Temple Mount in Jerusalem
Islamic Museum
Temple Mount in Jerusalem not only have al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock but it has many other historical and religious monuments and structures built on it. Islamic Museum is one of them, it is located beside the al-Aqsa Mosque. The building which houses the museum was originally constructed by the Knights Templar but later it was turner into a madrasa. This museum has historical items on display but photography inside the museum was prohibited. After talking to the manager I was only allowed to take the photos of the interior but not the items on display.
Some of the items on display included weapons from the past, the charred remains of a minbar built by Nur ad-Din Zangi in the 1170s and destroyed by an Australian in 1969, 600 copies of the Qur’an donated to the al-Aqsa Mosque and few belongings of Suleiman the Magnificent.
al-Kas Fountain
al-Aqsa Mosque was constructed by the Fatimids, then expanded by the Crusaders, the Ayyubids and the Mamluks. The al-Kas fountain of the al-Aqsa Mosque is located half way between the Dome of the Rock and the mosque. A covered area had the stairs to enter the Marwani Mosque at the Temple Mount. The Romans used this area as a water reservoir but Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan changed it to the Prayer Hall (Mussalah).
Sebils
The Fountain of Qayt Bay or Qaitbay Sebil is located on the western esplanade of the Temple Mount. This 14th century sebil was completed in the reign of Qaitbay, Sultan of Egypt. The fountain was originally constructed in 1455 on the orders of the Egyptian Sultan al-Ashraf Sayf ad-Din Enal. In 1482, however, Sultan Qaitbay had it rebuilt, and the structure is named after him.
The Madrasa al-Ashrafiya, a school of religious studies built at the instructions of Mameluke Sultan Qaitbay. The ceiling of the madrasa has beautiful panel of interlocking dark and light stones, topped by a stalactite ornament known as a muqarnas. The Sebil of Kasem Pasha was the first Ottoman structure built on the Temple Mount in the 16th century.
The Chain Gate (Bab al-Silsileh in Arabic) is located on the western flank. There were two security check points before this gate, I was allowed to enter the from the first check point but I was refused entry beside this gate by the Israeli security earlier in the day.
Following Morning, I entered the Temple Mount through a bridge which was connected with the Moroccans’ Gate. The Moroccans’ Gate, Mughrabi Gate is located on the western side. It was named after the residents of the adjacent neighborhood, who had come to Jerusalem from Morocco.
Broken Cross
A broken cross is made out of stone, it is believed that when the First Crusades conquered Jerusalem, they used this cross to kill the inhabitants of the city. They killed the Muslim and the Jews (even Christian in some cases) in order to purify the Holy Land. When Saladin conquered Jerusalem in 1187, he broke this cross into several pieces . Now, these pieces are sitting on the floor beside the Islamic Museum at the Temple Mount.
Qubbat Musa is a dome like structure, located close to the Chain Gate. A small mehrab is built on one side of the Qubbat Musa. There was graffiti on the walls of this structure. A still in use school has children studying in it and next to school, there are some tombs belong to the Royal family of Jordan.
al-Buraq Mosque
The al-Buraq Mosque is located in the Haram al-Sharif, it is close to the south end of the Western Wall. This small structure, on the south-west corner of the Al-Aqsa compound is believed to be the place where Muhammad tied the Buraq, the winged riding animal upon which he rode during the Night of Ascension. The room is locked and entrance to it is prohibited without the approval of the waqf.
