Al-Haram al-Sharif
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| Al-Haram al-Sharif | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Al-Haram al-Sharif |
| Native name | الحرم الشريف |
| Location | Jerusalem |
| Coordinates | 31°47′N 35°13′E |
| Established | 7th–8th century |
| Architecture | Umayyad, Abbasid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, Ottoman, British Mandate |
| Notable | Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Western Wall |
Al-Haram al-Sharif is a monumental religious complex in Jerusalem associated with the Temple Mount plateau and centered on the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It occupies a pivotal place in the histories of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and has been shaped by successive rulers including the Umayyad Caliphate, the Crusader States, the Ayyubid Sultanate, the Mamluk Sultanate, the Ottoman Empire, and the British Mandate for Palestine. The site remains central to disputes involving the State of Israel, the Palestinian National Authority, and international actors such as the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Name and terminology
The Arabic designation used locally and internationally connects to Islamic terminology and liturgical references found in sources tied to the Qur'an, early Hadith compilations like those of Al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, and medieval geographers such as Al-Maqdisi and Ibn Jubayr. European travelers including Edward Robinson, Victor Guérin, and Felix Fabri recorded variant names alongside Latin and Greek terms used in Crusader chronicles and ecclesiastical documents of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Modern scholarship in works by Rashid Khalidi, Avi Shlaim, Karen Armstrong, and Jerome Murphy-O'Connor discusses contested nomenclature in diplomatic texts such as UN Security Council Resolutions and bilateral communications between Jordan and Israel.
Historical development
Construction phases trace from Herod the Great's renovation of the Second Temple period to the Umayyad era projects under Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and Al-Walid I, producing the Dome of the Rock and early Al-Aqsa Mosque structures. Crusader occupation by figures like Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin II introduced churches and military architecture later transformed by Saladin (Salah ad-Din) and the Ayyubids. Mamluk architects such as Sultan Baybars and Sultan Qalawun undertook restorations echoed by Ottoman officials including Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and 19th-century travelers like James Finn. The 20th century brought mandates, international diplomacy involving the League of Nations, the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the 1967 Six-Day War, and agreements like the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty that shaped contemporary administration.
Religious significance and institutions
For Islam, the site links to the Isra and Mi'raj narrative associated with the Prophet Muhammad and features institutions overseen by bodies such as the Waqf under the custodianship historically claimed by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and administered in modern times through Jordanian and Palestinian authorities. For Judaism, the area is adjacent to the Western Wall and connected to traditions concerning the First Temple and Second Temple, referenced in sources like the Tanakh and rabbinic literature including the works of Maimonides and Rashi. Christian engagement ranges from early pilgrimage accounts in the Pilgrimage of Egeria to medieval narratives in the writings of William of Tyre and modern ecumenical statements by the Vatican and World Council of Churches.
Architecture and layout
Key monuments include the octagonal Dome of the Rock with its Byzantine-influenced mosaics and inscriptions, the hypostyle form of the Al-Aqsa Mosque with Mamluk-era minbar elements, and ancillary structures such as the Dome of the Chain, the Golden Gate area, and multiple ablution facilities reflecting Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk, Ottoman, and British Mandate interventions. Architectural analyses cite parallels with Hagia Sophia, mosaic programs studied in publications by Oleg Grabar and K.A.C. Creswell, and conservation reports by organizations like UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
Political status and governance
The complex is administered under a de facto arrangement involving the Jordanian Waqf and security control by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Police since the Six-Day War (June 1967). Diplomatic claims and legal debates engage instruments such as UNESCO World Heritage designations, UN General Assembly resolutions, bilateral accords like the Washington Declaration (1994) and the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, and litigation in forums referencing international law scholars like Rene Cassin and institutions including the International Court of Justice in discussions on status and sovereignty.
Archaeology and preservation
Archaeological work around the plateau has been conducted by teams from institutions such as the Israel Antiquities Authority, universities like Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of Oxford, and scholars including Benjamin Mazar and Leone Levi. Excavations, sometimes controversial in contexts involving the Waqf and Jordanian Department of Antiquities, have raised debates over stratigraphy, artifacts linked to the First Temple and Second Temple periods, and preservation practices overseen by ICOMOS and UNESCO-led missions addressing structural integrity, hydrology, and mosaic conservation.
Access, worship practices, and controversies
Access arrangements balance worship by Muslim congregants at Al-Aqsa Mosque and visitation by non-Muslim tourists and dignitaries, incidents involving figures like Ariel Sharon in 2000 sparked the Second Intifada, and recurrent clashes have featured organizations including Hamas, Fatah, and Israeli political parties. International actors such as the United States Department of State, the European Union, and the Arab League regularly comment on incidents, while NGOs like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International document rights and access issues. Contentious topics include excavation disputes, administrative jurisdiction between Israel and Jordan, and proposals in peace negotiations involving entities such as the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Quartet on the Middle East.
Category:Religious buildings and structures in Jerusalem Category:Islamic architecture Category:Historic sites in Palestine