Al-Aqsa Mosque

De **Aqsa Mosque** (Arabic: جامع الأقصى, romanized: *Jāmiʿ al-Aqṣā*, lit. 'congregational mosque of Al-Aqsa'), dem sanso know as de **Qibli Mosque** anaa **Qibli Chapel** (المصلى القبلي, *al-muṣallā al-qiblī*, lit. 'prayer hall of de qibla (south)'), be de main congregational mosque anaa prayer hall insyd de Al-Aqsa mosque compound insyd de Old City of Jerusalem. Insyd sam sources na dem sanso name de building *al-Masjid al-Aqṣā,* buh dis name primarily dey apply to de whole compound insyd wich de building dey tap, wich einself dem sanso know as "Al-Aqsa Mosque". De wider compound be known as Al-Aqsa anaa Al-Aqsa mosque compound, dem sanso know as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (الحرم الشريف, lit. 'De Noble Sanctuary').

During de rule of de Rashidun caliph Umar (r. 634–644) anaa de Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I (r. 661–680), na dem erect a small prayer house for de compound near de mosque ein site. De present-day mosque, locate for de south wall of de compound, na de fifth Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik originally build  (r. 685–705) anaa ein successor al-Walid I (r. 705– 715) (anaa both) as a congregational mosque for de same axis as de Dome of de Rock, a commemorative Islamic monument. After e be destroyed insyd an earthquake insyd 746, na dem rebuild de mosque insyd 758 by de Abbasid caliph al-Mansur. Na dem further expand am upon insyd 780 by de Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi, after wich e consist of fifteen aisles den a central dome. However, na dem san destroy am during de 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake. Na de mosque be rebuilt by de Fatimid caliph al-Zahir (r. 1021–1036), wey reduce am to seven aisles buh dem adorn ein interior plus an elaborate central archway dem cover insyd vegetal mosaics; de current structure dey preserve de 11th-century outline.

During de periodic renovations dem undertake, na de ruling Islamic dynasties construct additions to de mosque den win precincts, such as ein dome, façade, minarets, den minbar den interior structure. Upon ein capture by de Crusaders insyd 1099, na dem use de mosque as a palace; na e sanso be de headquarters of de religious order of de Knights Templar. After de area be conquered by Saladin insyd 1187, na dem restore de structure ein function as a mosque. Na dem undertake more renovations, repairs, den expansion projects insyd later centuries by de Ayyubids, de Mamluks, de Ottomans, de Supreme Muslim Council of British Palestine, den during de Jordanian occupation of de West Bank. Since de beginning of de ongoing Israeli occupation of de West Bank, de mosque remain under de independent administration of de Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.

## Definition

De "Al-Aqsa Mosque" dey translate into "de Farthest Mosque" insyd English.

De Arabic term "Al-Aqsa Mosque" be de translation of both *al-Masjid al-Aqṣā* (ٱلْمَسْجِد ٱلْأَقْصَىٰ) den *Jāmiʿ al-Aqṣā* (جَامِع ٱلْأَقْصَىٰ), wich get distinct meanings insyd Arabic. De former (*al-Masjid al-Aqṣā*) dey refer to de Quran ein *Surah 17* – "de furthest mosque" – den thus be used for whole compound of de Temple Mount, dem sanso know as de Haram al-Sharif, while de latter name (*Jāmiʿ al-Aqṣā*) be used for de subject of dis article – de silver-domed congregational mosque building. Arabic den Persian writers such as 10th-century geographer al-Muqaddasi, 11th-century scholar Nasir Khusraw, 12th-century geographer al-Idrisi den 15th-century Islamic scholar Mujir al-Din, as well as 19th-century American den British Orientalists Edward Robinson, Guy Le Strange den Edward Henry Palmer explain dat de term Masjid al-Aqsa dey refer to de entire esplanade plaza dem sanso know as de Temple Mount anaa Haram al-Sharif ('Noble Sanctuary') – i.e. de entire area wey dey include de Dome of de Rock, de fountains, de gates, den de four minarets – secof none of dese buildings exist for de time na dem wrep de Quran. Al-Muqaddasi refer to de southern building (de subject of dis article) as *Al Mughattâ* ("de covered-part") den Nasir Khusraw refer to am plus de Persian word *Pushish* (sanso be de "covered part", exactly as "Al Mughatta") anaa de *Maqsurah* (a part-for-the-whole synecdoche).

Dem sanso dey refer to de building as (al-)Qibli Mosque anaa (al-) Qibli Chapel (*Muṣallā al-Qiblī*), in reference to ein location for de southern end of de compound as a result of de Islamic qibla dem move from Jerusalem to Mecca. "Qibli" be de name dem use insyd official publications by de governmental organization wich dey administer de site, de Jerusalem Islamic Waqf (part of de Jordanian government), den de Jordanian government more widely. E sanso be de official name dem use by de Palestine Liberation Organization. Na chaw international organizations such as de United States State Department de Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (wey ein role be make e act as "de collective voice of de Muslim world"), den UNESCO, as well as various scholars den media organizations use am.

## Architecture

De rectangular al-Aqsa Mosque den ein precincts dey cover , although de mosque einself be about  for area insyd wey e fi hold up to 5,000 worshippers. E be  long,  wide. Unlike de Dome of de Rock, wich dey reflect classical Byzantine architecture, de Aqsa Mosque be characteristic of early Islamic architecture.

### Dome

Nothing remains of de original dome wey Abd al-Malik build. De present-day dome dey mimick dat of az-Zahir, wich consist of wood dem plate plus lead enamelwork, buh wich na ebe destroyed by fire insyd 1969. Today dem make am of concrete plus lead sheeting.

Al-Aqsa ein dome be one of de few domes make dem build in front of de *mihrab* during de Umayyad den Abbasid periods, na de odas be de Umayyad Mosque insyd Damascus (715) den de Great Mosque of Sousse (850). Na dem paint de interior of de dome plus 14th-century-era decorations. During de 1969 burning, na de paintings be assumed to be irreparably lost, buh na dem completely reconstruct am dey use de *trateggio* technique, a method wey dey use fine vertical lines make e distinguish reconstructed areas from original ones.

### Facade den porch

Na de facade of de mosque be built insyd 1065 CE on de instructions of de Fatimid caliph al-Mustansir Billah. Na dem crown am plus a balustrade wey dey consist of arcades den small columns. Na de Crusaders damage de facade, buh na ebe restored den renovated by de Ayyubids. Na one addition be de covering of de facade plus tiles. De second-hand material of de facade ein arches dey include sculpted, ornamental material dem take from Crusader structures insyd Jerusalem. 

### Interior
De al-Aqsa Mosque get seven aisles of hypostyle naves plus chaw additional small halls to de west den east of de southern section of de building. Der be 121 stained glass windows insyd de mosque from de Abbasid den Fatimid eras. Na dem restore about a fourth of dem insyd 1924. De spandrels of de arch opposite de main entrance dey include a mosaic decoration den inscription wey dey date back to Fatimid period.
File:المسجد_الأقصى_من_الداخل.jpg|Interior view of de mosque wey dey face de mihrab
File:Al_Aqsa_mosque_(17127686720).jpg|View of de hypostyle prayer hall
File:Facad_near_central_dome_of_Aqsa_mosque.jpeg|Decorated wall above mihrab near central dome wey dey face main entrance
File:Aqsa3.jpg|Interior view of de mosque wey dey show de *mihrab*, wey dey indicate de *qiblah*
File:Inscription_showing_contributors_name_to_restore_dome_of_Aqsa.jpeg|Inscription wey dey show Quran ein aayat & contributors name to restore dome of Aqsa after 1969 burning
File:Al_Aqsa_(6888221391).jpg|Interior decoration of Aqsa main dome
File:El_Aksa_(i.e.,_al-Aqsa)_Mosque._Cedar_pulpit_&_mihrab_LOC_matpc.03246.jpg|De original minbar dem install under Saladin. De mihrab be visible to de left.
File:The_al-Aqsa_Mosque_(2177686417).jpg|A man dey pray insyd de mosque insyd 2008


### Minbar
Na de *minbar* of de mosque be built by a craftsman dem name Akhtarini from Aleppo on de orders of de Zengid sultan Nur ad-Din. Na dem intend am to be a gift for de mosque wen na Nur ad-Din capture Jerusalem from de Crusaders wey he take six years take build (1168–74). Nur ad-Din die wey de Crusaders still control Jerusalem, buh insyd 1187, Saladin capture de city wey na he install de *minbar*. Na dem make de structure of ivory den carefully crafted wood. Na inscribe arabic calligraphy, geometrical den floral designs insyd de woodwork.

## Current situation

### Administration
Dem know de administrative body responsible for de whole Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as "de Jerusalem Waqf", an organ of de Jordanian government.

De Jerusalem Waqf be responsible for administrative matters insyd de Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Religious authority for de site, for de oda hand, be de responsibility of de Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, wey de government of de State of Palestine appoint.

After de 1969 arson attack, de *waqf* employed architects, technicians den craftsmen insyd a committee wey dey carry out regular maintenance operations. Na de Islamic Movement insyd Israel den de *waqf* have attempt make dem increase Muslim control of de Temple Mount as a way of countering Israeli policies den de escalating presence of Israeli security forces around de site since de Second Intifada. Sam activities include refurbishing abandoned structures den renovating.

Ownership of de al-Aqsa Mosque be a contentious issue insyd de Israel-Palestinian conflict. During de negotiations for de 2000 Camp David Summit, na Palestinians demand complete ownership of de mosque den oda Islamic holy sites insyd East Jerusalem.

## References


### Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

## Read further
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
## External links