Israel: Part XI--The Temple Mount

The Old City of Jerusalem, inside the walls, is divided into quarters: the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. The most disputed part of the city is the Temple Mount, where no Jewish temple has stood since the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. Muslims call the Temple Mount Haram esh-Sharif, which means the Venerable Sanctuary.

Here's a brief history of the Muslim impact on Jerusalem, which basically came in three stages: the first was shortly after the death of Mohammed, when his successors spread the faith out of Arabia and wrested Jerusalem from the crumbling Byzantine Empire in 638 A.D. In this period Caliph Omar built a mosque on the Temple Mount, which was later expanded to the Dome of the Rock, pictured with John to the right. In the 8th century the El-Aqsa Mosque was constructed nearby, pictured below.

The second Muslim phase followed the brief crusader occupation of the Holy Land. The Europeans were defeated by Saladin, and with the recovery of Jerusalem in 1187 A.D. the Muslims began a major reconstruction of the city, and especially of the mosques. By 1249 the dominant Muslims were the Mamelukes, former slaves from Asia Minor who were highly accomplished architects and artisans. Much of the beauty of Islamic Jerusalem today is attributable to the work of the Mamelukes.

Corruption and dissolution marked their regime, and by 1516 the Mamelukes were easy prey for the invading Ottoman Turks. For the next 400
years, Jerusalem was ruled from Constantinople. Early in this period (1520-1566) Suleiman I built

the city ramparts that we see today, the Damascus Gate and the greatest water system in the city from the time of Herod to the present. After Suleiman, however, the city simply stagnated until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.


The Arab nations are determined that an Islamic flag must fly over the site. In deference to the local Muslim authorities, Israel leaves the administration of Haram esh-Sharif entirely to Muslim officials. Israeli border police (wearing green uniforms) provide security in the area, but in cooperation with Arab policemen (wearing blue).


The Dome of the Rock, which is a shrine, not a mosque, is currently closed to visitors. Apparently the inside focuses on the huge boulder called the Kubbet es-Sakhra. This is the sacred rock on which Abraham was said to have prepared the sacrifice of Isaac. It is also the spot on which, during his mystical journey to Jerusalem, Mohammed is said to have mounted his steed and ascended to heaven.

On the right are detail pictures of the tile and mosaic work on the outside of the Dome of the Rock.

(The information above came largely from Insight Guides Israel, published by the Discovery Channel.)