What is the Qibli Mosque/Jami’ Al-Qibli الجامع القبلي? What is the significance of Al-Qibli Mosque?

Al-Qibli Mosque is one of the mosques within Al-Aqsa.   It is often mistakenly referred to as Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Aqsa, as mentioned in the Holy Quran, refers to the entire plaza in Jerusalem with its mosques, arenas, gates, fountains, minarets and many other religious and historic landmarks. The plaza is a total of 144 acre, and makes up the Holy Haram “Al-Haram Al-Sharief.”.^[1]

Al-Qibli mosque is considered the main mosque in the Aqsa plaza due to its role in the Friday prayers, as it is where the Imam stands to lead Muslim worshipers in prayer. ^[2]

This article is designed to address the mosque’s history, among other subjects.

Where is the Qibli Mosque?

Al-Qibli Mosque, is located to the south of the Dome of the Rock or Al Aqsa Mosque.

Why is it called Al-Qibli Mosque?

Al-Qibli mosque in relation to Al-Aqsa is located towards the Qiblah, the direction pointing towards the Ka’abah which is the direction of prayer.

History

Who built Al-Qibli Mosque? When was the Qibli mosque built?

The construction of the original mosque dates back to Omar Bin Al-Khattab caliphate, who was the second caliph of Muslims, visit to Jerusalem during the early Islamic Era.

Though the Umayyad ruler Muawiya Bin Abi Sufyan expanded the original building, the mosque as it is known today is largely attributed to Abd Al-Malik Bin Marwan who initially planned its establishment, along with that of the Dome of the Rock. His son Al-Waleed, then finished its construction around 714.
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Though the sum of the area of the mosque was once 15 arcana, the mosque as it stands today is nearly half of that size. Many major earthquakes had destroyed much of the original mosque, and, to make mosque more durable for possible future earthquakes, it was rebuilt to be half the size of the original structure.^[4]

The mosque was also changed during the time of the Crusaders as it was divided it into three parts; a church, a dwelling for the Templars and a palace for the Crusader kings. This continued until 1187 when Saladin captured Jerusalem and renovated the mosque, restoring most of its original shape.,^[5]

Renovations

The mosque was renovated many times throughout almost every era of Jerusalemite history. The Umayyad, who originally built the mosque, renovated it after an earthquake in 747, while the Abbasid rulers also renovated the mosque and added to it. Similarly did the Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, Ottoman rulers, British Mandate, Jordanian government and the Supreme Islamic Council.^[6]

Description

How big is Jami’ Al-Qibli?

The current mosque is comprised of seven arcana with a length of 80 meters and a width of 55 meters. It lies on an area that is four acres in area, and, on any given day, it can hold up to 5500 worshipers. The mosque is accessible through eleven gates.,^[7]

Architecture and Construction of Al-Qibli Mosque

The mosque has a dome that is wooden from the inside and a lead from the outside and it stands on four columns and decorated from the inside with glass mosaic in the form of plants, Quranic texts, and geometric forms.^[8]

Nour Al-Din Zengi’s Minbar/Tribune

The mosque had one special feature, which was Nour Al-Din Zengi’s minbar/tribune built during 1168 in Damascus in preparation for liberating Jerusalem from the Crusaders.  Nour Al-Din died before witnessing it inside the mosque and his successor Saladin brought the tribune to the mosque in 1187 after recapturing Jerusalem from the Crusaders. The tribune remained in the mosque until 1969 when an Israeli terrorist called Michael Rohan set the mosque in the fire which led to destroying most of the mosque including the historic tribune. Later on, the government of Jordan ordered the making of an identical tribune and fixed it in 2007, the new tribune still stands in the mosque until this day, while the remains of the original one are kept in the Islamic museum in Jerusalem ^[9]

Attacks

The Qibli Mosque, similar to other parts of Al-Aqsa Plaza, has been the target of many Israeli attacks. The mosque’s structure is compromised as gunfire leaves much of the walls and the dome damaged. Israeli soldiers and settlers alike also enter the mosque and destroy the chairs, books and more, in an attempt to destroy the mosque further. Other attacks are even more dangerous, though they are less direct and more discreet as they weaken the foundation of the mosque and can cause it to collapse, such as the excavations that run under the mosque base along the southern wall of the plaza and the refusal to renovate the building by the Israeli authorities.^[10]

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What is the Dome of the Rock? What is the Dome of the Rock’s significance?

The Dome of the Rock is one of the most important architectural landmarks in the history of Islamic culture.  The Dome of the Rock contains the Rock, which carries great significance for all three monotheistic religions, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.  Muslims mark it as the site of the miraj, the miraculous journey where the Prophet Muhammad  ascended from Earth to Heaven from this very spot.  Christian and Jews regard it to be the location where Abraham came to sacrifice Isaac .

Even in the holy city of Jerusalem itself filled with important landmarks, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) itself states it quite simply on their World Heritage List “the Dome of the Rock stands out”.  It also reflects the far-reaching extent of intercultural and interfaith dialogues and influences the native people of Jerusalem, both Christians and Muslims alike.

What is under the Dome of the Rock?

The Rock or the Foundation Stone, mentioned earlier is at the base of the Dome of the Rock.

Where is the Dome of the Rock located?

The Dome of the Rock is located in the center of the Noble Sanctuary in the Old City of Jerusalem.^[1]

Who built the Dome of the Rock? When was the Dome of the Rock built?

The Dome was built in the seventh century^[2] by the Umayyad Caliph Abd Al-Malik bin Marwan in 685 AD.^[3]

The project was undertaken by two distinguished engineers: Yazid bin Al-Salam from Jerusalem, and Raja Bin Hayawi from Besan who used to be the assistant of the Caliph Omar bin Abd Al-Aziz^[9][10]

Since its completion in 691 AD,^[4] the Dome has been restored many times.^[5]

As stated earlier, the Dome’s foundation was built on top of the rock that Muslims believe to be the exact position from where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to the heavens in the journey recorded in the Quranic chapter al-Isra’.^[6]

How long did the Dome of the Rock take to build?

The project took seven years in its initial construction and became the most famous landmark in Ummayad and Islamic history.^[7]

Since 691 AD, none of the original structure of the Dome has been changed–only= its outer shell.^[8]

How was the Dome of the Rock constructed? The Dome of the Rock Architecture

The Dome of the Rock was built out of wood propped up in the shape of an octagon with a diameter of 66 feet (20 meters) and a height of 20 meters.^[11] It is built on top of an elevated drum of 16 piers and columns in a shape of circle surrounded by an arcade of 24 piers and columns in a shape of octagon.^[12]

Both the dome and the exterior walls of the dome are made of colored glass while the interior is decorated with mosaic and marble that was added many centuries after its original construction.^[13] The dome is decorated with scrolls,^[14] religious motifs,^[15] vessels^[16], and winged crowns but no human figures or pictures of animals.^[17] In addition to Arabic inscriptions from Quran that emphasize the oneness of God and the prophet-hood of Muhammad and Jesus, the son of Mary.

Renovations, Repairs, and Earthquakes

When Was the Dome of the Rock Destroyed?

The Dome of the Rock was partially destroyed at different points in its history mainly due to earthquakes. In 746 AD, an earthquake in the area resulted in the destruction of the eastern and western parts of the Dome.  In 774 AD, a part of the Dome was destroyed by another earthquake. In 1033 AD, a strong earthquake threatened to destroy the entire mosque. Finally most of the previous repairs implemented were rendered useless after the damage done to the Dome during the 1927 earthquake that hit Palestine.^[25]

 

Was the Dome of the Rock rebuilt?

Yes, because of the Dome’s  special place in the Islamic tradition, many caliphs ordered its renovation and restoration during their reigns. ^[18]

It was rebuilt under the orders of the Abbasid Caliph Ja‘ far Al-Mansour in 757 AD.^[19]  It was rebuilt in 779 AD by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mahdi.^[20] In 832 AD, a third Abbasid Caliph, Al-Ma’amun, oversaw additional repairs to the dome.^[21]

A major renovation project was undertaken in the time of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Zaher that not only saw to the repairs of the mosque itself but to the expansion of the area itself and the addition of seven of the northern gates and several of the buildings in the courtyard.^[22]

The Ottomon Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (ruled 1520-1566) ordered a seven-year long project to redecorate and restore the exterior of the Dome and cover it with ornate Iznik tile ^[23] Another wide-scale renovation was undertaken during the rule of the Ottoman Sultan Mahmoud II in 1817.^[24]

More recently, the Dome underwent two major renovation projects in 1965 when the Dome was covered with Italian durable aluminum and bronze alloy.

Is the Dome of the Rock made of real gold?

Yes. In 1993 King Hussein of Jordan donated $8.2 million to provide the 80 kilograms (176 pound) of gold to refurbish the covering of the golden dome.^[26] 

During restoration of the Dome from 1959 to 1962, the lead originally on the outside was replaced by aluminum-bronze plates covered with gold leaf.

Who controls the Dome of the Rock today?

The Jordanian Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs currently maintain the Dome of the Rock.^[29] Although the Dome of the Rock has been under Israeli control since the Six day war in 1967,

When the Crusaders ruled Jerusalem, The Dome of the Rock was put under the control of the Augustinians who turned it into a church southern Al-Aqsa mosque was turned into a royal stable.^[27] In 1187, the Dome of the Rock was again under Muslim rule after after Salah Al-Din recaptured the city from the crusaders and replaced the cross on top of the dome with a golden crescent.^[28]

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