Noble Sanctuary/Temple Mount

Located within the Old City of Jerusalem and sacred to Jews and Muslims alike, this holy site is contested between Israelis and Palestinians. For Jews, who refer to the site as the Temple Mount, there is no holier place. The ancient Temple of Solomon is said to have stood here 3000 years ago, and subsequently a second temple begun under Nehemiah and enlarged by Herod the Great in the 1st century BC once stood on this site. Today the Western Wall at the base of the mount is the last remnant of Herod’s temple and the focus of Jewish worship. For Muslims, who refer to the site as the Noble Sanctuary (or Haram ash-Sharif), this was the place where the angel Gabriel took the Prophet Muhammad during his Night Journey in which he ascended to heaven. Today, al-Aqsa Mosque stands on the southern end of the mount while the iconic gold-covered Dome of the Rock crowns the northern end.     

   

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