of
facade
north
Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction)
1033 CE (Second construction)
Year completed 705 CE (First construction)
1035 CE (Second construction)
Specifications
Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000
(precincts) [1]
Length 83 meters (272 ft)
Width 56 meters (184 ft)
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 4
Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest
minaret)
Materials Limestone (external walls,
minaret, facade) stalactite
(minaret), lead (dome), white
marble (interior columns)
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Preconstruction
2.2 Construction
2.3 Later constructions
2.4 Modern era
3 Architecture
3.1 Dome
3.2 Minarets
3.3 Facade and porch
3.4 Interior
3.5 Ablution fountain
4 Religious significance
4.1 Islam
4.1.1 First qibla
4.1.2 Third holiest site
4.2 Judaism
5 Current situations
5.1 Administration
5.2 Access
5.3 AlAqsa Intifada
5.4 Excavations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
The mosque along the southern
wall of the Temple Mount
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque were constructed and
expanded by the Fatimids, the
Crusaders, the Mamluks and the
Ayyubids
The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the
city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area
by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this
gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq),
each of which has nineandtwenty marble pillars, whose
capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set
in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of
masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is
constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These
colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah.
Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E.
(Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19]
[edit]
The dome of the mosque in 1982.
It was made of aluminum, but
replaced with its original lead plating
in 1983
The mosque seen from the
former area of the Moroccan
Quarter, 1991
[edit]
[edit]
The silvercolored dome consists
of lead sheeting
[edit]
General view of the Ghawanima
Minaret, 1900
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the central naves and
columns
The doors of the Saladin Minbar,
early 1900s
[edit]
The alKas ablution fountain
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the mihrab , indicating the
qibla
[edit]
An exterior view of the mosque,
1856
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign in Hebrew and English
outside the Temple Mount warning
Jews not to enter the mosque
compound
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AlAqsa Mosque
Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territoriesv • d • e
IsraelHassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • alMuallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque •
White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)
East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • alAqsa Mosque • AlKhanqah alSalahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar
West BankGreat Mosque of Nablus • alHamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • alKhadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque •
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
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
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AlAqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses see alAqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.
AlAqsa Mosque (Arabic:ىصقالا دجسملا, [IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, alMasjid alAqsa (help ∙info ) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as alAqsa, is an
Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the alHaram
ashSharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and
considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in
Jerusalem once stood. [2][3] Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred
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,
when he turned towards the Ka'aba.[5]
The alAqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar,
but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd alMalik and finished by his son al
Walid in 705 CE. [6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph alMansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor alMahdi in
780. Another earthquake destroyed most of alAqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid
caliph Ali azZahir built another mosque which has stood to the presentday. During the
periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate
constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar,
minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they
used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its
recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later
centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the
Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the
Palestinianled Islamic waqf.
Etymology
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
up to Heaven on a flying horse called alBuraq alSharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca." [8]
History
Preconstruction
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
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 reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is
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
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]
In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali azZahir rebuilt
and completely renovated the mosque between 103436. The number of naves was drastically reduced from
fifteen to seven.[15] AzZahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the 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,
several repairs were undertaken at alAqsa Mosque. [20] Saladin's predecessor — the Zengid sultan Nur alDin — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or
"pulpit" of ivory and wood in 116869 but it was completed after his death; Nur adDin's
minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. [21] The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, alMu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in
1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under alKamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to
the mosque's eastern side.[15]
After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations
or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This
included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool
of Raranj, and the building of the three freestanding domes — the most notable being
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
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
were decorated with greentinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A
quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and
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 alAqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971,
which brought together dozens of Islamic countries.[26]
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
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
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
assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that
uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]
Minarets
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]
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
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
covering with tiles. [15] 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
during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew alMu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217.[15]
Interior
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
of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively
designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order,[33] and 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 mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44]
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
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
monumental structure. [38]
Religious significance
Islam
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
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
their prayers. [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5]
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,
upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab alAhbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with
him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. AlAhbar suggested to him that it
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
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
from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the alAqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in
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
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
Administration
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
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
Main article: AlAqsa Intifada
On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited
the alAqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party
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
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
Islamic architecture
List of mosques
Mosque of Omar
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Masjid anNabawi
Palestinian nationalism
References
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External links
Noble Sanctuary: AlAqsa Mosque
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.
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
alAqsa Mosque
Masjid alAqsa
Eastern view of the alAqsa Mosque and the Fakhariyyah Minaret
Basic information
Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Geographic
coordinates
31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E
Religious
affiliation
Islam
District Old City
Ecclesiastical
status
Mosque
Leadership Waqf
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural
style
Early Islamic
Direction of
facade
north
Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction)
1033 CE (Second construction)
Year completed 705 CE (First construction)
1035 CE (Second construction)
Specifications
Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000
(precincts) [1]
Length 83 meters (272 ft)
Width 56 meters (184 ft)
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 4
Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest
minaret)
Materials Limestone (external walls,
minaret, facade) stalactite
(minaret), lead (dome), white
marble (interior columns)
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Preconstruction
2.2 Construction
2.3 Later constructions
2.4 Modern era
3 Architecture
3.1 Dome
3.2 Minarets
3.3 Facade and porch
3.4 Interior
3.5 Ablution fountain
4 Religious significance
4.1 Islam
4.1.1 First qibla
4.1.2 Third holiest site
4.2 Judaism
5 Current situations
5.1 Administration
5.2 Access
5.3 AlAqsa Intifada
5.4 Excavations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
The mosque along the southern
wall of the Temple Mount
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque were constructed and
expanded by the Fatimids, the
Crusaders, the Mamluks and the
Ayyubids
The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the
city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area
by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this
gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq),
each of which has nineandtwenty marble pillars, whose
capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set
in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of
masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is
constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These
colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah.
Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E.
(Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19]
[edit]
The dome of the mosque in 1982.
It was made of aluminum, but
replaced with its original lead plating
in 1983
The mosque seen from the
former area of the Moroccan
Quarter, 1991
[edit]
[edit]
The silvercolored dome consists
of lead sheeting
[edit]
General view of the Ghawanima
Minaret, 1900
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the central naves and
columns
The doors of the Saladin Minbar,
early 1900s
[edit]
The alKas ablution fountain
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the mihrab , indicating the
qibla
[edit]
An exterior view of the mosque,
1856
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign in Hebrew and English
outside the Temple Mount warning
Jews not to enter the mosque
compound
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AlAqsa Mosque
Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territoriesv • d • e
IsraelHassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • alMuallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque •
White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)
East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • alAqsa Mosque • AlKhanqah alSalahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar
West BankGreat Mosque of Nablus • alHamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • alKhadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque •
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
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
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AlAqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses see alAqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.
AlAqsa Mosque (Arabic:ىصقالا دجسملا, [IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, alMasjid alAqsa (help ∙info ) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as alAqsa, is an
Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the alHaram
ashSharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and
considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in
Jerusalem once stood. [2][3] Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred
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,
when he turned towards the Ka'aba.[5]
The alAqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar,
but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd alMalik and finished by his son al
Walid in 705 CE. [6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph alMansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor alMahdi in
780. Another earthquake destroyed most of alAqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid
caliph Ali azZahir built another mosque which has stood to the presentday. During the
periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate
constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar,
minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they
used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its
recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later
centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the
Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the
Palestinianled Islamic waqf.
Etymology
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
up to Heaven on a flying horse called alBuraq alSharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca." [8]
History
Preconstruction
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
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 reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is
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
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]
In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali azZahir rebuilt
and completely renovated the mosque between 103436. The number of naves was drastically reduced from
fifteen to seven.[15] AzZahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the 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,
several repairs were undertaken at alAqsa Mosque. [20] Saladin's predecessor — the Zengid sultan Nur alDin — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or
"pulpit" of ivory and wood in 116869 but it was completed after his death; Nur adDin's
minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. [21] The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, alMu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in
1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under alKamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to
the mosque's eastern side.[15]
After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations
or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This
included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool
of Raranj, and the building of the three freestanding domes — the most notable being
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
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
were decorated with greentinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A
quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and
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 alAqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971,
which brought together dozens of Islamic countries.[26]
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
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
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
assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that
uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]
Minarets
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]
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
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
covering with tiles. [15] 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
during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew alMu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217.[15]
Interior
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
of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively
designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order,[33] and 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 mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44]
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
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
monumental structure. [38]
Religious significance
Islam
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
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
their prayers. [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5]
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,
upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab alAhbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with
him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. AlAhbar suggested to him that it
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
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
from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the alAqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in
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
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
Administration
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
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
Main article: AlAqsa Intifada
On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited
the alAqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party
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
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
Islamic architecture
List of mosques
Mosque of Omar
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Masjid anNabawi
Palestinian nationalism
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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.115117. 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.
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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
Noble Sanctuary: AlAqsa Mosque
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.
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
alAqsa Mosque
Masjid alAqsa
Eastern view of the alAqsa Mosque and the Fakhariyyah Minaret
Basic information
Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Geographic
coordinates
31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E
Religious
affiliation
Islam
District Old City
Ecclesiastical
status
Mosque
Leadership Waqf
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural
style
Early Islamic
Direction of
facade
north
Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction)
1033 CE (Second construction)
Year completed 705 CE (First construction)
1035 CE (Second construction)
Specifications
Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000
(precincts) [1]
Length 83 meters (272 ft)
Width 56 meters (184 ft)
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 4
Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest
minaret)
Materials Limestone (external walls,
minaret, facade) stalactite
(minaret), lead (dome), white
marble (interior columns)
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Preconstruction
2.2 Construction
2.3 Later constructions
2.4 Modern era
3 Architecture
3.1 Dome
3.2 Minarets
3.3 Facade and porch
3.4 Interior
3.5 Ablution fountain
4 Religious significance
4.1 Islam
4.1.1 First qibla
4.1.2 Third holiest site
4.2 Judaism
5 Current situations
5.1 Administration
5.2 Access
5.3 AlAqsa Intifada
5.4 Excavations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
The mosque along the southern
wall of the Temple Mount
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque were constructed and
expanded by the Fatimids, the
Crusaders, the Mamluks and the
Ayyubids
The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the
city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area
by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this
gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq),
each of which has nineandtwenty marble pillars, whose
capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set
in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of
masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is
constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These
colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah.
Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E.
(Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19]
[edit]
The dome of the mosque in 1982.
It was made of aluminum, but
replaced with its original lead plating
in 1983
The mosque seen from the
former area of the Moroccan
Quarter, 1991
[edit]
[edit]
The silvercolored dome consists
of lead sheeting
[edit]
General view of the Ghawanima
Minaret, 1900
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the central naves and
columns
The doors of the Saladin Minbar,
early 1900s
[edit]
The alKas ablution fountain
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the mihrab , indicating the
qibla
[edit]
An exterior view of the mosque,
1856
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign in Hebrew and English
outside the Temple Mount warning
Jews not to enter the mosque
compound
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AlAqsa Mosque
Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territoriesv • d • e
IsraelHassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • alMuallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque •
White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)
East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • alAqsa Mosque • AlKhanqah alSalahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar
West BankGreat Mosque of Nablus • alHamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • alKhadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque •
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
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
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AlAqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses see alAqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.
AlAqsa Mosque (Arabic:ىصقالا دجسملا, [IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, alMasjid alAqsa (help ∙info ) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as alAqsa, is an
Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the alHaram
ashSharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and
considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in
Jerusalem once stood. [2][3] Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred
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,
when he turned towards the Ka'aba.[5]
The alAqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar,
but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd alMalik and finished by his son al
Walid in 705 CE. [6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph alMansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor alMahdi in
780. Another earthquake destroyed most of alAqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid
caliph Ali azZahir built another mosque which has stood to the presentday. During the
periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate
constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar,
minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they
used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its
recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later
centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the
Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the
Palestinianled Islamic waqf.
Etymology
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
up to Heaven on a flying horse called alBuraq alSharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca." [8]
History
Preconstruction
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
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 reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is
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
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]
In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali azZahir rebuilt
and completely renovated the mosque between 103436. The number of naves was drastically reduced from
fifteen to seven.[15] AzZahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the 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,
several repairs were undertaken at alAqsa Mosque. [20] Saladin's predecessor — the Zengid sultan Nur alDin — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or
"pulpit" of ivory and wood in 116869 but it was completed after his death; Nur adDin's
minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. [21] The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, alMu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in
1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under alKamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to
the mosque's eastern side.[15]
After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations
or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This
included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool
of Raranj, and the building of the three freestanding domes — the most notable being
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
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
were decorated with greentinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A
quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and
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 alAqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971,
which brought together dozens of Islamic countries.[26]
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
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
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
assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that
uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]
Minarets
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]
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
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
covering with tiles. [15] 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
during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew alMu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217.[15]
Interior
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
of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively
designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order,[33] and 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 mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44]
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
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
monumental structure. [38]
Religious significance
Islam
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
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
their prayers. [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5]
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,
upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab alAhbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with
him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. AlAhbar suggested to him that it
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
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
from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the alAqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in
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
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
Administration
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
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
Main article: AlAqsa Intifada
On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited
the alAqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party
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
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
Islamic architecture
List of mosques
Mosque of Omar
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Masjid anNabawi
Palestinian nationalism
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External links
Noble Sanctuary: AlAqsa Mosque
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.
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
alAqsa Mosque
Masjid alAqsa
Eastern view of the alAqsa Mosque and the Fakhariyyah Minaret
Basic information
Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Geographic
coordinates
31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E
Religious
affiliation
Islam
District Old City
Ecclesiastical
status
Mosque
Leadership Waqf
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural
style
Early Islamic
Direction of
facade
north
Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction)
1033 CE (Second construction)
Year completed 705 CE (First construction)
1035 CE (Second construction)
Specifications
Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000
(precincts) [1]
Length 83 meters (272 ft)
Width 56 meters (184 ft)
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 4
Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest
minaret)
Materials Limestone (external walls,
minaret, facade) stalactite
(minaret), lead (dome), white
marble (interior columns)
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Preconstruction
2.2 Construction
2.3 Later constructions
2.4 Modern era
3 Architecture
3.1 Dome
3.2 Minarets
3.3 Facade and porch
3.4 Interior
3.5 Ablution fountain
4 Religious significance
4.1 Islam
4.1.1 First qibla
4.1.2 Third holiest site
4.2 Judaism
5 Current situations
5.1 Administration
5.2 Access
5.3 AlAqsa Intifada
5.4 Excavations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
The mosque along the southern
wall of the Temple Mount
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque were constructed and
expanded by the Fatimids, the
Crusaders, the Mamluks and the
Ayyubids
The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the
city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area
by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this
gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq),
each of which has nineandtwenty marble pillars, whose
capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set
in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of
masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is
constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These
colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah.
Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E.
(Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19]
[edit]
The dome of the mosque in 1982.
It was made of aluminum, but
replaced with its original lead plating
in 1983
The mosque seen from the
former area of the Moroccan
Quarter, 1991
[edit]
[edit]
The silvercolored dome consists
of lead sheeting
[edit]
General view of the Ghawanima
Minaret, 1900
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the central naves and
columns
The doors of the Saladin Minbar,
early 1900s
[edit]
The alKas ablution fountain
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the mihrab , indicating the
qibla
[edit]
An exterior view of the mosque,
1856
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign in Hebrew and English
outside the Temple Mount warning
Jews not to enter the mosque
compound
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AlAqsa Mosque
Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territoriesv • d • e
IsraelHassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • alMuallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque •
White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)
East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • alAqsa Mosque • AlKhanqah alSalahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar
West BankGreat Mosque of Nablus • alHamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • alKhadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque •
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
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
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AlAqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses see alAqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.
AlAqsa Mosque (Arabic:ىصقالا دجسملا, [IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, alMasjid alAqsa (help ∙info ) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as alAqsa, is an
Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the alHaram
ashSharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and
considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in
Jerusalem once stood. [2][3] Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred
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,
when he turned towards the Ka'aba.[5]
The alAqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar,
but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd alMalik and finished by his son al
Walid in 705 CE. [6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph alMansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor alMahdi in
780. Another earthquake destroyed most of alAqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid
caliph Ali azZahir built another mosque which has stood to the presentday. During the
periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate
constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar,
minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they
used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its
recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later
centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the
Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the
Palestinianled Islamic waqf.
Etymology
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
up to Heaven on a flying horse called alBuraq alSharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca." [8]
History
Preconstruction
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
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 reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is
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
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]
In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali azZahir rebuilt
and completely renovated the mosque between 103436. The number of naves was drastically reduced from
fifteen to seven.[15] AzZahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the 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,
several repairs were undertaken at alAqsa Mosque. [20] Saladin's predecessor — the Zengid sultan Nur alDin — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or
"pulpit" of ivory and wood in 116869 but it was completed after his death; Nur adDin's
minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. [21] The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, alMu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in
1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under alKamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to
the mosque's eastern side.[15]
After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations
or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This
included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool
of Raranj, and the building of the three freestanding domes — the most notable being
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
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
were decorated with greentinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A
quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and
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 alAqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971,
which brought together dozens of Islamic countries.[26]
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
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
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
assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that
uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]
Minarets
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]
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
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
covering with tiles. [15] 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
during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew alMu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217.[15]
Interior
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
of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively
designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order,[33] and 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 mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44]
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
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
monumental structure. [38]
Religious significance
Islam
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
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
their prayers. [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5]
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,
upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab alAhbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with
him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. AlAhbar suggested to him that it
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
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
from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the alAqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in
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
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
Administration
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
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
Main article: AlAqsa Intifada
On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited
the alAqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party
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
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
Islamic architecture
List of mosques
Mosque of Omar
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Masjid anNabawi
Palestinian nationalism
References
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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.
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25. ^ "Madman at the Mosque ", Time Magazine (19700112). Retrieved on 3 July 2008.
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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.115117. 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 .
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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.
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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.
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81. ^ Friedman, Matti (20071014). "Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ", USA Today. Retrieved on 1 July 2008.
External links
Noble Sanctuary: AlAqsa Mosque
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.
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
alAqsa Mosque
Masjid alAqsa
Eastern view of the alAqsa Mosque and the Fakhariyyah Minaret
Basic information
Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Geographic
coordinates
31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E
Religious
affiliation
Islam
District Old City
Ecclesiastical
status
Mosque
Leadership Waqf
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural
style
Early Islamic
Direction of
facade
north
Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction)
1033 CE (Second construction)
Year completed 705 CE (First construction)
1035 CE (Second construction)
Specifications
Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000
(precincts) [1]
Length 83 meters (272 ft)
Width 56 meters (184 ft)
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 4
Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest
minaret)
Materials Limestone (external walls,
minaret, facade) stalactite
(minaret), lead (dome), white
marble (interior columns)
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Preconstruction
2.2 Construction
2.3 Later constructions
2.4 Modern era
3 Architecture
3.1 Dome
3.2 Minarets
3.3 Facade and porch
3.4 Interior
3.5 Ablution fountain
4 Religious significance
4.1 Islam
4.1.1 First qibla
4.1.2 Third holiest site
4.2 Judaism
5 Current situations
5.1 Administration
5.2 Access
5.3 AlAqsa Intifada
5.4 Excavations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
The mosque along the southern
wall of the Temple Mount
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque were constructed and
expanded by the Fatimids, the
Crusaders, the Mamluks and the
Ayyubids
The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the
city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area
by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this
gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq),
each of which has nineandtwenty marble pillars, whose
capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set
in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of
masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is
constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These
colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah.
Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E.
(Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19]
[edit]
The dome of the mosque in 1982.
It was made of aluminum, but
replaced with its original lead plating
in 1983
The mosque seen from the
former area of the Moroccan
Quarter, 1991
[edit]
[edit]
The silvercolored dome consists
of lead sheeting
[edit]
General view of the Ghawanima
Minaret, 1900
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the central naves and
columns
The doors of the Saladin Minbar,
early 1900s
[edit]
The alKas ablution fountain
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the mihrab , indicating the
qibla
[edit]
An exterior view of the mosque,
1856
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign in Hebrew and English
outside the Temple Mount warning
Jews not to enter the mosque
compound
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AlAqsa Mosque
Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territoriesv • d • e
IsraelHassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • alMuallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque •
White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)
East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • alAqsa Mosque • AlKhanqah alSalahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar
West BankGreat Mosque of Nablus • alHamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • alKhadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque •
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
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
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AlAqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses see alAqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.
AlAqsa Mosque (Arabic:ىصقالا دجسملا, [IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, alMasjid alAqsa (help ∙info ) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as alAqsa, is an
Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the alHaram
ashSharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and
considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in
Jerusalem once stood. [2][3] Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred
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,
when he turned towards the Ka'aba.[5]
The alAqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar,
but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd alMalik and finished by his son al
Walid in 705 CE. [6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph alMansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor alMahdi in
780. Another earthquake destroyed most of alAqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid
caliph Ali azZahir built another mosque which has stood to the presentday. During the
periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate
constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar,
minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they
used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its
recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later
centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the
Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the
Palestinianled Islamic waqf.
Etymology
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
up to Heaven on a flying horse called alBuraq alSharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca." [8]
History
Preconstruction
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
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 reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is
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
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]
In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali azZahir rebuilt
and completely renovated the mosque between 103436. The number of naves was drastically reduced from
fifteen to seven.[15] AzZahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the 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,
several repairs were undertaken at alAqsa Mosque. [20] Saladin's predecessor — the Zengid sultan Nur alDin — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or
"pulpit" of ivory and wood in 116869 but it was completed after his death; Nur adDin's
minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. [21] The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, alMu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in
1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under alKamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to
the mosque's eastern side.[15]
After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations
or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This
included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool
of Raranj, and the building of the three freestanding domes — the most notable being
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
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
were decorated with greentinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A
quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and
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 alAqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971,
which brought together dozens of Islamic countries.[26]
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
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
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
assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that
uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]
Minarets
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]
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
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
covering with tiles. [15] 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
during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew alMu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217.[15]
Interior
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
of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively
designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order,[33] and 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 mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44]
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
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
monumental structure. [38]
Religious significance
Islam
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
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
their prayers. [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5]
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,
upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab alAhbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with
him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. AlAhbar suggested to him that it
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
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
from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the alAqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in
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
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
Administration
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
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
Main article: AlAqsa Intifada
On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited
the alAqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party
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
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
Islamic architecture
List of mosques
Mosque of Omar
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Masjid anNabawi
Palestinian nationalism
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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.
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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
Noble Sanctuary: AlAqsa Mosque
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.
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
alAqsa Mosque
Masjid alAqsa
Eastern view of the alAqsa Mosque and the Fakhariyyah Minaret
Basic information
Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Geographic
coordinates
31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E
Religious
affiliation
Islam
District Old City
Ecclesiastical
status
Mosque
Leadership Waqf
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural
style
Early Islamic
Direction of
facade
north
Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction)
1033 CE (Second construction)
Year completed 705 CE (First construction)
1035 CE (Second construction)
Specifications
Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000
(precincts) [1]
Length 83 meters (272 ft)
Width 56 meters (184 ft)
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 4
Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest
minaret)
Materials Limestone (external walls,
minaret, facade) stalactite
(minaret), lead (dome), white
marble (interior columns)
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Preconstruction
2.2 Construction
2.3 Later constructions
2.4 Modern era
3 Architecture
3.1 Dome
3.2 Minarets
3.3 Facade and porch
3.4 Interior
3.5 Ablution fountain
4 Religious significance
4.1 Islam
4.1.1 First qibla
4.1.2 Third holiest site
4.2 Judaism
5 Current situations
5.1 Administration
5.2 Access
5.3 AlAqsa Intifada
5.4 Excavations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
The mosque along the southern
wall of the Temple Mount
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque were constructed and
expanded by the Fatimids, the
Crusaders, the Mamluks and the
Ayyubids
The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the
city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area
by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this
gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq),
each of which has nineandtwenty marble pillars, whose
capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set
in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of
masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is
constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These
colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah.
Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E.
(Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19]
[edit]
The dome of the mosque in 1982.
It was made of aluminum, but
replaced with its original lead plating
in 1983
The mosque seen from the
former area of the Moroccan
Quarter, 1991
[edit]
[edit]
The silvercolored dome consists
of lead sheeting
[edit]
General view of the Ghawanima
Minaret, 1900
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the central naves and
columns
The doors of the Saladin Minbar,
early 1900s
[edit]
The alKas ablution fountain
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the mihrab , indicating the
qibla
[edit]
An exterior view of the mosque,
1856
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign in Hebrew and English
outside the Temple Mount warning
Jews not to enter the mosque
compound
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AlAqsa Mosque
Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territoriesv • d • e
IsraelHassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • alMuallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque •
White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)
East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • alAqsa Mosque • AlKhanqah alSalahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar
West BankGreat Mosque of Nablus • alHamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • alKhadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque •
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
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
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AlAqsa Mosque From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses see alAqsa (disambiguation) or the Dome of the Rock.
AlAqsa Mosque (Arabic:ىصقالا دجسملا, [IPA /æl'mæsʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/, alMasjid alAqsa (help ∙info ) translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as alAqsa, is an
Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the alHaram
ashSharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary", a site also known as the Temple Mount and
considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in
Jerusalem once stood. [2][3] Widely considered, mainly by Sunni Muslims, as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred
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,
when he turned towards the Ka'aba.[5]
The alAqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar,
but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd alMalik and finished by his son al
Walid in 705 CE. [6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph alMansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor alMahdi in
780. Another earthquake destroyed most of alAqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid
caliph Ali azZahir built another mosque which has stood to the presentday. During the
periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate
constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar,
minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they
used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its
recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later
centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the
Old City is under Israeli sovereignty, but the mosque remains under the administration of the
Palestinianled Islamic waqf.
Etymology
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
up to Heaven on a flying horse called alBuraq alSharif.[1][7] "Farthest" as used in this content means the "farthest from Mecca." [8]
History
Preconstruction
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
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 reign of Mu'awiyah I, and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is
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
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]
In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali azZahir rebuilt
and completely renovated the mosque between 103436. The number of naves was drastically reduced from
fifteen to seven.[15] AzZahir built the four arcades of the central hall and aisle, which presently serve as the 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,
several repairs were undertaken at alAqsa Mosque. [20] Saladin's predecessor — the Zengid sultan Nur alDin — had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or
"pulpit" of ivory and wood in 116869 but it was completed after his death; Nur adDin's
minbar was added to the mosque in November, 1187 by Saladin. [21] The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, alMu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in
1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under alKamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to
the mosque's eastern side.[15]
After the Ottomans seized power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations
or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Temple Mount as a whole. This
included the building of the Fountain of Qasim Pasha (1527), the restoration of the Pool
of Raranj, and the building of the three freestanding domes — the most notable being
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
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
were decorated with greentinted gypsum and gold and their timber tie beams were replaced with brass. A
quarter of the stained glass windows also were carefully renewed so as to preserve their original Abbasid and
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 alAqsa is cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1971,
which brought together dozens of Islamic countries.[26]
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
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
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
assumed to be irreparably lost, but were completely reconstructed using the trateggio technique, a method that
uses fine vertical lines to distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.[36]
Minarets
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]
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
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
covering with tiles. [15] 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
during the First Crusade, but Saladin's nephew alMu'azzam ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217.[15]
Interior
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
of four different kinds: those in the central aisle are heavy and primitively
designed, while those under the dome are of the Corinthian order,[33] and 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 mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt.[44]
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
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
monumental structure. [38]
Religious significance
Islam
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
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
their prayers. [Qur'an 2:142–151 ][5]
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,
upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab alAhbar — a Jewish convert to Islam who came with
him from Medina — as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. AlAhbar suggested to him that it
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
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
from the Zionist [Israeli] occupation", refers to the alAqsa Mosque (in a resolution condemning Israeli actions in
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
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
Administration
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
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
Main article: AlAqsa Intifada
On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited
the alAqsa compound; a large group Palestinians went to protest the visit. After Sharon and the Likud Party
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
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
Islamic architecture
List of mosques
Mosque of Omar
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Masjid anNabawi
Palestinian nationalism
References
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External links
Noble Sanctuary: AlAqsa Mosque
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.
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
alAqsa Mosque
Masjid alAqsa
Eastern view of the alAqsa Mosque and the Fakhariyyah Minaret
Basic information
Location Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Geographic
coordinates
31°46′35″N 35°14′8″E
Religious
affiliation
Islam
District Old City
Ecclesiastical
status
Mosque
Leadership Waqf
Architectural description
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural
style
Early Islamic
Direction of
facade
north
Groundbreaking 685 CE (First construction)
1033 CE (Second construction)
Year completed 705 CE (First construction)
1035 CE (Second construction)
Specifications
Capacity 5,000 (inside); 400,000
(precincts) [1]
Length 83 meters (272 ft)
Width 56 meters (184 ft)
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 4
Minaret height 37 meters (121 ft) (Tallest
minaret)
Materials Limestone (external walls,
minaret, facade) stalactite
(minaret), lead (dome), white
marble (interior columns)
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Preconstruction
2.2 Construction
2.3 Later constructions
2.4 Modern era
3 Architecture
3.1 Dome
3.2 Minarets
3.3 Facade and porch
3.4 Interior
3.5 Ablution fountain
4 Religious significance
4.1 Islam
4.1.1 First qibla
4.1.2 Third holiest site
4.2 Judaism
5 Current situations
5.1 Administration
5.2 Access
5.3 AlAqsa Intifada
5.4 Excavations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
The mosque along the southern
wall of the Temple Mount
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque were constructed and
expanded by the Fatimids, the
Crusaders, the Mamluks and the
Ayyubids
The Haram Area (Noble Sanctuary) lies in the eastern part of the
city; and through the bazaar of this (quarter) you enter the Area
by a great and beautiful gateway (Dargah)... After passing this
gateway, you have on the right two great colonnades (Riwaq),
each of which has nineandtwenty marble pillars, whose
capitals and bases are of colored marbles, and the joints are set
in lead. Above the pillars rise arches, that are constructed, of
masonry, without mortar or cement, and each arch is
constructed of no more than five or six blocks of stone. These
colonnades lead down to near the Maqsurah.
Nasir Khusraw's description of mosque in 1047 C.E.
(Safarnama, translated by Guy Le Strange) [19]
[edit]
The dome of the mosque in 1982.
It was made of aluminum, but
replaced with its original lead plating
in 1983
The mosque seen from the
former area of the Moroccan
Quarter, 1991
[edit]
[edit]
The silvercolored dome consists
of lead sheeting
[edit]
General view of the Ghawanima
Minaret, 1900
[edit]
The facade and porch of the
mosque
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the central naves and
columns
The doors of the Saladin Minbar,
early 1900s
[edit]
The alKas ablution fountain
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Interior view of the mosque
showing the mihrab , indicating the
qibla
[edit]
An exterior view of the mosque,
1856
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign in Hebrew and English
outside the Temple Mount warning
Jews not to enter the mosque
compound
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AlAqsa Mosque
Mosques in Israel and the Palestinian territoriesv • d • e
IsraelHassan Bek Mosque • Jezzar Pasha Mosque • Mahmood Mosque • alMuallaq Mosque • Sidna Ali Mosque •
White Mosque (Nazareth) • White Mosque (Ramla)
East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque • alAqsa Mosque • AlKhanqah alSalahiyya Mosque • Marwani Mosque • Mosque of Omar
West BankGreat Mosque of Nablus • alHamadiyya Mosque • Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque • alKhadra Mosque • Ibrahimi Mosque •
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
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
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Dome of the Rock From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Mosque of Omar.
The Dome of the Rock (Arabic: ةرخصلا ةبق دجسم , translit.: Masjid Qubbat As
Sakhrah, Hebrew: עלסה תפיכ , translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra) is
an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Haram alSharif in
Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in
the world.[1]
Location, construction and dimensions
The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient manmade platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew, בה רה ;Har haBayit – תי
literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jews and the Haram alSharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the
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,
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
from Jerusalem and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Umayyad Caliph Abd alMalik ibn Marwan who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it
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. [3] Historians contend that the Caliph wished to create a structure which would compete with the existing buildings of other religions in the city. alMaqdisi writes that he
”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,
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
and hence erected above the Rock the dome which is now seen there.” [4]
Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein of the Hebrew University states that the Dome of the Rock was intended to
remove the fitna, or 'annoyance,' constituted by the existence of the many fine buildings of worship of
other religions. The very form of a rotunda, given to the Qubbat asSakhra, although it was foreign to
Islam, was intended to rival the many Christian domes. [6] A.C. Cresswell in his book Origin of the plan of the Dome of the Rock notes that those who built the shrine made use of the measurements
of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The diameter of the dome of the shrine is 20m 20cm and its
height 20m 48cm, while the diameter of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is 20m 90cm
and its height 21m 5cm. Mark Crinson, a scholar of the architecture of imperialism, sees the Dome
of the Rock as the "archetypal missionary and imperial building (with) its exterior covered with
decoration and inscriptions directed by the new Muslim rulers at the local Christian population." [7]
The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in
diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns. [3] Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. During his travels in
Jerusalem, Mark Twain wrote that:
”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
the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care.”[8]
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
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
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,
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
Crusaders
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
Europe.
Ayyubids and Mamluks
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
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
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
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
Menahem Hacohen, he had not suggested blowing up the mosque, but had merely stated that "if, during the
course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have – you know – disappeared – that would
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
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
compound as a violation of Jewish law. This restriction is based on the belief that since the Temple was destroyed
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
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
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.
Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be, and it is."[1]
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]
See also
AlAqsa Mosque
Foundation Stone
Islamic architecture
Temple Mount
Well of Souls
Dome of the Chain
Notes
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 al Aqsa (BBC) March 20, 2002
17. ^ http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/4839.html
18. ^ Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades , page 204
References
Peterson, Andrew (1994). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture . London: Routledge. ISBN 0415060842
External links
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
Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 690s architecture | Jerusalem shrines | Knights Templar | Shrines | Domes | Octagonal buildings |
Islam in Jerusalem
The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount
Contents
1 Location, construction and dimensions
1.1 The Dome
2 History
2.1 Crusaders
2.2 Ayyubids and Mamluks
2.3 Ottoman Empire 1517 1917
2.4 British Mandate 1917 1948
2.5 1948 to present
3 Accessibility
4 Religious significance
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
Print from 1887. (Architect Frederick
Catherwood was the first westerner known to have
made detailed drawings of the Dome of the Rock,
which he accomplished during a sixweek period
in 1833) [5]
Exterior detail
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock, in 1913.
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock featured on the
Palestine Mandate banknote
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Dome of the Rock viewed
through the Old City's Cotton Gate
(Bab alQattanin)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign at visitors entrance to
Temple Mount.
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock illustrated
Jewish religious works as early as the
16th century
The dome of the rock in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dome of the Rock
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
Coordinates: 31.778, 35.2354
discussion edit this page historyarticle
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Dome of the Rock From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Mosque of Omar.
The Dome of the Rock (Arabic: ةرخصلا ةبق دجسم , translit.: Masjid Qubbat As
Sakhrah, Hebrew: עלסה תפיכ , translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra) is
an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Haram alSharif in
Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in
the world.[1]
Location, construction and dimensions
The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient manmade platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew, בה רה ;Har haBayit – תי
literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jews and the Haram alSharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the
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,
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
from Jerusalem and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Umayyad Caliph Abd alMalik ibn Marwan who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it
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. [3] Historians contend that the Caliph wished to create a structure which would compete with the existing buildings of other religions in the city. alMaqdisi writes that he
”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,
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
and hence erected above the Rock the dome which is now seen there.” [4]
Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein of the Hebrew University states that the Dome of the Rock was intended to
remove the fitna, or 'annoyance,' constituted by the existence of the many fine buildings of worship of
other religions. The very form of a rotunda, given to the Qubbat asSakhra, although it was foreign to
Islam, was intended to rival the many Christian domes. [6] A.C. Cresswell in his book Origin of the plan of the Dome of the Rock notes that those who built the shrine made use of the measurements
of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The diameter of the dome of the shrine is 20m 20cm and its
height 20m 48cm, while the diameter of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is 20m 90cm
and its height 21m 5cm. Mark Crinson, a scholar of the architecture of imperialism, sees the Dome
of the Rock as the "archetypal missionary and imperial building (with) its exterior covered with
decoration and inscriptions directed by the new Muslim rulers at the local Christian population." [7]
The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in
diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns. [3] Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. During his travels in
Jerusalem, Mark Twain wrote that:
”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
the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care.”[8]
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
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
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,
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
Crusaders
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
Europe.
Ayyubids and Mamluks
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
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
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
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
Menahem Hacohen, he had not suggested blowing up the mosque, but had merely stated that "if, during the
course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have – you know – disappeared – that would
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
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
compound as a violation of Jewish law. This restriction is based on the belief that since the Temple was destroyed
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
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
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.
Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be, and it is."[1]
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]
See also
AlAqsa Mosque
Foundation Stone
Islamic architecture
Temple Mount
Well of Souls
Dome of the Chain
Notes
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 al Aqsa (BBC) March 20, 2002
17. ^ http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/4839.html
18. ^ Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades , page 204
References
Peterson, Andrew (1994). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture . London: Routledge. ISBN 0415060842
External links
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
Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 690s architecture | Jerusalem shrines | Knights Templar | Shrines | Domes | Octagonal buildings |
Islam in Jerusalem
The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount
Contents
1 Location, construction and dimensions
1.1 The Dome
2 History
2.1 Crusaders
2.2 Ayyubids and Mamluks
2.3 Ottoman Empire 1517 1917
2.4 British Mandate 1917 1948
2.5 1948 to present
3 Accessibility
4 Religious significance
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
Print from 1887. (Architect Frederick
Catherwood was the first westerner known to have
made detailed drawings of the Dome of the Rock,
which he accomplished during a sixweek period
in 1833) [5]
Exterior detail
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock, in 1913.
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock featured on the
Palestine Mandate banknote
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Dome of the Rock viewed
through the Old City's Cotton Gate
(Bab alQattanin)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign at visitors entrance to
Temple Mount.
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock illustrated
Jewish religious works as early as the
16th century
The dome of the rock in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dome of the Rock
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
Coordinates: 31.778, 35.2354
discussion edit this page historyarticle
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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.)
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Dome of the Rock From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Mosque of Omar.
The Dome of the Rock (Arabic: ةرخصلا ةبق دجسم , translit.: Masjid Qubbat As
Sakhrah, Hebrew: עלסה תפיכ , translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra) is
an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Haram alSharif in
Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in
the world.[1]
Location, construction and dimensions
The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient manmade platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew, בה רה ;Har haBayit – תי
literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jews and the Haram alSharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the
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,
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
from Jerusalem and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Umayyad Caliph Abd alMalik ibn Marwan who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it
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. [3] Historians contend that the Caliph wished to create a structure which would compete with the existing buildings of other religions in the city. alMaqdisi writes that he
”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,
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
and hence erected above the Rock the dome which is now seen there.” [4]
Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein of the Hebrew University states that the Dome of the Rock was intended to
remove the fitna, or 'annoyance,' constituted by the existence of the many fine buildings of worship of
other religions. The very form of a rotunda, given to the Qubbat asSakhra, although it was foreign to
Islam, was intended to rival the many Christian domes. [6] A.C. Cresswell in his book Origin of the plan of the Dome of the Rock notes that those who built the shrine made use of the measurements
of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The diameter of the dome of the shrine is 20m 20cm and its
height 20m 48cm, while the diameter of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is 20m 90cm
and its height 21m 5cm. Mark Crinson, a scholar of the architecture of imperialism, sees the Dome
of the Rock as the "archetypal missionary and imperial building (with) its exterior covered with
decoration and inscriptions directed by the new Muslim rulers at the local Christian population." [7]
The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in
diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns. [3] Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. During his travels in
Jerusalem, Mark Twain wrote that:
”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
the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care.”[8]
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
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
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,
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
Crusaders
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
Europe.
Ayyubids and Mamluks
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
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
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
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
Menahem Hacohen, he had not suggested blowing up the mosque, but had merely stated that "if, during the
course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have – you know – disappeared – that would
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
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
compound as a violation of Jewish law. This restriction is based on the belief that since the Temple was destroyed
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
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
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.
Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be, and it is."[1]
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]
See also
AlAqsa Mosque
Foundation Stone
Islamic architecture
Temple Mount
Well of Souls
Dome of the Chain
Notes
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 al Aqsa (BBC) March 20, 2002
17. ^ http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/4839.html
18. ^ Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades , page 204
References
Peterson, Andrew (1994). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture . London: Routledge. ISBN 0415060842
External links
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
Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 690s architecture | Jerusalem shrines | Knights Templar | Shrines | Domes | Octagonal buildings |
Islam in Jerusalem
The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount
Contents
1 Location, construction and dimensions
1.1 The Dome
2 History
2.1 Crusaders
2.2 Ayyubids and Mamluks
2.3 Ottoman Empire 1517 1917
2.4 British Mandate 1917 1948
2.5 1948 to present
3 Accessibility
4 Religious significance
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
Print from 1887. (Architect Frederick
Catherwood was the first westerner known to have
made detailed drawings of the Dome of the Rock,
which he accomplished during a sixweek period
in 1833) [5]
Exterior detail
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock, in 1913.
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock featured on the
Palestine Mandate banknote
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Dome of the Rock viewed
through the Old City's Cotton Gate
(Bab alQattanin)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign at visitors entrance to
Temple Mount.
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock illustrated
Jewish religious works as early as the
16th century
The dome of the rock in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dome of the Rock
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
Coordinates: 31.778, 35.2354
discussion edit this page historyarticle
search
Go Search
languages
Македонски ةيبرعلاČesky Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto Euskara یسرافFrançais
한국어 Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano תירבעМакедонски Bahasa Melayu Nederlands
日本語 Norsk (bokmål) Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenščina Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska
Türkçe ودرا
中文
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
navigation
Main pageContentsFeatured contentCurrent eventsRandom article
interaction
About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact Wikipedia Donate to Wikipedia Help
toolbox
What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page
Log in / create account
Dome of the Rock From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Mosque of Omar.
The Dome of the Rock (Arabic: ةرخصلا ةبق دجسم , translit.: Masjid Qubbat As
Sakhrah, Hebrew: עלסה תפיכ , translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra) is
an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Haram alSharif in
Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in
the world.[1]
Location, construction and dimensions
The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient manmade platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew, בה רה ;Har haBayit – תי
literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jews and the Haram alSharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the
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,
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
from Jerusalem and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Umayyad Caliph Abd alMalik ibn Marwan who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it
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. [3] Historians contend that the Caliph wished to create a structure which would compete with the existing buildings of other religions in the city. alMaqdisi writes that he
”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,
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
and hence erected above the Rock the dome which is now seen there.” [4]
Prof. Shlomo Dov Goitein of the Hebrew University states that the Dome of the Rock was intended to
remove the fitna, or 'annoyance,' constituted by the existence of the many fine buildings of worship of
other religions. The very form of a rotunda, given to the Qubbat asSakhra, although it was foreign to
Islam, was intended to rival the many Christian domes. [6] A.C. Cresswell in his book Origin of the plan of the Dome of the Rock notes that those who built the shrine made use of the measurements
of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The diameter of the dome of the shrine is 20m 20cm and its
height 20m 48cm, while the diameter of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is 20m 90cm
and its height 21m 5cm. Mark Crinson, a scholar of the architecture of imperialism, sees the Dome
of the Rock as the "archetypal missionary and imperial building (with) its exterior covered with
decoration and inscriptions directed by the new Muslim rulers at the local Christian population." [7]
The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in
diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns. [3] Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. During his travels in
Jerusalem, Mark Twain wrote that:
”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
the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care.”[8]
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
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
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,
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
Crusaders
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
Europe.
Ayyubids and Mamluks
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
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
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
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
Menahem Hacohen, he had not suggested blowing up the mosque, but had merely stated that "if, during the
course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have – you know – disappeared – that would
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
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
compound as a violation of Jewish law. This restriction is based on the belief that since the Temple was destroyed
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
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
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.
Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be, and it is."[1]
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]
See also
AlAqsa Mosque
Foundation Stone
Islamic architecture
Temple Mount
Well of Souls
Dome of the Chain
Notes
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 al Aqsa (BBC) March 20, 2002
17. ^ http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/4839.html
18. ^ Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades , page 204
References
Peterson, Andrew (1994). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture . London: Routledge. ISBN 0415060842
External links
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
Categories: Temple Mount | Islamic architecture | 690s architecture | Jerusalem shrines | Knights Templar | Shrines | Domes | Octagonal buildings |
Islam in Jerusalem
The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount
Contents
1 Location, construction and dimensions
1.1 The Dome
2 History
2.1 Crusaders
2.2 Ayyubids and Mamluks
2.3 Ottoman Empire 1517 1917
2.4 British Mandate 1917 1948
2.5 1948 to present
3 Accessibility
4 Religious significance
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
[edit]
Print from 1887. (Architect Frederick
Catherwood was the first westerner known to have
made detailed drawings of the Dome of the Rock,
which he accomplished during a sixweek period
in 1833) [5]
Exterior detail
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock, in 1913.
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock featured on the
Palestine Mandate banknote
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Dome of the Rock viewed
through the Old City's Cotton Gate
(Bab alQattanin)
[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Sign at visitors entrance to
Temple Mount.
[edit]
The Dome of the Rock illustrated
Jewish religious works as early as the
16th century
The dome of the rock in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dome of the Rock
[edit]
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[edit]
Islamic structures on the Temple Mountv • d • e
Mosques alAqsa Mosque • Station of alBuraq • Solomon's Stables
Domes
Dome of the Ascension • Dome of the Chain • Dome of alKhidr • Dome of alKhalili • Dome of Moses •
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
FountainsFountain of Ibrahim alRumi • Fountain of Qasim Pasha • Fountain of Qayt Bay • Fountain of Sha'lan •
Fountain of Sultan Solomon • Pool of Raranj
Other structures Islamic Museum • Mihrab Ali Pasha • Minbar of Buran alDin
Coordinates: 31.778, 35.2354
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