Jerusalem, the al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Acre

The land of Jerusalem is one in which mosques, churches and synagogues stand side by side. There is the al-Aqsa Mosque, the Wailing Wall and the Armageddon Church.

The open markets of this sacred city are places where people from all three of the major religions try to earn a living.

Women praying in front of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount

Our first stop was the al-Aqsa Mosque. This mosque lived out its first golden age during the times of the Prophets David and Solomon. And after Prophet Muhammad came and prayer became mandatory, the early Muslims turned toward it when praying. Two years after the Hijra, during which Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina, the Angel Gabriel revealed verses of the Quran that changed the direction of prayer from the al-Aqsa Mosque to the Kaaba, a cube-like structure in the center of Mecca. To this day, Muslims turn in the direction of the Kaaba while praying.

The most sacred mosques in the world are the al-Harem Mosque in Mecca, the Nabawi Mosque in Medina and the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said that prayers performed in these three mosques are more valued than prayers done in other mosques.

The second golden age of the al-Aqsa Mosque came during the reign of the Caliph Umar. During the Crusades, the mosque was taken over by Crusaders and used as a church. When Salahuddin Ayyubi, popularly known as Saladin, came into Jerusalem, the al-Aqsa Mosque was re-opened as a mosque.

The clock tower and Ottoman mosques in Acre

Fethullah Gülen, a famous Turkish scholar of Islam, describes the miraculous atmosphere of peace and serenity contained in the al-Aqsa Mosque in those times as such: “During that time period, the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Kaaba rose high upon orders that came from the sky, bursting forth as if from the ground into the air. The sacred mihrabs and minbars opened their wings for the ages… It became a literal ‘paradise on earth,’ a holy and sacred spot. It is such a great spot that you can hear the voice of the Prophet Adam resounding within it, and you can feel the breath of Prophet Solomon around it. Under the dome, the words spoken by the Prophets David and Solomon echo.”

“Yes, if only this sacred spot could speak, and if it could relate the events it has witnessed throughout the past, as well as everything it goes through today. Perhaps if it could do this, the faithless friends of the mosque would come to their senses” Gülen says.

The Dome of the Rock

Our next stop was the Wailing Wall. Everyone is searched on their approach to this wall, held sacred by the world’s Jews. In the year 70, the Romans destroyed Solomon’s Temple for the second time and killed or drove out many Jewish residents of the city. The only part to remain of the second temple was what is now called the Wailing Wall. The wall is 100 meters long and 20 meters high. And so, with their tallith shawls on their shoulders and kippahs or yarmulkes on their heads, Jewish men come to pray here, right next to the al-Aqsa Mosque. Some of the Jewish men here wear fedoras and long black coats, swaying and repeating their prayers. Religious, married Jewish women are careful to wear headscarves over their hair. In fact, some wear wigs, which are very popular among Orthodox Jewish women in general. Orthodox Jewish families often see to it that their children receive a mostly religious education. At the same time, members of the Orthodox community often vote for the more conservative parties in Israel.

Near the Wailing Wall are many tunnels. Some of these run near and under the al-Aqsa Mosque. In fact, there was a great worry in the Muslim world that these tunnels might be used to approach and harm the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque from underneath.

Christianity also holds Jerusalem in high esteem. The route last walked by Jesus Christ was through the city of Jerusalem and the site where Christians believe he was crucified is now home to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Our next stop was the historic city of Acre. A short walk through Acre feels like a walk through a real Ottoman city.

The city of Acre is home to the Akko Tower, a major landmark. After being taken over by the Byzantines, the Mamluks and the Ottomans, this tower fell into the hands of the British.

Other Ottoman masterpieces include the Jezzar Ahmet Pasha Mosque. Its architectural style is a clear sign that it is an Ottoman mosque. On Leyletu-l-Qadr, the 27th night of Ramadan, visitors have the opportunity to see a hair from the beard of Prophet Muhammad here. Other strands of the Prophet’s beard are held in various places throughout the world, including Konya and İstanbul. The grave of Jezzar Ahmet Pasha is located in the courtyard of this mosque.

This beautiful mosque is a direct reminder of the presence of the Ottomans in these lands. The buildings are still the same, the soil beneath us is still the same, it is only the people who have changed. The Jewish population of this city, only around 500 in the 1500s, rose to around 85,000 by the time of World War I.

In the evening hours, we met with the mayor of Acre. He told us that “wherever you look in our city, you will see traces of the Ottomans. In fact, these Ottomans structures encompass the most important sections of Acre. There are other subjects of which we are very proud here. In this city, Muslims, Bahais, Jews and Christians all live in peace together. These aren’t merely words. Let’s take a look at the city council as an example. There are four Arab members on this council and, in fact, one of them is my assistant. And I would also like to add that the Arab population of the city makes a full quarter of the city’s population. This is not a small group at all.”

With Acre behind us, we headed straight for the city of Yafa (Jaffa or Haifa). This port city has many Ottoman masterpieces left over, with many beautiful mosques and minarets grabbing our attention. One of the historical mosques here is the Mahmudiye Mosque. There is also a very historical clock tower that resembles ones in Jerusalem and Acre and was built in 1906 on the occasion of Sultan Abdülhamit II ascending to the throne of the Ottoman Empire.