🕌 Al-Aqsa Mosque (interior)
Palestine
About This Sacred Site
Al-Aqsa Mosque, within the Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) compound, is the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad was transported from Mecca to Al-Aqsa during the Isra and Mi'raj (Night Journey), where he led all previous prophets in prayer before ascending to heaven. The silver-domed mosque can hold up to 5,000 worshippers and has been a center of Islamic worship and scholarship since its construction by the Umayyad Caliphs in the early 8th century. The name 'Al-Aqsa' means 'the farthest mosque,' referencing its distance from Mecca. The mosque is distinct from the nearby Dome of the Rock, though both stand within the sacred compound.
Key Facts
- •Third holiest mosque in Islam, destination of Muhammad's Night Journey
- •Can accommodate approximately 5,000 worshippers at once
- •Originally built by the Umayyad Caliphs in the early 8th century CE
- •Prophet Muhammad is believed to have led all previous prophets in prayer here
- •The name 'Al-Aqsa' means 'the farthest mosque' in Arabic
Location
Coordinates: 31.7761, 35.2358
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🕌Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque)
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🕌Ajmer Sharif Dargah
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⛰️Mount Arafat (Jabal Arafat)
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🕌Masjid al-Quba
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