alAqsa

Al-Aqsa, commonly referred to as the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is a major Islamic holy site located in Jerusalem. It sits within the Haram al-Sharif, also known as the Temple Mount, a hilltop platform in the Old City of Jerusalem. The name al-Aqsa means “the farthest” in Arabic, referencing the Prophet Muhammad’s night journey, and the term is often used to denote the entire sacred precinct as well as the main mosque building.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque precinct also contains the Dome of the Rock, a separate shrine on the same platform. The Dome of the Rock was completed in the late 7th century, during the Umayyad period, and is one of the oldest extant Islamic monuments. The Al-Aqsa Mosque itself has undergone numerous reconstructions and renovations over the centuries, reflecting a succession of rulers and earthquakes, from the early Islamic era through the Ottoman and modern periods.

Historically, the site became a central locus of Islamic worship after the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the 7th century. During the Crusades, it was converted to Christian use before Saladin reconsecrated the site as a mosque in 1187. In the modern era, the mosque is administered by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf (Endowment), with security and access managed within the framework of Israeli authority and regional arrangements. The site remains one of Islam’s holiest places and a focal point of religious devotion and political significance in the Israeli-Palestinian context.