Temple Mount

The Temple Mount is a significant hill located within the Old City of Jerusalem.

It serves as a central site for several major world religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For thousands of years, this location has been venerated as a holy place. Today, the site consists of a large, flat plaza. This plaza is surrounded by massive retaining walls. One of these is the Western Wall. These walls were originally constructed by Herod the Great in the first century BCE. His goal was to expand the Second Temple.

The current layout is dominated by two monumental structures. These were built during the Rashidun and early Umayyad caliphates. This occurred after the first Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 637. The first structure is the Qibli Mosque, also known as the al-Aqsa Mosque. The second is the Dome of the Rock, located near the center of the hill. The Dome of the Rock was completed in 692. This makes it one of the oldest existing Muslim structures in the world.

The entire area is often referred to as the al-Aqsa compound. This compound covers a total area of 144,000 square meters. It contains over 200 historical monuments from various Islamic eras.

Jewish tradition holds that the site was once home to two successive Temples. According to Jewish and Samaritan scriptures, King Solomon built the first Temple in 957 BCE. Solomon was the son of King David. This first Temple was destroyed in 587 BCE. The Neo-Babylonian Empire destroyed it during the Siege of Jerusalem. No archaeological evidence has yet verified the existence of this first Temple. Scientific excavations are limited due to religious sensitivities. Later, a Second Temple was constructed under Zerubbabel in 516 BCE. King Herod later renovated this structure. The Roman Empire eventually destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE.

Jewish attitudes toward the site are complex and vary widely. The site is the holiest location in Judaism. Many Orthodox Jews believe a third and final Temple will be built here. This is expected to happen when the Messiah arrives. Because of the site's extreme sanctity, many Jews do not walk on the Mount itself. They do this to avoid the area where the Holy of Holies once stood. Rabbinical law suggests a divine presence remains at the site. Statistics show diverse views on visiting the site. For example, 86.5 percent of ultra-Orthodox Jews opposed prayer on the Mount for reasons of ritual purity. In contrast, other groups support worship there for nationalist reasons.

In Islam, the site is a deeply sacred location. It is known as the Noble Sanctuary, or al-Haram al-Sharif. It is the second oldest mosque in Islam. It is also one of the three Sacred Mosques. For both Sunni and Shia Muslims, it is the third holiest site. The compound includes the Qibli Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Many Muslims believe this is where Muhammad ascended to heaven.

This event is part of the Prophet's miraculous Night Journey. The courtyard, or sahn, is massive. It can host more than 400,000 worshippers at once. This makes it one of the largest mosques in the world.

The administration of the site has changed many times. Since the Crusades, the Jerusalem Waqf has managed the Muslim community's interests there. From 1948 until 1967, Jordan controlled the site. Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel has held security control. After capturing the site, Israel returned administration to the Waqf under Jordanian custodianship. However, Israel maintains security. A "status quo" arrangement exists to manage the site. Under this arrangement, non-Muslims may visit the Mount but are not permitted to pray there.

The Temple Mount remains a major focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The very names used for the site are often disputed. Muslims may use terms like al-Haram al-Sharif. Jews may refer to it as Har HaBeit. These different names reflect different national and religious identities. The site is a unique symbol of identity for Palestinians, including Palestinian Christians. It is a place where religious symbols and national narratives meet. Because of these deep connections, the site remains a place of great importance and tension in the modern world.