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The Temple Mount, or the Noble Sanctuary, contains the holiest place in Judaism and third holiest in Islam. It’s located in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old City of Jerusalem and is arguably the most hotly contested piece of land in the world.
History of the Temple Mount
According to Jewish tradition, the Temple Mount is where the First Temple was built by Solomon in 957 BC. It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II, the King of Babylon, in 586 BC. The Second Temple stood on the site from 516 BC to 70 AD when it was destroyed by the Romans. It was most likely built by Zerubabbel but was famously renovated and expanded by Herod the Great around 20 BC.
For Muslims, the Temple Mount was the location of the Prophet Muhammad’s journey to Jerusalem and ascension into heaven. Umayyad Caliphs had the al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock constructed on the site. Muslims refer to the site as the Noble Sanctuary (Al-Haram ash-Sharif).
The Temple Mount has been under the control of Muslims since Saladin took Jerusalem in 1187. This has been upheld under the Status Quo for religious sites in Jerusalem, which was signed by Ottoman Sultan Osman III in 1757. Non-Muslims were forbidden to enter the site until 1967. It’s under the administration of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf (religious trust), funded by the King of Jordan.
Visiting the Temple Mount
Although we didn’t have a chance to see it for ourselves, the Temple Mount is open to visitors of all faiths. There are 11 gates, of which 10 are reserved for Muslims only. Non-Muslims can queue at the wooden elevated walkway outside the Western Wall to go through security checks.
Hours are limited and it’s best to come early. It’s open Sunday to Thursday and closed to non-Muslims on Fridays, Saturdays, and Muslim holidays. It can also close without advance notice. From April through September, hours are 8:30am to 10:30am and 1:30pm to 2:30pm. From October through March, hours are 7:30am to 10:30am and 12:30am to 1:30pm.
Appropriate dress is required to visit the Temple Mount. Men should wear long pants and shirts that cover their shoulders. Women should wear long pants or a long skirt and shirts that cover their shoulders and elbows. Headscarves are not required, but clothes should be loose-fitting. Prayer is forbidden, and only Muslims are allowed to enter the buildings.
On our visit to Jerusalem, we could spot the historic buildings on the Temple Mount from the southern route of the Ramparts Walk.
Dome of the Rock
The most prominent building on the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Rock, which is one of the symbols of Jerusalem. It’s a Muslim shrine that houses the Foundation Stone. According to Jewish tradition, the stone is where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac and the site of the Holy of Holies when the Temple stood there. According to the Quran, it’s where Muhammad ascended into heaven. It’s also thought by many to be the traditional hiding place of the Ark of the Covenant.
The Dome of the Rock was originally built by Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik between 685 and 692. It was damaged by earthquakes in 808 and 846. The dome collapsed during an earthquake in 1014 and it was rebuilt between 1022 and 1023.
When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they turned the Dome of the Rock into a church that was administered by the Augustinians. Saladin reconsecrated the structure as a Muslim shrine when he conquered the city on October 2, 1187.
During the reign of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century, the dome was covered in Ottoman tiles. Sultans Mahmud II and Abdülaziz restored it in 1817 and 1874, respectively.
In 1955, under Jordanian rule, the government of Jordan replaced the Ottoman tiles with aluminum bronze plates covered in gold leaf. In 1993, under Israeli rule, King Hussein of Jordan funded a refurbishment of the dome that added the 5,000 gold plates we see today. It cost US$8.2 million for the 80 kilograms of gold needed, and the king sold one of his homes in London to finance the project.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
The al-Aqsa Mosque sits at the southern end of the Temple Mount. It’s the third holiest site in Islam. Muslims believe Muhammad was transported from the Great Mosque of Mecca to al-Aqsa during his journey to Jerusalem. The mosque can hold up to 5,000 worshippers.
The al-Aqsa Mosque was originally built by Omar in the 7th century. It was rebuilt and expanded by Abd al-Malik and finished by his son al-Walid I in 705. The mosque was destroyed by an earthquake in 746 and rebuilt by Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur in 754.
Another earthquake destroyed the mosque in 1033 but it was rebuilt in 1035 by Fatimid Caliph Ali az-Zahir, which is the building we see today. Other renovations and additions have taken place since then.
When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they converted the al-Aqsa Mosque into a palace. In 1119, it became the headquarters of the Knights Templar. Like the Dome of the Rock, Saladin reconsecrated the mosque in 1187 after he conquered Jerusalem.
From 1967 to 2000, non-Muslim visitors were able to enter the mosque by getting a ticket from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. This ended when the Second Intifada began.
Al-Fakhariyya Minaret
The al-Fakhariyya Minaret, which is at the corner of the southern and western walls of the Temple Mount, is also visible from the Ramparts Walk. It was built by the Mamluks in 1278 and rebuilt in 1920.
Tragedies and Controversies at the Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, specifically the al-Aqsa Mosque, is not without tragic and controversial moments during modern times. On July 20, 1951, a Palestinian gunman assassinated King Abdullah I of Jordan as he entered the mosque to pray. On August 21, 1969, an Australian Evangelical Christian named Denis Michael Rohan lit a fire hoping to burn down the mosque and bring upon the Second Coming of Jesus.
During the First Intifada, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the al-Aqsa Mosque on January 15, 1988, wounding 40. Israeli Border Police killed 22 Palestinians during riots on October 8, 1990, after the Orthodox Jewish movement Temple Mount Faithful announced they were going to lay the cornerstone for the Third Temple.
Finally, on September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon and members of the Likud Party visited the al-Aqsa compound along with 1,000 armed guards. 24 Palestinian protesters were injured as police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into the crowd. The visit sparked the Second Intifada.
