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Al-Aqsa Mosque

For other uses, see Al-aqsa (disambiguation).

The Al-Aqsa Mosque (Arabic: المسجد الاقصى, Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (help· info), is part of the complex of religious buildings in Jerusalem known as either Al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) to Arabs and Muslims, or as Har ha-Bayit (the Temple Mount) to Jews and some Christians. However, the latter two groups are currently barred from entering.[1] It is located in East Jerusalem, a disputed territory governed as part of Israel since its annexation during the 1967 Six-Day War, but claimed by Palestinians as part of a future State of Palestine. The largest mosque in Jerusalem, it can accommodate about 5,000 people worshipping in and around it. The government of Israel has granted a Muslim Council full administration of the site. Download high resolution version (1600x1050, 195 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1050, 195 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Did you mean: The Al-Aqsa Mosque The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades The Al-Aqsa Intifada This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Image File history File links ArAqsaMosque. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic: , al-Quds; official Arabic in Israel: أورشليم القدس, Urshalim-Al-Quds) is Israels capital, most populous, [1] and largest city, with a population of 724,000 (as of May 24, 2006 [2]) contained in 123 km². An ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed... The Temple Mount or Noble Sanctuary (Hebrew: הר הבית Har HaBayit, Arabic: الحرم الشريف Al-Haram As-Sharif), is a hotly contested religious site in the old city of Jerusalem. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان) is an adherent of Islam. ... The Temple Mount (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת, without niqqud: הר הבית, translit. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... East Jerusalem is that part of Jerusalem which was held by Jordan from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War until the Six-Day War in 1967. ... Combatants Israel Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq Commanders Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Dayan, Uzi Narkiss, Israel Tal, Ariel Sharon Abdel Hakim Amer, Abdul Munim Riad, Zaid ibn Shaker, Hafez al-Assad Strength 50,000 troops (264,000 including mobilized reservists); 197 combat aircraft Egypt 150,000 troops; Syria 75,000; Jordan 55... The Palestinian flag, adopted in 1948, is a widely recognized modern symbol of the Palestinian people. ... ... The Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan with an iwan at center, three domes, and five visible minarets A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ...

Origin of name

Interior of Al Aqsa mosque

The name "Al-Aqsa Mosque" translates to "the farthest mosque" ("the remote mosque" according to some translations, such as that of Muhammad Asad), and is associated with the Isra and Mi'raj, a journey made around 621 by Mohammed (c. 570-632). According to Qur'anic verse, Mohammed took the journey in a single night from "the sacred mosque" (in Mecca) to "the farthest mosque" (al-Masjid al-Aqsa). From a rock there, Mohammed ascended to heaven, accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel, touring heaven and receiving the commandments--including the five daily prayers--before returning to Earth to communicate them to the faithful. While Mohammed had never been to Jerusalem in person, he was able to describe its features and specific details of the rock, to the amazement of his suspecting audience ^{[citation needed]}. Some have argued that the "furthest mosque" was identified with places inside Arabia: either Medina or a town called Ji‘rana, about ten miles from Mecca, which Mohammed visited in 630. [2] [3] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 572 KB) Summary Interior of the Al Aqsa mosque on Haram al Sharif (Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 572 KB) Summary Interior of the Al Aqsa mosque on Haram al Sharif (Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. ... It has been suggested that Mairaj be merged into this article or section. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... Mecca IPA: or Makkah (in full: Makkah al-Mukarramah; Arabic: ‎, Turkish: Mekke) is the capital city of Saudi Arabias Makkah province, in the historic Hijaz region. ... 12th-century icon of Archangel Gabriel from Novgorod. ...

As it was the place at which Mohammed performed the first commanded prayer after Isra and Mi'raj, it became the universal direction that Muslims face during prayer Qebbla and continued to be so for a few years. When Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina (located south of Jerusalem and north of Mecca), they were confronted with the choice of either facing Al-Aqsa mosque or the Haram Mosque, but not both. As Haram mosque was more senior, Qebbla was eventually turned towards Mecca. Al-Aqsa mosque is also one of only three mosques that Muslims are allowed to perform pilgrimage to. For this reason, Al-Aqsa mosque (the rock and surrounding land, with or without the actual building) is known to Muslims as the "First Qebbla and third holy sancturay". It has been suggested that Mairaj be merged into this article or section. ... Facing the Qibla at a prayer in Damascus The geometrical calculation of Qibla Qibla (Arabic: ‎ ) is an Arabic word referring to the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays. ...

Omar (c. 581-644), the Muslim caliph who conquered Jerusalem in 637, wanted a place of prayer that does not infringe on nearby Christian and Jewish worship places. That place, to the south of the rock, was developed into a mosque, and was given the name "Al-Aqsa Mosque". Sometime between 687-691, Caliph Abd al-Malik built a shrine over the sacred rock, and it was named Qubbat As-Sakhrah, means "The Dome of the Rock." Some years later, in 709-715, Umayyad caliph al-Walid, son of Abd al-Malik, built, renovated, and expanded the mosque south of the Dome. For other uses of the name, see Umar (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (Arabic: عبد الملك بن مروان ) (646 - 705) was an Umayyad caliph. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with The Dung Gate. ... The Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, one of the grandest architectural legacies of the Umayyads. ... Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik or Al-Walid I (668 - 715) was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 705 - 715. ...

Muslims, generally, distinguish between the man-made building known as Al-Aqsa mosque and the geographics location known also as Al-Aqsa mosque. The later includes the rock, the mosque, other structures, and surrounding lands within the walls of ancient Jerusalem.

Construction

Interior of Al Aqsa mosque showing mihrab

Construction of the Mosque began around 674 about 48 years after the traditional date given for Prophet Muhammad's death. Little remains of the original structure, which, owing to the position of the mosque over Herod’s artificial addition to the Temple Mount, was in constant danger of collapse. In 747 it was badly damaged by earthquake, and then rebuilt on a much larger scale. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 2070 KB) Summary Interior of the Al Aqsa mosque on Haram al Sharif (Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 2070 KB) Summary Interior of the Al Aqsa mosque on Haram al Sharif (Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. ... Hordos הוֹרְדוֹס, also known as Herod I or Herod the Great, was a Roman client-king of Judaea (c. ... Events Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against the Umayyads. ...

Damage from earthquakes in 1927 and 1936 necessitated an almost complete rebuilding of the mosque, in the process of which ancient sections of the original mosque were brought to light. 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Analysis of wooden beams and panels removed from the building during renovations in the 1930s shows they are made from Cedar of Lebanon and Cyprus. Radiocarbon dating indicates a large range of ages, some as old as 9th century BC, showing that some of the wood had previously been used in older buildings. Binomial name Cedrus libani A. Rich. ...

Modern significance

Since part of the mosque's extended surrounding wall is the Western Wall venerated by Jews, this relatively small spot in Jerusalem is a source of friction. There have been times when Muslims worshipping at the mosque threw rocks downward at the Jews below at the Western Wall. A group of Jews known as the Temple Mount Faithful have expressed a desire to rebuild the ancient Jewish Temple in that area. Western Wall by night Wailing Wall redirects here. ... Western Wall by night Wailing Wall redirects here. ... The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement (or Temple Mount Faithful) was founded by Gershon Salomon, a former officer in the Israel Defence Forces who lectures on Middle Eastern studies. ... The Temple in Jerusalem or the Holy Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Bet HaMikdash) was built in ancient Jerusalem in c. ...

In the morning of August 21, 1969, a fire at Masjid al-Aqsa, gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque. The fire destroyed a priceless one-thousand-year-old wood and ivory pulpit (minbar) that had been sent from Aleppo by Saladin. The "twin" of this minbar (Saladin had them both made at the same time) is still extant in the mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Extant means still existing. It is the opposite of extinct, and can be applied to species, cultures and works of culture (e. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hebron (Arabic al-Ḫalīl; Hebrew , Standard Hebrew Ḥevron, Tiberian Hebrew Ḥeḇrôn: derived from the word friend; ) is a town in the Southern Judea region of the West Bank. ...

Michael Dennis Rohan, a Christian tourist from Australia, was arrested for the arson attack on August 23, 1969. Rohan was a Protestant follower of an evangelical sect known as the Church of God. By his own admission, Rohan hoped to hasten the coming of the Messiah by burning down the al-Aqsa Mosque. Rohan told the court that he acted as "the Lord's emissary" on divine instructions, in accordance with the Book of Zechariah, and that he had tried to destroy the al-Aqsa Mosque in order to rebuild the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. He was hospitalized in a mental institution, found to be insane and was later deported from Israel. Michael Dennis Rohan is an Australian citizen who gained worldwide infamy on August 21, 1969, when he attempted to set fire to the Al-Aqsa mosque, located atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... This is the song that never ends yes it gos on and on my friends some people started singing it not knowing what it was they just started singing it forever just becauseThis is the song that never ends yes it gos on and on my friends some...

The Al-Aqsa Intifada is named after the mosque (due to Ariel Sharon's controversial visit to the Temple Mount in September 2000), as are the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. The wreckage of a commuter bus in West Jerusalem after a suicide bombing on Tuesday, 18 June 2002. ... (Hebrew: אֲרִיאֵל שָׁרוֹן, also known by his diminutive Arik) (born February 26, 1928) is a former Israeli politician and a retired general. ... The Temple Mount (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת, without niqqud: הר הבית, translit. ... The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (كتائب شهداء الأقصى) are a Palestinian armed terrorist group closely linked to the Fatah party. ...

Some Muslims have accused Israel of weakening the walls of the mosque during archaeological excavations that began in 1967 and continue today. In response to concerns about the structure's stability, renovations are being carried out by the Islamic Waqf Foundation. Jews and Israel claim that the Waqf are performing irresponsible excavations weakening the structures stability and destroying Temple Relics and other historical artifacts. [4] (Hebrew) A waqf (Arabic: وقف, plural awqāf) is an inalienable religious endowment in Islam, typically devoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. ... A waqf (Arabic: وقف, plural awqāf) is an inalienable religious endowment in Islam, typically devoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. ...

The Muslim Waqf is in charge of the Al Aqsa mosque, along with most of the important Muslim shrines in Israel.

"Third holiest site"

The factual accuracy of this section is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.

Main article: Third holiest site in Islam

While the Al-Aqsa mosque is considered the third holiest site by Muslims, this view is not universal^{[citation needed]}. Other Muslim sites put forward as the "third holiest" include: Image File history File links Circle-question-red. ...

Exterior view of Imam Ali Mosque The Imam Ali Mosque, also known as Meshed Ali or the Tomb of Ali, is a mosque located in Najaf, Iraq. ... Imam Husayn Shrine 3D Model of Imam Husayn Shrine The Imam Husayn Shrine is a holy place in Shia Islam in the city of Karbala, Iraq. ... The Al Askari Mosque in Samarra around 1926. ... The Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif Rawze Sharif, also known as the Blue Mosque is the most beautiful and proportional mosque in Afghanistan, and one of the most beautiful in the world. ... Takht e Soleyman, or Takht e Soleiman, is the holiest shrine of Zoroastrism and Sassanid Empire, now a World Heritage Site near the town of Takab in West Azarbaijan, Iran. ... Kairouan (Kairwan, Al Qayrawan) is a city in Tunisia, about 160 kilometres south of Tunis. ...

See also

• Temple Mount
• List of mosques
• Timeline of Islamic history
• Islamic architecture
• Islamic art
• Dispensational Christian end times views regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Knights Templar

The Temple Mount (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת, without niqqud: הר הבית, translit. ... A list of mosques around the world: // Asia Afghanistan Id Gah Mosque in Kabul Kabul Masjid Qalb-e-Herat Rawze-e-Sharif Bahrain Al Fateh Mosque is Bahrains largest mosque Khamis Mosque believed to be the first mosque in Bahrain Bangladesh Baitul Mukarram Binat Bibi mosque High Court Mosque... There is much more to Muslim history than military and political history; this particular chronology is almost entirely of military and political history. ... Islamic architecture, a part of the Islamic studies, is the entire range of architecture that has evolved within Muslim culture in the course of the history of Islam. ... Islamic art is the art of Islamic people, cultures, and countries. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Seal of the Knights — the two riders have been interpreted as a sign of poverty or the duality of monk/soldier. ...

External links

• Noble Sanctuary: Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Report of the 1969 conflict
• Al-Aqsa Mosque Architectural Review
• 360° view of the inside of the Mosque
• Jerusalem Photos Archive: Al-Aqsa Mosque
• History of Al Aqsa: hWeb
• muslimphotos.net: Photos of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Reference

• N. Liphschitz, G. Biger, G. Bonani and W. Wolfli, Comparative Dating Methods: Botanical Identification and ¹⁴C Dating of Carved Panels and Beams from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Journal of Archaeological Science, (1997) 24, 1045–1050.