Al-Haram Al-Sharif

Introduction

What is Al-Aqsa Mosque
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is often confused with the Dome of the Rock. For the purposes of this section, “Al-Aqsa” will not only refer to the mosque itself, but the entire plaza, or what is known as Alharam Alshareef. Both the southern building now referred to as Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, as well as the other buildings, grounds, domes, minarets, mihrabs, walls, tress, wells, terraces, within [...]

What is an Arcature
Definition An arcature is a term given originally to a market with a series of stores that have many doors with arches above them.[1] It refers to an architectural form where a number of columns are organized in a straight row under arches lifting the ceiling of the building. This kind of structure is often used in religious structures namely in the construction of mosques .[2] From a distance, [...]

What is a Fountain
Irrigating cities and providing their inhabitants with water was a priority for Muslim dynasties throughout Islamic history-particularly if those cities were central to the caliphate or heavily populated.[1] One of the ways in which this goal was accomplished was by commissioning the building of drinking fountains throughout different cities like Jerusalem that could be used for drinking or ablution. [2] Al-Aqsa Fountains Al-Aqsa has many fountains distributed in the [...]

The Lion’s Gate: A Solid Defense Line of Jerusalem
Facts on the Lions Gate in Jerusalem Lions Gate Jerusalem Image, Photo of Front Walkway What is the Lion's Gate in Jerusalem? The Lion’s Gate is one of the seven gates in the Old City in Jerusalem. Where is the Lion's Gate in Jerusalem? Bab Al-Asbat, the Lion’s Gate, is located in the northeast corner of Al-Aqsa Plaza, where it meets with the Old City’s walls.[1] The [...]
What is a Gate?
Nature of Al-Aqsa Gates Al-Aqsa has many gates in its surrounding walls, all of which are made of wood and have of one or two shutters and an opening for praying latecomers who reach the gates after they are officially closed at sunset.[1] Not all of Al-Aqsa gates open, in fact, only the ones in the northern and western parts of the Al-Aqsa plaza are open, while the ones in [...]

Al-Qibli Mosque: a Unique History and a Misleading Name
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 [...]
The Dome of the Rock
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 [...]

What is a Minaret
A minaret is the tower from which the adhan is called to invite people to come pray in the mosque--this happens five times a day. Minarets were not an original part of the earliest Muslim mosques in Madina, but were added to the architecture of mosques. Minarets were added to mosques during the reign of the fifth caliph, Mu‘awiyah bin Abi Sufyan beginning with the mosques in Al-Basra, Iraq in [...]

What is a Portico
A portico is a roofed passage that consists primarily of a series of giant and sharp arches that lead to the yard of a building.[1] Porticos are usually used in the construction of religious houses of worship like mosques and churches. Al-Aqsa mosque has two main porticos: the western portico and the northern portico.[2] These porticos date back to the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. The main reasons these porticos [...]

What is a Terrace?
There are a number of terraces In the Al-Aqsa plaza-- open spaces built above the surface of the main square accessible by means of different staircases. [1] These terraces were added to expand the available space available to people in the vicinity of the mosque in an aesthetically pleasing way.. They are often used for prayer, and have a mihrab[2] to indicate the direction of the qibla, as well as spaces for [...]