The Al-Aqsa Mosque was first built
by the Caliph Umar in the 7th century, though in later centuries renovated and
at times rebuilt. Until recently, that prayer space was the only Muslim mosque on the Temple Mount for around 1400 years. Only in the last 23 years have Muslims been adding
more mosques on the site. Solomon’s
Stables, which are large underground vaulted areas near the south east corner
of the Temple Mount, were converted into the El-Marwani Mosque that
was dedicated in 1996. Although not
technically a mosque, the Dome of the Rock also has become a place of prayer. And of course, most recently the Waqf has
attempted to turn the space adjacent to the Golden Gate into a mosque. Surprisingly, the most recent prayer areas
have all been established while Netanyahu has been Prime Minister of Israel
(1996-1999 and 2009-to present), which has led one recent writer to
pejoratively call him “Father
of the Temple Mount Mosques.”
When I visited Jerusalem in the
summer of 2017, I remember taking pictures of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the
Rock, the area above the El-Marwani Mosque, and the area near the Mercy Gate
where tensions have recently flared up.
One memory that stands out is walking toward a fenced off area that
seemed to lead down near the south east corner of the mount. A man started to shout to me from a distance
to turn back and stay away. It was only
later that I learned that this was the area that the Muslim Waqf authority had excavated,
and the area of the El-Marwani Mosque.
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| Dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque: Taken from Outside the Temple Mount (Summer 2017) |
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| Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Distance (Summer 2017) |
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| Dome of the Rock (Summer 2017) |
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| Dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque: Taken from Inside the Temple Mount (Summer 2017) |
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