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'' Al - Aqsa Mosque المسجد الاقصى ‎ Masjid al - ' Aqṣā Location within the Old City of Jerusalem Basic information Location Old City of Jerusalem Geographic coordinates 31 ° 46 ′ 34 '' N 35 ° 14 ′ 09 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 31.77617 ° N 35.23583 ° E ﻿ / 31.77617 ; 35.23583 Coordinates : 31 ° 46 ′ 34 '' N 35 ° 14 ′ 09 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 31.77617 ° N 35.23583 ° E ﻿ / 31.77617 ; 35.23583 Affiliation Islam Country Israel, Palestinian National Authority Administration Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Leadership Imam ( s ) : Muhammad Ahmad Hussein Architectural description Architectural type Mosque Architectural style Early Islamic, Mamluk Date established 705 CE Specifications Direction of façade north - northwest Capacity 5,000 + Dome ( s ) 2 large + tens of smaller ones Minaret ( s ) 4 Minaret height 37 meters ( 121 ft ) ( tallest ) Materials Limestone ( external walls, minaret, facade ) stalactite ( minaret ), Gold, lead and stone ( domes ), white marble ( interior columns ) and mosaic Al - Aqsa Mosque ( Arabic : المسجد الاقصى ‎ ‎ Al - Masjid al - ' Aqṣā, IPA : ( ʔælˈmæsdʒɪd ælˈʔɑqsʕɑ ) ( listen ), `` the Farthest Mosque '' ), also known as Al - Aqsa and Bayt al - Maqdis, is the third holiest site in Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Whilst the entire site on which the silver - domed mosque sits, along with the Dome of the Rock, seventeen gates, and four minarets, was itself historically known as the Al - Aqsa Mosque, today a narrower definition prevails, and the wider compound is usually referred to as al - Haram ash - Sharif ( `` the Noble Sanctuary '' ), or the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Muslims believe that Muhammad was transported from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to al - Aqsa during the Night Journey. Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, when God directed him to turn towards the Kaaba. The mosque was originally a small prayer house built by Umar the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, but was rebuilt and expanded by the Umayyad caliph Abd al - Malik and finished by his son al - Walid in 705 CE. The mosque was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 746 and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al - Mansur in 754. His successor al - Mahdi rebuilt it again in 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al - Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid caliph Ali az - Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present day. 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 the Dome of the Rock as a church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its recapture by Saladin in 1187. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, Ottomans, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Old City is under Israeli control, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Jordanian / Palestinian - led Islamic Waqf. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Pre-construction 2.2 Construction by the Umayyads 2.3 Earthquakes and reconstructions 2.4 Modern era 3 Architecture 3.1 Dome 3.2 Facade and porch 3.3 Interior 3.4 Ablution fountain 4 Religious significance in Islam 4.1 Isra and Mi'raj 4.2 First qibla 4.3 Religious status 5 Current situations 5.1 Administration 5.2 Access 5.3 Excavations 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External links Etymology Al - Masjid al - Aqsa translates from Arabic into English as `` the farthest mosque ''. The name refers to a chapter of the Quran called `` The Night Journey '' in which it is said that Muhammad traveled from Mecca to `` the farthest mosque '', and then up to Heaven on a heavenly creature called al - Buraq al - Sharif. Al - Aqsa Mosque as a whole is confused with a particular building within it, also known as al - Jami ' al - Aqsa or al - Qibli or Masjid al - Jumah or al - Mughata ; these names refer to the southern building with the silver lead dome. For centuries, al - Masjid al - Aqsa referred not only to the mosque, but to the entire sacred sanctuary, while al - Jami ' al - Aqsa referred to the specific site of the mosque. This changed during the period of Ottoman rule ( c. early 16th century to 1917 ) when the sanctuary complex came to be known as al - Haram al - Sharif. History Pre-construction The al - Aqsa Mosque is located on the Temple Mount, referred to by Muslims today as the `` Haram al - Sharif '' ( `` The Noble Sanctuary '' ), an enclosure expanded by King Herod the Great beginning in 20 BCE. The mosque resides on an artificial platform that is supported by arches constructed by Herod 's engineers to overcome the difficult topographic conditions resulting from the southward expansion of the enclosure into the Tyropoeon and Kidron valleys. At the time of the Second Temple, the present site of the mosque was occupied by the Royal Stoa, a basilica running the southern wall of the enclosure. The Royal Stoa was destroyed along with the Temple during the sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE. It was once thought that Emperor Justinian 's `` Nea Ekklesia of the Theotokos '', or the New Church of the God - Bearer, dedicated to the God - bearing Virgin Mary, consecrated in 543 and commonly known as the Nea Church, was situated where al - Aqsa Mosque was later constructed. However, remains identified as those of the Nea Church were uncovered in the south part of the Jewish Quarter in 1973. Analysis of the wooden beams and panels removed from the mosque during renovations in the 1930s shows they are made from Cedar of Lebanon and cypress. Radiocarbon dating indicates a large range of ages, some as old as 9th - century BCE, showing that some of the wood had previously been used in older buildings. In 2012, it was reported that Robert Hamilton, an archaeologist who worked on the Temple Mount after the 1927 Jericho earthquake, had discovered remains under al - Aqsa mosque that he did not publish in his book on the excavations. These included a mosaic like those used in Byzantine churches, and a Jewish mikveh from the Second Temple period. Construction by the Umayyads The mosque along the southern wall of Haram al - Sharif The current construction of the al - Aqsa Mosque is dated to the early Umayyad period of rule in Palestine. Architectural historian K.A.C. Creswell, referring to a testimony by Arculf, a Gallic monk, during his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679 -- 82, notes the possibility that the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, Umar ibn al - Khattab, erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash - Sharif. However, Arculf 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 al - Muthahhar bin Tahir. According to several Muslim scholars, including Mujir ad - Din, al - Suyuti, and al - Muqaddasi, the mosque was reconstructed and expanded by the caliph Abd al - Malik in 690 along with the Dome of the Rock. Guy le Strange claims that Abd al - Malik 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. In planning his magnificent project on the Temple Mount, which in effect would turn the entire complex into the Haram al - Sharif ( `` the Noble Sanctuary '' ), Abd al - Malik wanted to replace the slipshod structure described by Arculf with a more sheltered structure enclosing the qibla ( `` direction '' ), a necessary element in his grand scheme. However, the entire Haram al - Sharif was meant to represent a mosque. How much he modified the aspect of the earlier building is unknown, but the length of the new building is indicated by the existence of traces of a bridge leading from the Umayyad palace just south of the western part of the complex. The bridge would have spanned the street running just outside the southern wall of the Haram al - Sharif to give direct access to the mosque. Direct access from palace to mosque was a well - known feature in the Umayyad period, as evidenced at various early sites. Abd al - Malik shifted the central axis of the mosque some 40 meters ( 130 ft ) westward, in accord with his overall plan for the Haram al - Sharif. The earlier axis is represented in the structure by the niche still known as the `` mihrab of ' Umar. '' In placing emphasis on the Dome of the Rock, Abd al - Malik had his architects align his new al - Aqsa Mosque according to the position of the Rock, thus shifting the main north -- south axis of the Noble Sanctuary, a line running through the Dome of the Chain and the Mihrab of Umar. In contrast, Creswell, while referring to the Aphrodito Papyri, claims that Abd al - Malik 's son, al - Walid I, reconstructed the Aqsa Mosque over a period of six months to a year, using workers from Damascus. Most scholars agree that the mosque 's reconstruction was started by Abd al - Malik, but that al - Walid oversaw its completion. In 713 -- 14, a series of earthquakes ravaged Jerusalem, destroying the eastern section of the mosque, which was subsequently rebuilt during al - Walid 's rule. In order to finance its reconstruction, al - Walid had gold from the dome of the Rock minted to use as money to purchase the material. The Umayyad - built al - Aqsa Mosque most likely measured 112 x 39 meters. Earthquakes and reconstructions In 746, the al - Aqsa Mosque was damaged in an earthquake, four years before as - Saffah overthrew the Umayyads and established the Abbasid Caliphate. The second Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al - Mansur 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 al - Mansur 's repairs, excluding those made in the southern portion in 774. In 780, the successor caliph Muhammad al - Mahdi had it rebuilt, but curtailed its length and increased its breadth. Al - Mahdi 's renovation is the first known to have written records describing it. In 985, Jerusalem - born Arab geographer al - Muqaddasi recorded that the renovated mosque had `` fifteen naves and fifteen gates ''. The doors of the Saladin Minbar, early 1900s. The minbar was built on Nur al - Din 's orders, but installed by Saladin In 1033, there was another earthquake, severely damaging the mosque. The Fatimid caliph Ali az - Zahir rebuilt and completely renovated the mosque between 1034 and 1036. The number of naves was drastically reduced from fifteen to seven. Az - Zahir 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. Persian geographer, Nasir Khusraw describes the Aqsa Mosque during a visit in 1047 : 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 nine - and - twenty 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 ( enclosure ). Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, during the First Crusade. They named the mosque `` Solomon 's Temple '', distinguishing it from the Dome of the Rock, which they named Templum Domini ( Temple of God ). While the Dome of the Rock was turned into a Christian church under the care of the Augustinians, the al - Aqsa Mosque was used as a royal palace and also as a stable for horses. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters of 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. The Templars constructed vaulted western and eastern annexes to the building ; the western currently serves as the women 's mosque and the eastern as the Islamic Museum. After the Ayyubids under the leadership of Saladin reconquered Jerusalem following the siege of 1187, several repairs and renovations were undertaken at al - Aqsa Mosque. In order to prepare the mosque for Friday prayers, within a week of his capture of Jerusalem Saladin had the toilets and grain stores installed by the Crusaders at al - Aqsa removed, the floors covered with precious carpets, and its interior scented with rosewater and incense. Saladin 's predecessor -- the Zengid sultan Nur al - Din -- had commissioned the construction of a new minbar or `` pulpit '' made of ivory and wood in 1168 -- 69, but it was completed after his death ; Nur ad - Din 's minbar was added to the mosque in November 1187 by Saladin. The Ayyubid sultan of Damascus, al - Mu'azzam, built the northern porch of the mosque with three gates in 1218. In 1345, the Mamluks under al - Kamil Shaban added two naves and two gates to the mosque 's eastern side. After the Ottomans assumed power in 1517, they did not undertake any major renovations or repairs to the mosque itself, but they did to the Noble Sanctuary 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 three free - standing 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. The sultans did make additions to existing minarets, however. In 1816, the mosque was restored by Governor Sulayman Pasha al - Adil after having been in a dilapidated state. Modern era See also : Al - Aqsa Intifada The dome of the mosque in 1982. It was made of aluminum ( and looked like silver ), but replaced with its original lead plating in 1983. The first renovation in the 20th century occurred in 1922, when the Supreme Muslim Council under Amin al - Husayni ( the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem ) commissioned Turkish architect Ahmet Kemalettin Bey to restore al - Aqsa Mosque and the monuments in its precincts. The council also commissioned British architects, Egyptian engineering experts and local officials to contribute to and oversee the repairs and additions which were carried out in 1924 -- 25 by Kemalettin. The renovations included reinforcing the mosque 's ancient Umayyad foundations, rectifying the interior columns, replacing the beams, erecting a scaffolding, conserving the arches and drum of the main dome 's interior, rebuilding the southern wall, and replacing timber in the central nave with a slab of concrete. The renovations also revealed Fatimid - era mosaics and inscriptions on the interior arches that had been covered with plasterwork. The arches were decorated with gold and green - tinted gypsum 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. Severe damage was caused by the 1837 and 1927 earthquakes, but the mosque was repaired in 1938 and 1942. On July 20, 1951, King Abdullah I was shot three times by a Palestinian gunman as he entered the mosque, killing him. His grandson Prince Hussein, was at his side and was also hit, though a medal he was wearing on his chest deflected the bullet. The mosque seen from the Western Wall plaza, 2005 On 21 August 1969, a fire was started by a visitor from Australia named Denis Michael Rohan. Rohan was a member of an evangelical Christian sect known as the Worldwide Church of God. He hoped that by burning down al - Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus, making way for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Rohan was subsequently hospitalized in a mental institution. In response to the incident, a summit of Islamic countries was held in Rabat that same year, hosted by Faisal of Saudi Arabia, the late king of Saudi Arabia. The al - Aqsa fire is regarded as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference ( OIC, now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation ) in 1972. In the 1980s, Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion, both members of the Gush Emunim Underground, plotted to blow up the al - Aqsa 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. On 15 January 1988, during the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the mosque, wounding 40 worshipers. On 8 October 1990, 22 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured by Israeli Border Police during protests that were triggered by the announcement of the Temple Mount Faithful, a group of religious Jews, that they were going to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple. On 28 September 2000, then - opposition leader of Israel Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party, along with 1,000 armed guards, visited the al - Aqsa compound ; a large group of 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 al - Sharif began throwing stones and other projectiles at Israeli riot police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, injuring 24 people. The visit sparked a five - year uprising by the Palestinians, commonly referred to as the al - Aqsa Intifada, though some commentators, citing subsequent speeches by PA officials, particularly Imad Falouji and Arafat himself, claim that the Intifada had been planned months in advance, as early as July upon Yasser Arafat 's return from Camp David talks. On 29 September, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the mosque. When a group of Palestinians left the mosque after Friday prayers ( Jumu'ah, ) 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. On 5 November 2014, Israeli police entered Al - Aqsa for the first time since capturing Jerusalem in 1967, said Sheikh Azzam Al - Khatib, director of the Islamic Waqf. Previous media reports of ' storming Al - Aqsa ' referred to the Haram al - Sharif compound rather than the Al - Aqsa mosque itself. Architecture The mosque is situated at the Southern end of the Haram ash - Sharif The rectangular al - Aqsa Mosque and its precincts are 144,000 square meters ( 1,550,000 sq ft ), although the mosque itself is about 35,000 square meters ( 380,000 sq ft ) and could hold up to 5,000 worshipers. It is 83 m ( 272 ft ) long, 56 m ( 184 ft ) wide. Unlike the Dome of the Rock, which reflects classical Byzantine architecture, the Al - Aqsa Mosque is characteristic of early Islamic architecture. Dome The silver - colored dome consists of lead sheeting Nothing remains of the original dome built by Abd al - Malik. The present - day dome was built by az - Zahir and consists of wood plated with lead enamelwork. 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 az - Zahir. Al - Aqsa '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 of Sousse ( 850 ). The interior of the dome is painted with 14th - century - era 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. Facade and porch The facade of the mosque. It was constructed by the Fatimids, then expanded by the Crusaders, the Ayyubids and the Mamluks The facade of the mosque was built in 1065 CE on the instructions of the Fatimid caliph al - Mustansir Billah. It was crowned with a balustrade consisting of arcades and small columns. The Crusaders damaged the facade, but it was restored and renovated by the Ayyubids. One addition was the covering of the facade with tiles. The second - hand material of the facade 's arches includes sculpted, ornamental material taken from Crusader structures in Jerusalem. The facade consists of fourteen stone arches, 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. 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 al - Mu'azzam Isa ordered the construction of the porch itself in 1217. Interior The al - Aqsa Mosque has seven aisles of hypostyle naves with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building. There are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. About a fourth of them were restored in 1924. Interior view of the mosque showing the central naves and columns The mosque 's interior is supported by 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone. The column rows of the central aisles are heavy and stunted. 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, and made from Italian white marble. The capitals in the eastern aisle are of a heavy basket - shaped design and those east and west of the dome are also basket - shaped, but smaller and better proportioned. The columns and piers are connected by an architectural rave, which consists of beams of roughly squared timber enclosed in a wooden casing. 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 paintings by an Italian artist were introduced when repairs were undertaken at the mosque after an earthquake ravaged the mosque in 1927. The ceiling of the mosque was painted with funding by King Farouk of Egypt. The minbar ( `` pulpit '' ) of the mosque was built by a craftsman named Akhtarini from Aleppo on the orders of the Zengid sultan Nur ad - Din. It was intended to be a gift for the mosque when Nur ad - Din would capture Jerusalem from the Crusaders and took six years to build ( 1168 -- 74 ). Nur ad - Din died and the Crusaders still controlled 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. After its destruction by Rohan in 1969, it was replaced by a much simpler minbar. In January 2007, Adnan al - Husayni -- head of the Islamic waqf in charge of al - Aqsa -- stated that a new minbar would be installed ; it was installed in February 2007. 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. 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 ). '' Ablution Fountain The mosque 's `` al - Kas '' ablution fountain The mosque 's main ablution fountain, known as al - Kas ( `` the Cup '' ), is located north of the mosque between it and the Dome of the Rock. 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 Umayyads, but in 1327 -- 28 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. In the 20th - century, al - Kas was provided taps and stone seating. 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. Religious significance in Islam In Islam, the term `` al - Aqsa Mosque '' refers to the entire Noble Sanctuary. The mosque is believed to be the second house of prayer constructed after the Masjid al - Haram in Mecca. Post-Rashidun - era Islamic scholars traditionally identified the mosque as the site referred to in the sura ( Quranic chapter ) al - Isra ( `` the Night Journey '' ). This specific verse in the Quran cemented the significant religious importance of al - Aqsa in Islam. The specific passage reads `` Praise be to Him who made His servant journey in the night from the sacred sanctuary to the remotest sanctuary. '' Muslims traditionally identify the `` sacred sanctuary '' as the Masjid al - Haram and the `` remotest sanctuary '' as the al - Aqsa Mosque, even though initially, Rashidun and Umayyad - era scholars were in disagreement about the location of the `` remotest sanctuary '' with some arguing it was actually located near Mecca. Eventually scholarly consensus determined that its location was indeed in Jerusalem. Abu Dhar narrated : I said, `` O Allah 's Apostle ! Which mosque was first built on the surface of the earth ? '' He said, `` Al - Masjid - ul - Haram ( in Mecca ). '' I said, `` Which was built next ? '' He replied `` The mosque of Al - Aqsa ( in Jerusalem ). '' I said, `` What was the period of construction between the two ? '' He said, `` Forty years. '' He added, `` Wherever ( you may be, and ) the prayer time becomes due, perform the prayer there, for the best thing is to do so ( i.e. to offer the prayers in time ). '' `` '' Sahih al - Bukhari : Volume 4, Book 55, Hadith Number 585 Isra and Mi'raj According to the Quran and Islamic traditions, al - Aqsa Mosque is the place from which Muhammad went on a night journey ( al - isra ) during which he rode on Buraq, who took him from Mecca to al - Aqsa. Muhammad tethered Buraq to the Western Wall and prayed at al - Aqsa Mosque and after he finished his prayers, the angel Jibril ( Gabriel ) traveled with him to heaven, where he met several other prophets and led them in prayer. First qibla Interior view of the mosque showing the mihrab, indicating the qibla The historical significance of the al - Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al - Aqsa when they prayed for a period of sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina in 624 ; it thus became the qibla ( `` direction '' ) that Muslims faced for prayer. Muhammad later prayed towards the Kaaba in Mecca after receiving a revelation during a prayer session in the Masjid al - Qiblatayn. The qibla was relocated to the Kaaba where Muslims have been directed to pray ever since. The altering of the qibla was precisely the reason the Rashidun caliph Umar, despite identifying the mosque which Muhammad used to ascend to Heaven upon his arrival at the Noble Sanctuary in 638, neither prayed facing it nor built any structure upon it. This was because the significance of that particular spot on the Noble Sanctuary was superseded in Islamic jurisprudence by the Kaaba in Mecca after the change of the qibla towards that site. According to early Quranic interpreters and what is generally accepted as Islamic tradition, in 638 CE Umar, upon entering a conquered Jerusalem, consulted with Ka'ab al - Ahbar -- a Jewish convert to Islam who came with him from Medina -- as to where the best spot would be to build a mosque. Al - Ahbar 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 ! '' 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 Quranic sura Sad. Thus, according to this tradition, Umar thereby reconsecrated the site as a mosque. Because of the holiness of Noble Sanctuary itself -- being a place where David and Solomon 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 Kaaba so that Muslims would face only Mecca when they prayed. Religious status Main articles : Holiest sites in Sunni Islam and Holiest sites in Shia Islam Jerusalem is recognized as a sacred site in Islam. Though the Quran does not mention Jerusalem by name, it has been understood by Islamic scholars since the earliest times that many passages in the Quran refer to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is also mentioned many times in the hadith. Some academics attribute the holiness of Jerusalem to the rise and expansion of a certain type of literary genre, known as al - Fadhail or history of cities. The Fadhail of Jerusalem inspired Muslims, especially during the Umayyad period, to embellish the sanctity of the city beyond its status in the holy texts. Others point to the political motives of the Umayyad dynasty which led to the sanctification of Jerusalem in Islam. Later medieval scripts, as well as modern - day political tracts, tend to classify al - Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam. For example, Sahih al - Bukhari quotes Abu Darda as saying : `` the Prophet of God 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 al - Aqsa Mosque is worth 500 prayers more than in any other mosque ''. In addition, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation refers to the al - Aqsa Mosque as the third holiest site in Islam ( and calls for Arab sovereignty over it ). Current situations Administration The Waqf Ministry of Jordan held control of the al - Aqsa Mosque until the 1967 Six - Day War. After Israel 's victory in that war, Israel transferred the control of the mosque and the northern Noble Sanctuary 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. The Islamic Movement in Israel and the waqf have attempted to increase Muslim control of the Temple Mount as a way of countering Israeli policies and the escalating presence of Israeli security forces around the site since the Second Intifada. Some activities included refurbishing abandoned structures and renovating. Muhammad Ahmad Hussein is the head imam and manager of the al - Aqsa Mosque and was assigned the role of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006 by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Ownership of the al - Aqsa Mosque is a contentious issue in the Israel - Palestinian conflict. Israel claims sovereignty over the mosque along with all of the Temple Mount ( Noble Sanctuary ), but Palestinians hold the 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. Current Imams : Sheikh Abu Yusuf Sneia, Sheikh Ali Al Abbasi, Sheikh Sa'eed Qalqeeli, Sheikh Walid Access Palestinian Muslim reading the Quran inside al - Aqsa Mosque Muslim residents of Israel and Palestinians living in East Jerusalem are normally allowed to enter the Temple Mount and pray at the al - Aqsa Mosque without restrictions. Due to security measures, the Israeli government occasionally prevents certain groups of Muslims from reaching al - Aqsa by blocking the entrances to the complex ; the restrictions vary from time to time. At times restrictions have prevented all men under 50 and women under 45 from entering, but married men over 45 are allowed. Sometimes the restrictions are enforced on the occasion of Friday prayers, other times they are over an extended period of time. Restrictions are most severe for Gazans, followed by restrictions on those from West Bank. The Israeli government states that the restrictions are in place for security reasons. Until 2000, non-Muslim visitors could enter the Al - Aqsa Mosque by getting a ticket from the Waqf. That procedure ended when the Second Intifada began. Fifteen years later, negotiation between Israel and Jordan might result in allowing visitors to enter once again. Excavations Main article : Excavations at the Temple Mount Several excavations outside the Temple Mount took place following the 1967 War. In 1970, Israeli authorities commenced intensive excavations outside the walls next to the mosque on the southern and western sides. Palestinians believed that tunnels were being dug under the Al - Aqsa Mosque in order to undermine its foundations, which was denied by Israelis, who claimed that the closest excavation to the mosque was some 70 meters ( 230 ft ) to its south. The Archaeological Department of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs dug a tunnel near the western portion of the mosque in 1984. According to UNESCO 's special envoy to Jerusalem Oleg Grabar, buildings and structures on the Temple Mount are deteriorating due mostly to disputes between the Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian governments over who is actually responsible for the site. In February 2007, the Department started to excavate a site for archaeological remains in a location where the government wanted to rebuild a collapsed pedestrian bridge leading to the Mughrabi Gate, the only entrance for non-Muslims into the Temple Mount complex. This site was 60 meters ( 200 ft ) away from the mosque. 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 -- called on Palestinians to unite to protest the excavations, while Fatah said they would end their ceasefire with Israel. Israel denied all charges against them, calling them `` ludicrous ''. See also Islam portal Jerusalem portal Islamic architecture Islam in Israel Islam in the Palestinian territories List of the oldest mosques in the world Masjid an - Nabawi Mosque of Omar Palestinian nationalism Notes Jump up ^ According to historian Oleg Grabar, `` It is only at a relatively late date that the Muslim holy space in Jerusalem came to be referred to as al - haram al - sharif ( literally, the Noble Sacred Precinct or Restricted Enclosure, often translated as the Noble Sanctuary and usually simply referred to as the Haram ). While the exact early history of this term is unclear, we know that it only became common in Ottoman times, when administrative order was established over all matters pertaining to the organization of the Muslim faith and the supervision of the holy places, for which the Ottomans took financial and architectural responsibility. Before the Ottomans, the space was usually called al - masjid al - aqsa ( the Farthest Mosque ), a term now reserved to the covered congregational space on the Haram, or masjid bayt al - maqdis ( Mosque of the Holy City ) or, even, like Mecca 's sanctuary, al - masjid al - haram. '' References Jump up ^ Al - Ratrout, H.A., The Architectural Development of Al - Aqsa Mosque in the Early Islamic Period, ALMI Press, London, 2004. Jump up ^ Grabar 2000, p. 203. Jump up ^ Schieck, Robert ( 2008 ) in Geographical Dimension of Islamic Jerusalem, Cambridge Scholars Publishing ; see also Omar, Abdallah ( 2009 ) al - Madkhal li - dirasat al - Masjid al - Aqsa al - Mubarak, Beirut : Dar al - Kotob al - Ilmiyaah ; also by the same author the Atlas of Al - Aqsa Mosque ( 2010 ) ^ Jump up to : `` Al - Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem ''. Atlas Travel and Tourist Agency. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2008. Jump up ^ `` Lailat al Miraj ''. BBC News. BBC MMVIII. 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ISBN 0 - 8239 - 4217 - 1 Jump up ^ Madden, 2002, p. 230. ^ Jump up to : Al - Aqsa Guide Archived 6 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Friends of Al - Aqsa 2007. Jump up ^ Pappe, Ilan ( 2012 ). `` Chapter 2 : In the Shadow of Acre and Cairo : The Third Generation ''. The Rise and Fall of a Palestinian Dynasty : The Huyaynis 1700 -- 1948. Saqi Books. ISBN 9780863568015. ^ Jump up to : Yuvaz, 1996, pp. 149 -- 153. Jump up ^ `` The Burning of Al - Aqsa ''. Time Magazine. 29 August 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 1 July 2008. Jump up ^ `` Madman at the Mosque ''. Time Magazine. 12 January 1970. Retrieved 3 July 2008. Jump up ^ Esposito, 1998, p. 164. Jump up ^ Dumper, 2002, p. 44. Jump up ^ Sprinzak 2001, pp. 198 -- 199. Jump up ^ OpenDocument Letter Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. 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Jump up ^ Abdel - Latif, Omayma ( 8 August 2001 ). `` ' Not impartial, not scientific ' : As political conflict threatens the survival of monuments in the world 's most coveted city, Omayma Abdel - Latif speaks to UNESCO 's special envoy to Jerusalem ''. Al - Ahram Weekly. Al - Ahram. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011. Jump up ^ Lis, Jonathan ( 2 December 2007 ). `` Majadele : Jerusalem mayor knew Mugrabi dig was illegal ''. Haaretz. Haaretz. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2008. Jump up ^ Rabinovich, Abraham ( 8 February 2007 ). `` Palestinians unite to fight Temple Mount dig ''. The Australian. Retrieved 1 July 2008. Jump up ^ Friedman, Matti ( 14 October 2007 ). `` Israel to resume dig near Temple Mount ''. USA Today. Retrieved 1 July 2008. Bibliography ' Asali, Kamil Jamil ( 1990 ). Jerusalem in History. Interlink Books. ISBN 1 - 56656 - 304 - 6. Auld, Sylvia ( 2005 ). `` The Minbar of al - Aqsa : Form and Function ''. In Hillenbrand, R. Image and Meaning in Islamic Art. London : Altajir Trust. pp. 42 -- 60. Boas, Adrian ( 2001 ). Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades : Society, Landscape and Art in the holy city under Frankish rule. Routledge. ISBN 0 - 415 - 23000 - 4. Dean, Lucy ( 2003 ). The Middle East and North Africa 2004. Routledge. ISBN 1 - 85743 - 184 - 7. Dumper, Michael ( 2002 ). The Politics of Sacred Space : The Old City of Jerusalem in the Middle East. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 1 - 58826 - 226 - X. Esposito, John L. ( 1998 ). Islam and Politics. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0 - 8156 - 2774 - 2. Gonen, Rivka ( 2003 ). Contested Holiness. KTAV Publishing House. ISBN 0 - 88125 - 799 - 0. Grabar, Oleg ( 2000 ). `` The Haram al - Sharif : An Essay in Interpretation '' ( PDF ). Bulletin of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies. Constructing the Study of Islamic Art. 2 ( 2 ). Jacobs, Daniel ( 2009 ). Jerusalem. Penguin. ISBN 1 - 4053 - 8001 - 2. Jarrar, Sabri ( 1998 ). `` Suq al - Ma'rifa : An Ayyubid Hanbalite Shrine in Haram al - Sharif ''. In Necipoğlu, Gülru. Muqarnas : An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World ( Illustrated, annotated ed. ). Brill. ISBN 978 - 90 - 04 - 11084 - 7. Jeffers, H. ( 2004 ). Contested Holiness : Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspective on the Temple. KTAV Publishing House. ISBN 978 - 0 - 88125 - 799 - 1. Madden, Thomas F. ( 2002 ). The Crusades : The Essential Readings. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0 - 631 - 23023 - 8. Meri, Josef W. ; Bacharach, Jeri L. ( 2006 ). Medieval Islamic civilization : An Encyclopedia. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 0 - 415 - 96691 - 4. Yavuz, Yildirim ( 1996 ). `` The Restoration Project of the Masjid al - Aqsa by Mimar Kemalettin ( 1922 -- 26 ) ''. In Necipoğlu, Gülru. Muqarnas, Volume 13 : An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World. Brill. ISBN 90 - 04 - 10633 - 2. Netzer, Ehud ( 2008 ). The Architecture of Herod, the Great Builder. Baker Academic. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8010 - 3612 - 5. Patel, Ismail ( 2006 ). Virtues of Jerusalem : An Islamic Perspective. Al - Aqsa Publishers. ISBN 0 - 9536530 - 2 - 1. Pringle, Denys ( 1993 ). The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem : Volume 3, The City of Jerusalem : A Corpus. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521390385. Raby, Julian ( 2004 ). Essays in Honour of J.M. Rogers. Brill. ISBN 90 - 04 - 13964 - 8. Sprinzak, Ehud ( 2001 ). `` From Messianic Pioneering to Vigilante Terrorism : The Case of the Gush Emunim Underground ''. In Rapoport, David. Inside Terrorist Organizations. Routledge. ISBN 0 - 7146 - 8179 - 2. Shah, Niaz A. ( 2008 ). Self - defense in Islamic and international law. Macmillan. ISBN 0 - 230 - 60618 - 0. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al - Aqsa Mosque. Noble Sanctuary : Al - Aqsa Mosque Timeline : Al - Aqsa Mosque, Aljazeera Temple Mount Al - Aqsa Mosque Al - Qibli Chapel Fountain of Qasim Pasha Murabitat Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Walls Western Wall Little Western Wall Dung Gate Heritage Foundation Modesty guard Mughrabi Bridge Paratroopers at the Western Wall Placing notes Platoon of the Wall Pro -- Wailing Wall Committee Western Stone Western Wall camera Wilson 's Arch Women for the Wall Western Wall Tunnel Other walls Eastern Wall Southern Wall Hall of Hewn Stones Temples Solomon 's Temple Second Temple Third Temple The Temple Institute Archaeological remnants Dome of the Rock Dome of al - Khalili Dome of the Ascension Dome of the Chain Dome of the Prophet Dome of the Rock Dome of Yusuf Fountain of Qayt Bay Antiquities Foundation Stone Acra Antonia Fortress Birket Israel Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount Excavations Hasmonean Baris Minarets Monastery of the Virgins Pool of Raranj Ptolemaic Baris Robinson 's Arch Royal Stoa Solomon 's Stables Struthion Pool Temple Mount Sifting Project Gates Al - Mawazin Golden Gate Huldah Gates Warren 's Gate Conflicts 1990 Temple Mount riots 2009 Temple Mount riots 2017 Temple Mount crisis 2017 Temple Mount shooting See also Status quo of Holy Land sites Islamic Museum Islamization Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael Faithful Movement Entry restrictions Templum Domini Temple Denial Well of Souls Category People and things in the Quran Characters God in Islam ( Allah ) Names of God found in the Quran Angels Israfil Izra'il / Azrael ( Malak al - Mawt ) Jibra'il / Gabriel ( Al - Ruh al - Amin ) and Holy Spirit ( Al - Ruh al - Qudus ) and Al - Ruh ( The Spirit ) Maalik Mika'il Harut and Marut Jinns Iblīs / Devil Shaitan / Satan Ifrit ( and Marid ) Qareen In Heaven ( Jannah ) Ghilman and Wildan Houri In Hell ( Jahannam ) Zabaniyya Zaqqum Prophets and apostles ( messengers ) of God Mentioned Ādam / Adam Alyasa ' / Elisha Ayyub / Job Dawud / David Dhul - Kifl / Ezekiel ? Harun / Aaron Hud / Eber ? Ibrahim / Abraham ( Khalilullah ) Idris / Enoch ? Ilyas / Elijah Imran / Joachim ( father of Maryam ) Isa / Jesus Isḥaq / Isaac Isma'il / Ishmael Dhabih Ullah Lut / Lot Muhammad or Ahmad / Paraclete Musa / Moses ( Kalimullah ) Nuh / Noah Saleh / Shelah ? Shuaib / Jethro Sulayman / Solomon Uzair / Ezra ? Yahya / John the Baptist Yaqub / Jacob ( Israel ) Yunus / Jonah ( Dhul - Nun, Sahib al - Hut ) Yūsuf / Joseph Zakariya / Zechariah Implied Ermia / Jeremiah Samuel Yusha ' ibn Nūn / Joshua Good people ( before Islam ) Mentioned Dhul - Qarnayn Luqman Maryam / Mary ( mother of Isa ) Talut / Saul Implicitly mentioned Asiyah bint Muzahim / Bithiah ? ( wife of Fir'aun ) Asif ibn Barkhiya Bilquis ( Queen of Saba / Sheba ) Believer of Fir'aun Family ( Hizbil / Hizqil ibn Sabura ) Beniamin / Benjamin Habib the Carpenter ( believer of Ya - Sin ) Kaleb / Caleb Khidr Magicians of Fir'aun Simon Cephas / Simon Peter Other people ( before Islam ) Mentioned Āzar ( uncle of Ibrahim ) Fir'aun / Pharaoh Haman Jalut / Goliath Qarun / Korah Sāmiri Implicitly mentioned Abraha Bal'am / Balaam Barṣīṣā Nebuchadnezzar II Nimrod Potiphar ( Al - Aziz ) Shaddad Simeon ( son of Ya'qub ) Slayers of Saleh 's she - camel ( Qaddar ibn Salif and Musda ' ibn Dahr ) Valid ibn Rayyan ( king of Egypt in the account of Yūsuf ) Zuleika ( wife of al - Aziz ) Mentioned people ( after inception of Islam ) Abū Lahab Zayd ibn Harithah Relatives of prophets Specified good relatives Daughters of Lut / Lot ( Ritha, Za'ura, et al. ) Elizabeth or ' Ishā ' ( wife of Zakariya ) Habil / Abel ( son of Adam ) Hawwa ' / Eve ( wife of Adam ) Kulthum / Miriam ( sister of Musa ) Saffurah / Zipporah ( wife of Musa ) and Layya ( Saffura 's sister ) Sarah ( wife of Ibrahim, mother of Isḥaq ) Yukabed / Jochebed ( mother of Musa ) Non-specified good relatives Abiona / Amtelai daughter of Karnebo ( mother of Ibrahim ) Bathsheba ( wife of Dawud ) Muhammad 's wives Daughters of Muhammad Hājar / Hagar ( wife of Ibrahim, mother of Isma'il ) Hannah / Anne daughter of Faquz ( mother of Maryam ) Imran / Amram ( father of Musa ) Lamech ( father of Nuh ) Rāhil / Rachel ( wife of Ya'qub ) Rahma / Dinah ( wife of Ayyub ) Shamkha bint Anush / Betenos ( mother of Nuh ) Son of Luqman Other relatives Brothers of Yūsuf Children of Ayyub Dead son of Sulaiman Qabil / Cain ? Tārah / Terah ( father of Ibrahim ) Umm Jamil ( wife of Abu Lahab ) Wali'ah or Wa'ilah / Waala ? ( wife of Nuh ) Walihah or Wahilah ( wife of Lut ) Yam or Kan'an ( son of Nuh ) Groups and tribes Tribes and ethnicities Mentioned ' Ād ( people of Hud ) Arabs and Ajam Children of Israel / Israelites Companions of the Rass People of Saba ' / Sheba People of Shu'aib ( people of Madyan and people of Aykah / Wood ) People of Tubba ' Quraysh Romans Thamud ( people of Saleh, companions of Hijr ) Ya'juj and Ma'juj / Gog and Magog Implicitly mentioned Ahl al - Bayt Amalek Banu Hashim Banu Nadir Banu Qaynuqa Banu Qurayza Iranian people Umayyad Dynasty Groups Mentioned Christian apostles Disciples of Jesus Companions of Noah 's Ark Companions of Sabbath ( Aşḥāb al - Sabt ) Companions of the Cave / Seven Sleepers and Companions of al - Raqaim Companions of the Elephant People of al - Ukhdūd People of the City ( People of Ya - Sin ) People of the Burned Garden ( Aşḥāb al - Jannah ) Ulu'l azm prophets Implicitly mentioned Ahl al - Suffa ( People of the Verandah ) Aus and Khazraj Copts Hezbollah Muhajirun ( The emigrants ) and Ansar ( The helpers ) Ummah of Islam ( Ummah of Muhammad ) Religious groups Ahl al - dhimmah ( Dhimmi ) Christians ( People of Injil ) Jews Kafir ( Infidels ) Majus Zoroastrians Munafiq Hypocrites Mushrik Polytheists Muslims People of the Book ( ‎ ′ Ahl al - Kitāb ) Sabians Ahbār ( Jewish scholars ) Qissis ( Christian priest ) Rabbani / Rabbi Ruhban ( Christian monks ) Locations, entities and events Locations Mentioned Ahqāf Al - Aqsa Mosque Arafat and Mash'ar al - Harām Bābil / Babylon Badr Door of Hittah Hijr / Hegra Holy Land ( Palestine and Levant ) Hunayn Iram Ka'bah / Kaaba ( Bayt al - Harām / Sacred House, Bayt al - ' Atīq / Ancient House ) Madyan / Midian Madinah / Medina ( formerly Yathrib ) Majma ' al - Bahrain Makkah / Mecca ( Umm al - Qura, Balad al - Amin, Bakkah ) Maqām Ibrahim Masjid al - Dirar Masjid al - Haram Mount Judi Mu'tafikat ( Sodom ) Rass Saba ' / Sheba Al - Safa and Al - Marwah Tur Sinā ' / Mount Sinai and Jabal al - Tur Egypt Valley of Tuwa Implicitly mentioned Antioch Antakya Ayla Barrier of Dhul - Qarnayn Bayt al - Muqaddas and ' Ariha Black Stone ( Al - Ḥajar al - Aswad ) and Al - Hijr of Isma'il Canaan Cave of Hira and Cave of Thawr Cave of Seven Sleepers Dār al - Nadwa Hudaybiyyah Jordan River Ma'rib Dam Masjid al - Nabawi ( Prophet 's Mosque ) Mesopotamia Nile River Nineveh Palestine River Paradise of Shaddad Quba Mosque Sinai Desert and Tīh Desert Ta'if Religious locations Bay'a ( Church ) Mihrab Monastery Mosque Salat ( Synagogue ) Non-human physical entities Religious texts Injil / Gospel Quran Suhuf - i Ibrahim ( Scrolls of Abraham ) Tawrat / Torah, Suhuf - i - Musa ( Scrolls of Moses ) and Tablets of Stone Zabur Related animals Cow of Israelites and Golden calf Dog of Seven Sleepers Fish of Yunis Hoopoe of Sulayman She - Camel of Saleh Related objects Forbidden fruit of Adam Heavenly Food of Christian Apostles Noah 's Ark Staff of Musa Tabut al - Sakina ( Casket of Shekhinah ) Throne of Bilqis Trumpet of Israfil Mentioned idols ( cult images ) Baal Lāt, ' Uzza and Manāt Wadd, Suwa ', Yaghuth, Ya'uq and Nasr ( Jibt and Taghut Ansāb ) Events Battle of Badr Battle of Hunayn Battle of Khaybar Battle of Tabouk Battle of the Trench ( Battle of the Confederates ) Battle of Uhud Conquest of Mecca Hadith of the pond of Khumm Incident of Ifk Layla al - Mabit Mubahala The Farewell Pilgrimage ( Hujja al - Wada ' ) Treaty of Hudaybiyyah Umrah al - Qaza Yawm al - Dār Note : The names are sorted alphabetically. Standard form : Islamic name / Bibilical name ( title or relationship ) Mosques in Israel Israel Al - Bahr Mosque Hassan Bek Mosque Jezzar Pasha Mosque Mahmood Mosque Mahmoudiya Mosque Makam al - Nabi Sain Mosque Nebi Akasha Mosque Al - Muallaq Mosque Sidna Ali Mosque White Mosque ( Nazareth ) White Mosque ( Ramla ) East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque Al - Aqsa Mosque Al - Yaqoubi Mosque Al - Khanqah al - Salahiyya Mosque Marwani Mosque Mosque of Omar Note : East Jerusalem is officially jurisdicted by Israel, but is not recognized as such by the international community Category : Mosques in Israel Islam in Israel Mosques by country Mosques in Palestine West Bank Bilal ibn Rabah Mosque Fatima Khatun Mosque Great Mosque of Nablus Al - Hamadiyya Mosque Hanbali Mosque Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque Al - Khadra Mosque Ibrahimi Mosque Al - Jawali Mosque Nabi Yahya Mosque an - Nasr Mosque Al - Nurayn Mosque Mosque of Omar Sheikh Ali al - Bakka Mosque Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham Mosque Gaza Strip Aybaki Mosque Great Mosque of Gaza Ibn Marwan Mosque Ibn Uthman Mosque Katib al - Wilaya Mosque Mahkamah Mosque Sayed al - Hashim Mosque Al - Shamah Mosque Umm al - Nasr Mosque East Jerusalem Abdeen Mosque Al - Aqsa Mosque Al - Khanqah al - Salahiyya Mosque Marwani Mosque Mosque of Omar Note : East Jerusalem is under de facto Israeli control, though claimed by Palestinians Category : Mosques in Palestine Islam in Palestine Mosques by country Islamic structures on the Temple Mount Under the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf and the Sunni Islamic Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Mosque al - Aqsa Mosque Marwani Mosque Domes Dome of the Ascension Dome of the Chain Dome of al - Khalili Dome of the Prophet Dome of the Rock Dome of Yusuf Fountains Fountain of Qasim Pasha Fountain of Qayt Bay Pool of Raranj Other structures Islamic Museum Al - Mawazin Minarets Minaret of Israel Bab al - Silsila Minaret Ghawanima Minaret al - Fakhariyya Minaret See also Islamization of the Temple Mount Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Old City of Jerusalem and its walls World Heritage Site by UNESCO Judaism ( Sephardic / Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis ) General Southern Wall Western Wall Western Wall Tunnel Little Western Wall Orthodox Hurva Synagogue Ohel Yitzchak Synagogue Ramban Synagogue Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue Other Ari Synagogue Four Sephardic Synagogues Ohr ha - Chaim Synagogue Tzuf Dvash Synagogue Areas Christian Quarter Muristan Muslim Quarter Armenian Quarter Jewish Quarter Temple Mount Gates 1. Jaffa 2. Zion 3. Dung 4. Golden 5. Lions 6. Herod 7. Damascus 8. New ( Double, Single, Tanners ' ) Al - Mawazin Surrounding roads : Hativat Yerushalayim HaTsanhanim Jaffa Road Jericho Ma'ale HaShalom Ofel Sultan Suleiman Christianity `` Status quo '' Church of the Holy Sepulchre ( Deir Es - Sultan ) Via Dolorosa See also : New Church of the Theotokos Catholic ( Custody of the Holy Land ) Latin ( Patriarch ) Chapel of Simon of Cyrene Church of the Condemnation Church of the Flagellation Church of the Holy Family Church of Saint James Intercisus Co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Church of Saint Mary of the Germans Church of Saint Mary of the Latins Convent of the Sisters of Zion : Church of Ecce Homo Monastery of Saint Saviour Church of Saint Anne Templum Domini Melkite Catholic ( Patriarch ) Cathedral of the Annunciation Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Spasm Eastern Orthodox Greek Orthodox ( Patriarch ) Church of Saint John the Baptist Oriental Orthodox Armenian Orthodox ( Patriarch ) Cathedral of Saint James Church of the Holy Archangels Church of Saint Toros Syriac Orthodox Monastery of Saint Mark Protestant Anglican Christ Church Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Islam ( Sunni Islamic Grand Mufti ) Noble Sanctuary ( Waqf ) Al - Aqsa Mosque Dome of the Ascension Dome of the Chain Dome of al - Khalili Dome of the Prophet Dome of the Rock Dome of Yusuf Marwani Mosque Other Abdeen Mosque Al - Buraq mosque Al - Yaqoubi Mosque Al - Khanqah al - Salahiyya Mosque Mosque of Omar Remnants or rebuilt buildings in italic ( governing authority in small ) Jerusalem portal Israel portal Palestine portal Judaism portal Christianity portal Islam portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al-Aqsa_Mosque&oldid=796932635 '' Categories : 8th - century mosques Arabic architecture Islamic holy places Umayyad architecture Palestinian nationalism Ziyarat Al - Aqsa Mosque Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Webarchive template wayback links Articles with dead external links from October 2016 Wikipedia pages under 30 - 500 editing restriction Use dmy dates from October 2012 Coordinates on Wikidata Articles containing Arabic - language text Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2014 All accuracy disputes Articles with disputed statements from June 2016 All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from April 2015 Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015 Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2015 Good articles Talk Article Talk View source More Contents About Wikipedia In other projects Wikimedia Commons Acèh Afrikaans Alemannisch العربية Авар Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Башҡортса Български Bosanski Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Қазақша Kinyarwanda Kurdî Latviešu Magyar Македонски മലയാളം مصرى Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی پښتو Polski Português Română Русский Scots Shqip Simple English سنڌي Slovenčina Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Taqbaylit Татарча / tatarça తెలుగు Türkçe Українська اردو ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche Tiếng Việt Winaray Zazaki 中文 Edit links This version of the page has been revised. 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Question: the great mosque constructed in jerusalem at the site of the old temple is the
Answer: Al-Aqsa Mosque