Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif

Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif
Name	Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif
Native name	الحرم الشريف‎‎ / הר הבית
Location	Jerusalem
Coordinates	31.7767°N 35.2356°E
Established	Bronze Age (site), Umayyad period (current monuments)
Significance	Sacred to Judaism, Islam, Christianity

Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif is the elevated plateau in Jerusalem that hosts major Islamic and Jewish holy sites and is central to Israeli–Palestinian conflict disputes, involving religious, political, and archaeological dimensions. The site’s competing claims connect to figures and institutions such as King Solomon, Caliph Abd al-Malik, Herod the Great, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Dome of the Rock, Second Temple, and international actors including the United Nations and UNESCO. Control, access, and preservation involve local authorities like the Waqf, national governments including Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, and global stakeholders such as Vatican City and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Names and Terminology

The site is referred to in Arabic as Haram al-Sharif and in Hebrew as Har HaBayit, with historical references in Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and Qur'an texts; modern usage appears in documents by the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate for Palestine, and the League of Nations. Scholarly works and encyclopaedias employ terms like Temple Mount in archaeology and theology contexts, while diplomatic instruments from the United Nations Security Council and resolutions of UNESCO deliberate contested nomenclature. International law discussions invoke the Status of Jerusalem debates alongside accords such as the Oslo Accords and proposals from the Camp David Accords and Madrid Conference.

Historical Overview

The plateau’s occupation spans from Bronze Age urban layers to the First Temple attributed to King Solomon and the Second Temple rebuilt under Zerubbabel and extensively renovated by Herod the Great. Following the Roman–Jewish tensions and the Great Jewish Revolt, the Second Temple was destroyed during the Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE), after which the area experienced Roman, Byzantine Empire, Sasanian Empire, and Early Islamic conquests phases. The Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and his son Al-Walid I constructed the major surviving Islamic monuments in the late 7th century, while Crusader capture during the Kingdom of Jerusalem and subsequent Ayyubid and Mamluk Sultanate control reshaped the complex. Ottoman rule introduced waqf administration, later altered by the British Mandate for Palestine, the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and the 1967 Six-Day War, after which Israeli control, Palestinian claims, and international mediation have produced recurring tensions involving actors like Jordan and United States administrations.

Religious Significance and Practices

For Judaism, the site is associated with the Holy of Holies, the cultic center of the First and Second Temples and pilgrimage such as the ancient Passover rites; rabbis from periods including the Talmud and figures like Maimonides engaged with legal restrictions on entry. For Islam, the plateau is revered as site of the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj) and houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, focal points of congregational prayer, qur'anic recitation, and waqf rituals overseen by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. For Christianity, the site is linked in New Testament narratives and pilgrimage itineraries to sites like Mount of Olives and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, drawing attention from denominations including the Greek Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church.

Architecture and Monuments

The complex contains monumental structures such as the octagonal Dome of the Rock with its umayyad mosaics and the rectangular Al-Aqsa Mosque featuring Umayyad, Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Ottoman interventions; ancillary elements include the Western Wall retaining structure, the Golden Gate, the al-Buraq Wall designation in Islamic tradition, and numerous madrasas and minarets built by patrons like Salah al-Din (Saladin), Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and Mamluk amirs. Architectural studies reference comparable sites and styles in Damascus, Cairo, Aqsa Mosque compound, and analyses by scholars tied to institutions such as British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and Israel Antiquities Authority.

Archaeology and Conservation

Archaeological inquiry has produced finds from Iron Age, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic layers, with excavations by teams associated with Oxford University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and foreign missions that have unearthed ritual baths, column bases, and inscriptions; contentious excavations like those near the Northern Wall and tunneled works at Western Wall Tunnels have provoked legal and diplomatic protests involving Jordanian custodianship claims. Conservation and restoration efforts engage bodies such as the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), while disputes over interventions and antiquities stewardship have prompted appeals to the International Court of Justice and municipal planning authorities including the Jerusalem Municipality.

Political and Legal Status

The plateau’s sovereignty and administrative arrangements are central to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, with competing claims articulated in UN General Assembly resolutions, UN Security Council debates, and bilateral negotiations involving Palestinian Authority, Israel Defense Forces, and custodial assertions by Jordan. Legal regimes invoked include provisions from the Fourth Geneva Convention, interpretations of Ottoman land law, and municipal ordinances from the Municipality of Jerusalem; peace proposals and final-status frameworks in talks like Oslo Accords and Camp David Summit (2000) have treated the site as a core final-status issue.

Access, Administration, and Incidents

Access policies are managed on the ground by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf in coordination and contention with Israeli security agencies such as the Israel Police and instances involving restrictions have triggered protests by organizations like Hamas, Fatah, and international actors including United States Department of State and European Union representatives. High-profile incidents include the 1969 Al-Aqsa Mosque fire, clashes during visits by figures such as former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and recurrent confrontations during religious festivals like Ramadan and Tisha B'Av, which have led to interventions by mediators including Jordanian monarchy and international envoys. Conservation projects, archaeological reports, and policing decisions continue to influence tourism from delegations such as World Tourism Organization and pilgrim groups from Indonesia, Greece, and Ethiopia.

Category:Religion in JerusalemCategory:Buildings and structures in JerusalemCategory:Holy places in IslamCategory:Holy places in Judaism