Israel is doing a propaganda to cheat us, their cheat a media and advertisment, totally all people in the world know, if you want to go, to Palestine, the israel handle it, so if the media and the foreigner come to the Palestine land, the israel rejimen was handle it without permission from Palestine goverment.
This is fact what i get from about the true building of Al Aqsa and the Dome Of Rock (As we know as Al Aqsa follow the Israel Propaganda)
Original Artical Source:
http://www.atlastours.net/
Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem
Ten years after the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) received his first revelation, he made a miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and to the Seven Heavens on a white flying horse called Al-Buraq El-Sharif. During his interval in Jerusalem, the Prophet stopped to pray at the rock (now covered by the golden Dome), and was given the commandment to pray five times a day.
Today, Muslims throughout the World use Mecca as the direction of prayers (Qibla). However, for 16½ months following the Prophet Mohammad's miraculous journey, Jerusalem was the Qibla.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the second oldest mosque in Islam after the Ka'ba in Mecca, and is third in holiness and importance after the mosques in Mecca and Medina.
The rectangular Al-Aqsa Mosque is 144,000 square meters, 35 acres, or 1/6 of the entire area within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem as it stands today. It is also called Al-Haram El-Sharif (the Nobel Sanctuary). The Dome of the Chain marks the exact central point of this Mosque.
Al-Aqsa Mosque holds up to 400,000 worshippers at one time, bearing in mind that the space required for each person is roughly 0.8m x 0.5m to enable the submissive kneeling in prayer. On Fridays at noon, during the fasting month of Ramadan, and particularly the 27th of Ramadan (Lailat El-Qadr), the area is filled to virtual capacity.
There are 11 gates to Al-Aqsa Mosque: 7 of which are open. Of the 4 closed gates, one is the Golden Gate.
Indications of any Muslim mosque the World over is the thin spiral minaret which always immediately adjoins the Mosque wall. Minarets are used to call Muslims to prayer five times a day, seven days a week throughout the year. At Al-Aqsa Mosque, there are four minarets: 3 square and 1 cylindrical from the Mamluk period.There are no minarets on the Eastern side of Al-Aqsa Mosque because there were no inhabitants and thus no-one to call to prayer. After all, it was not till the late nineteenth century that Jerusalem began to expand outside the city walls.
Al-Aqsa is made up of 3 parts, narrow arcades run along one end, a huge atrium and a covered area at the south.
Running alongside the arcades are several family burial sites (maqamat). These persons contributed to the schools and charities in the vicinity of the Mosque run by the Supreme Muslim Council.
The atrium of Al-Aqsa Mosque is an oasis of peace and tranquillity inside a walled city of hustle and bustle. It has trees, lawns, fountains, the beautiful Shrine of the Dome of the Rock, small domed rooms and structures which are rooms for scholars, sheikhs and religious court offices, and a museum.
Before Muslims pray, they are required to go through a ritual ablution. There are manuablution areas, but the Cup is one of the oldest and most photographed fountains on the Mosque grounds.
In the center of the southern end of the atrium is the covered area of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Mihrab (niche showing direction of prayer) of the Mosque is located here. Al-Aqsa building (recognizable by its lead dome), was originally built nearly 1300 years ago by Muslim Caliph Al-Walid the son of AbdulMalek bin Marwan in 709 AD.
Throughout its history, Al-Aqsa was subject to successive restoration work due to damages caused by earthquakes, etc. The building now has the central nave and 6 aisles (the original covered area had 14 aisles).
The covered area of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a very simple, but large and imposing, rectangular structure. It has an area of 3500 square meters, and holds up to 5000 Muslims at prayer at one time. The Qibla facing south towards Mecca and the Rock within the Dome of the Rock are on the same central line.
There are 7 large gates to enter the Mosque's covered area, as well as 1 single door on both the eastern and western sides. There are over 100 clear and colored glass windows, 14 Arches, 27 Italian Marble columns on the eastern side, and the equivalent number of stone piers on the western side.
The outer dome was covered with Lead in 1985 replacing the Aluminum dome of 1964 in order to restore it to its original cover.
The inner dome, decorated with stucco work, dates back to the 13th century.
In 1969, after 2 years of Israeli occupation, a fanatic Jew set fire to the covered area for the first time in its history. Repairing the damage from the fire still continues. Among the numerous sad losses was the beautiful handmade pulpit from Aleppo. It was a gift from Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi and stood near the Mihrab (niche) in Al-Aqsa Mosque. This Pulpit, considered one of the most beautiful in the World, was made of over 10,000 interlocking pieces of Cedar and other wood, Ivory and mother of pearl affixed without a drop of glue or a single nail. A remaining section of this Pulpit is among the various artifacts on display at the Islamic Museum, in the southern corner of the Noble Sanctuary.
The restoration of the subterranean Marwani Musallah (praying place) was completed in 1996. It is 4000 square meters, and was tiled in a brief 2 months entirely by volunteers. The Marwani Musallah is mistakenly believed by some to be the site of King Solomon's stables, however its construction is actually entirely 8th century Umayyad.
In the middle of the 19th century Al-Aqsa Mosque was opened for Non-Muslim visitors. For Non-Muslims, the Mosque is open during fixed times on weekday mornings and afternoons on payment of an entrance fees. The Mosque is closed to Non-Muslims on Fridays throughout the year and all Muslim holidays.
Although in the past, everyone entered Al-Aqsa Mosque without shoes, now Muslims and tourists alike are permitted to enter Al-Aqsa with shoes. Shoes however, have to be removed to enter the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa's enclosed area as a sign of cleanliness and respect. Cameras likewise, are permitted in Al-Aqsa Mosque, but not inside any building. Visitors should ensure they are modestly dressed with arms and legs covered. Ladies should have a scarf to cover their hair. While on holy ground, intimate or personal contact must be avoided.
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
Dominating the skyline of Jerusalem, a landmark without doubt, is the beautiful shrine of the Dome of the Rock. Built on a platform over the rock of Mt. Moriah more than 1300 years ago by the Muslim Umayyad Caliph AbdulMalek bin Marwan, the shrine was completed in 691 AD, 6 years after building commenced. It is a shrine in Al-Aqsa Mosque commemorating the Prophet Mohammad's (pbuh) miraculous journey to the Seven Heavens.Eight stairways with arcades lead to the raked platform of the Dome of the Rock. There is a sun dial atop the center top archway, accurate to within five minutes of the actual time.
The shrine holds 1,500 people at prayer. Men and women pray in different sections in accordance with Muslim tradition. For Friday noon prayers (Al-Asr), the Dome of the Rock is for women only.
The Rock over which the mathematically precise octagonal shrine is built measures 12x15 meters, and rises 2 meters above Al-Aqsa Mosque's level ground. The cave below the rock is known as the Cave of Souls.
Four sides of the octagon have large arched gates facing due north, south, east and west.
28 reused Byzantine and Roman marble columns and capitals form two rows around the rock. The columns are joined by 24 arches covered with the original colored stone and glass mosaic signifying the fruits of paradise and heaven.
Of the 54 windows, 2 are clear glass and 36 are colored glass. The 16 colored glass windows in the drum have Qur'anic verses and are among the most beautiful windows in the world.
The Dome rises 25 meters from the floor equivalent to a building of 10 floors. The crescent atop the dome rises 4½ meters.
The inner wooden dome is decorated with stucco and was restored by Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi in 1187 after defeating the Crusaders. During the Crusader period, the Dome of the Rock was renamed Templum Domini. The Crusaders marveled at its beauty.
During the Ottoman period (1517-1918), the outer walls were recovered with brilliant blue, green, yellow and white ceramic tiles in either Arabesque design or with Qur'anic verses. Original tiles can still be seen on the outside of the drum. The rest of the tiles were restored in 1964.
