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Description
Property Name: Al-Qibly Mosque, Al-Masjid Al-Qibly (in Al-Aqsa Mosque, Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa)
Inventory No: 972-2-2
Date of infill of the inventory form: 2007-09-19
Country (State party): Palestine
Province : Al Quds/Jerusalem
Town: Old town
Geographic coordinates: 31° 46′ 34.19″ N
35° 14′ 7.75″ E
Historic Period: Umayyad
Year of Construction: 705 – 714 AD
Style: Early Islamic
Original Use: Mosque
Current Use: Mosque
Architect: Unknown
Significance
Within its existence is related to the night journey of the Prophet Muhammad’s (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascent to Heaven, the mosque, after than Mecca and Medina, is considered as the holiest place of prayer in the Muslim world. It is one of the most significant buildings constructed in the Early Muslim Period as well as being the earliest in Palestine. Al-Aqsa is also one of the largest and most important mosques in the Muslim world.
Selection Criteria
iii. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
iv. to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history
vi. to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance
State of Preservation
The monument had gone under many restorations throughout its history. When Salah al-Din liberated the city of Jerusalem, he restored the mosque in 538 AH / 1187 CE, and it was restored in several later ages such as the Mamluk and Ottoman eras and at the beginning of the British occupation. The first scientific restoration had taken place in 1922 by the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Restoration Committee. Although the original elements of the mosque have been conserved, concrete elements had been introduced during this restoration. Introduction of concrete elements had continued throughout following restorations.
After the fall of Jerusalem under the Zionist occupation, the mosque was exposed to hundreds of attacks, the worst fire in 1389 AH / 21 August 1969 was the worst. The Mihrab of Nur ad-Din Zangi was burnt, and the fire extended to cover most of the three eastern porticos of it, and also to its wooden ceiling. Restoration works had taken place in 1983.The building is daily taken care of by the Waqf and the decorations are being conserved, however it has seen that concrete construction is being introduced to the roof structure. The excavation carried out by the Zionist occupation threatens its foundations, as it extends under most of the southern wall of the Mosque and under the foundations of the entire Al-Qibli mosque.
The last restoration of the monument was in 2016. The Islamic Waqf and The affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Council of Jerusalem Awqaf supervised the completion of historic projects from the Hashemite Reconstruction of the Al- Aqsa Mosque / the Holy Haram. The project is the restoration of the mosaic of the dome of Al Qibli mosque / Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was implemented since the beginning of the year 2014 and was completed in October 2016 AD – Muharram 1438 AH.
References
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