Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

Al-Masjid El-Aqsa is an Arabic name which means the ‘Farthest Mosque’. While the roots of Islam began in the Arabian Peninsula known as Saudi Arabia today, ten years after Prophet Mohammad received his first revelation he made a night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and to the Seven Heavens on a white flying horse called Al-Buraq El-Sharif. During his short halt in Jerusalem, the Prophet offered prayer at the rock and was given the commandment to pray five times a day. During Prophet Mohammad's life he told Muslims to visit not only the mosque where they lived in Mecca, but also the 'Farthest mosque' from them which lay 2000 kilometers north, in Jerusalem. Hence the name Al-Masjid El-Aqsa, or Al-Aqsa Mosque was given to this mosque.

Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem 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. It is also of the most popular place for sightseeing in Jerusalem and the most popular mosques in Jerusalem. People from all over the world, come here to pray and be blessed. Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque at Jerusalem is rectangular in shape covering 144,000 square meters which makes up to one-sixth of the entire area within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Al-Aqsa Mosque can hold up to 400,000 worshippers at one time. There are 11 gates to Al-Aqsa Mosque: 7 of which are open and 4 are closed gates .At Al-Aqsa Mosque, there are four minarets: 3 squares and 1 cylindrical. There are no minarets on the Eastern side of Al-Aqsa Mosque of Jerusalem because there were no dwellers and thus no-one to call to prayer in that era.
From the Jerusalem travel guide you’ll come to know that in the center of the southern end of the atrium is the covered area of Al-Aqsa Mosque of Jerusalem. The Mihrab, the niche showing the direction of the prayer of the Mosque is located here. Al-Aqsa building 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 Mosqu in Jerusalem was subject to successive restoration work due to damages caused by earthquakes and other natural calamities. The building now has the central nave and 6 aisles. In the middle of the 19th century Al-Aqsa Mosque was opened for Non-Muslim visitors. For Non-Muslims, the Mosque is open only 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.