Qubur Al Mujahideen

At the foot of the Mount of Olives, just off the road near the Garden of Gethsemane, visitors will find the majestic tomb of Jerusalemite historian Mujir al-Din. Mujir al-Din was a prominent scholar and judge during the 15th and 16th centuries and is best remembered for his work, “al-Uns al-Jalil bi-tarikh al-Quds wal-Khalil" which translates to “The Glorious History of Jerusalem and Hebron.” This work is remembered as the most comprehensive chronicle of the history of Jerusalem written up until that point in time  and  continues  to  be  an  invaluable  resource  for  historians  studying  life  in Jerusalem during that time period. Mujir al-Din was born in Jerusalem during the Mamluk period in 1456. His family were well respected in the community, with his father, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, a notable scholar of the time. Mujir al-Din began his formal education at the age of six and  became  well  versed  in  Islamic  theology,  Arabic,  and  Hanbali  jurisprudence throughout his schooling. He began a career in public service, being appointed a qadi or ‘judge’ in Ramla in 1484 before becoming the chief qadi of Jerusalem in 1486. He was a prolific writer, but his most remembered work is a history of Jerusalem and Hebron published in 1495. The book is divided into four parts. The first details the history of Jerusalem from the time of Adam through the 13th century, the second describes the shrines and landmarks of the two cities, the third provides biographies of important Ayyubid and Mamluk figures in the history of the cities, and the fourth details the history of Jerusalem during Mujir al-Din's own lifetime. This book became an  important  resource  for  19th,  20th,  and  even  21st  century  scholars  studying Jerusalem. Copies of his manuscript can be found in libraries around the world. Mujir al-Din died in 1522. Today visitors can see his tomb just adjacent to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary at the base of the Mount of Olives. Visible from the main road, the tomb is composed of four stone columns topped with a dome and can be accessed via a small stairway off the sidewalk. Steps on either side of the tomb also lead down to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary.