Al Aqsa Mosque

Within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, on the south side of the Haram al- Sharif or “Noble Sanctuary”, is the third holiest site in Islam (after Mecca and Medina), the Al Aqsa Mosque. The Al Aqsa Mosque was built on the site of the Prophet Muhammad’s ‘Night Journey,’ a physical and spiritual journey in which he  travelled  from  Mecca  to  Jerusalem  and  later  ascended  to  heaven  and returned throughout the course of one night.   In the first part of his journey, known  as  the  Isra,  Prophet  Muhammad  was  carried  on  the  back of  his horse Buraq to a remote mosque, believed to be the spot where the Al Aqsa Mosque now  stands.  Built  to  commemorate  this  miraculous  journey,  Al  Aqsa  Mosque literally translates to ‘the farthest Mosque.’ First  built  in  705CE,  Al  Aqsa  Mosque  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  world.  The original construction was carried out by Umayyad caliph Al Walid. The Mosque was  later  damaged  and  then  rebuilt  following  two  earthquakes  in  749  and 1033.  The  later  structure  is  what is seen  today.  Around  the  time  of this  later reconstruction its lead-covered dome was added. Also during this time period, parts  of the  central nave  and  the  dome  were  decorated  with  mosaic  like  the Umayyad mosaics that can be found in the neighboring Dome of the Rock. In 1099  the  entire  Haram  al-Sharif  compound  was  taken  over  by  the  Crusaders who believed it to be the location of the Biblical First Temple of King Solomon or  Temple  Mount,  calling  it  Templum  Salomonis  and  themselves,  eventually, the  Knights   Templar.   The  area  became  their   headquarters,   with   Al  Aqsa Mosque  first  converted  into  a  church  and  then  a  palace.  During  that  time period,  the  Crusaders  added  vaulted  western  and  eastern  annexes  to  the structure,  the  former  serving  as the  women’s Mosque  today  and  the  later  as the Islamic Museum.  In 1187, the Crusaders were driven out by Ayyubid Sultan Saladin  and  Al  Aqsa  Mosque  was rededicated  as a  mosque.  Today  it  is  under the administration of the Islamic Waqf and is the largest mosque in Jerusalem, with room for over 4,000 worshippers inside and hundreds of thousands more on the grounds of the Haram al-Sharif. Upon entering the Haram al-Sharif, Al Aqsa Mosque with its silver-capped dome sits  in  the  center  of  the  compound’s  southern  wall.  The  main  entrance  to  Al Aqsa   Mosque   lies   on   the   northern   side   of   the   building.   The   façade   is constructed as a large colonnade with seven arches with its taller central arch leading to the Mosque’s main passageway. Inside the vast prayer hall, are seven rows of columns adorned with Islamic and Byzantine designs. The hall is lit by chandeliers  and  the  floor  is  covered  with  carpet,  there  are  no  chairs.  The southern wall is the only remaining remnant of the original 8th century Mosque and houses the mihrab, or prayer niche, which shows the direction of Mecca. One of the most striking features, is the beautifully ornate minbar or pulpit. It is a reconstruction of the 12th century minbar that was commissioned by Sultan Saladin at the rededication of the Mosque and sat within the prayer hall until 1969, when it was nearly destroyed by an Australian tourist who set fire to the Mosque.  The  remains  of  the  original  minbar  are  now  housed  in  the  nearby Islamic  Museum.  Saladin’s  minbar  was  made  in  the  12th  century  by  medieval artisans  in  Syria  of  carved  pine  wood  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl,  ivory,  and ebony,  featuring  intricate  geometric  patterns  and  Arabic  calligraphy.  There were  no  nails  or  glue  used  in  the  construction,  it  was  held  together  using  an interlocking    technique   and    wooden    pins.    In    order    to    carry    out    the reconstruction,   carpenters   from   across   the   Muslim   world   painstakingly recreated each piece, which was finally finished in 2007.