Al-Aqsa Mosque facts for kids

Al-Aqsa Mosque

{{ Name = Haram Al Sheriff Leadership = Jordanian Waqf Board }} Al-Aqsa Mosque ("The Farthest Mosque") is a mosque, or a place where Muslims go to worship, and it is in Baitulmaqdis. Abdul Malik ibn Marwan asked for the mosque to be built, but he died before they finished building it, and it was finished by his son in 705 AD. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a part of the Al-Haram al-Qudsi al-Sharif, or "The Noble Sanctuary". This area is known as the Temple Mount by Jews, and it is believed to be the location where the Jewish Temple was built. The mosque is the 3rd most important place in Islam.Muslims believe that Muhammad went from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the story of the "Night Journey". Also, some Islamic traditions say Muhammad led prayers there before his ascension.

People have planned to attack the mosque, and some people have actually attacked it. In 1969 Michael Dennis Rohan set the mosque on fire, destroying a lot of the mosque. Some members of the Gush Emunim Underground planned to blow up the mosque, but they never blew it up.

In September of 2000 Ariel Sharon visited Al-Aqsa, and Palestinians who were at the mosque threw objects at the police force that was with Sharon. In return the police shot rubber bullets at the group of Palestinians. Palestinians said Sharon visited the mosque to make people angry, but Sharon said he had gone there with a message of peace. This visit is what some believe caused the Second Intifada.

Name

"Al-Aqsa Musjid" means "the farthest musjid". The masjids name comes from a story in the Quran called "The Night Journey". In the story Muhammad goes from Makkah to Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa Musjid is. Then he went up to Heaven (Jannah).

History

The mosque was first built in 705 AD. The first mosque was destroyed in an earthquake in 748 AD and had to be built again. We do not know when it was built again, but it was probably in 771 AD, and this mosque was destroyed soon after they finished building it. The third mosque was built around 780 AD. In 1033 AD there was another earthquake, and the mosque had to be built again.

Jerusalem was taken over by the Crusaders in 1099. Instead of taking down the mosque, the crusaders used the mosque as a palace. In 1119 it was changed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights.

Images for kids

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  The mosque along the southern wall of al-Haram al-Sharif

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  The doors of the Saladin Minbar, early 1900s. The minbar was built on Nur al-Din's orders, but installed by Saladin

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  Mid-19th century chromolithograph of the mosque

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  The dome of the mosque in 1982. It was made of aluminum (and looked like silver), but replaced with its original lead plating in 1983.

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  The mosque seen from the Western Wall plaza, 2005

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  The mosque is situated at the Southern end of the Haram al-Sharif

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  The silver-colored dome consists of lead sheeting

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  The facade of the mosque. It was constructed by the Fatimids, then expanded by the Crusaders, the Ayyubids and the Mamluks

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  Hussein of Jordan flying over Temple Mount in 1965

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  Interior view of the mosque facing the mihrab

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  View of the hypostyle prayer hall

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  Decorated wall above mihrab near central dome facing main entrance

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  Mention of Fatimid imam on decorated wall (top left corner first line(..al-Zahir li-Izaz din-Allaah..)continuing in second)

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  Fatimid inscription above mihrab (top right)

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  Interior view of the mosque showing the mihrab, indicating the qiblah

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  Inscription showing Quran's aayat & contributors name to restore dome of Aqsa after 1969 burning

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  Interior decoration of Aqsa main dome

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  The original minbar installed under Saladin. The mihrab is visible to the left.

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  A man prays in the mosque in 2008

See also

In Spanish: Mezquita de Al-Aqsa para niños