Muslim Sites in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, “Al Quds” or “The Holy One” in Arabic, is one of the three sacred cities in Islam. The city is associated with historic Muslim leaders, prophets, and one particular passage in the Koran. On Haram as-Sharif (Temple Mount) in the Old City, stands the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is identified as the “Farthest Mosque” mentioned in the Koran.

The Koran tells how Muhammad went on a Night Journey, to the Al-Aqsa Mosque where he prayed and then ascended to heaven. Also on Temple Mount is the stunning UNESCO-listed Dome of the Rock (Al-Haram Ash Sharif) which houses a shrine, and the Sacred Rock where Muhammad stepped up to heaven. The best way to see the Temple Mount sites is on a Jerusalem Temple Mount & Dome of the Rock Tour.

Jerusalem’s Old City holds Muslim sites such as the 12th-century Mosque of Omar, near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. On a Jerusalem Old City Tour, you can wander through the Muslim Quarter and enjoy the traditional bazaar or souk. Walk through the impressive Bab El Amud (Damascus Gate) and see buildings from the Mameluk era including the magnificent Lady Tunshuk’s Palace, and the Madrasa al Tashtamuriyya.

Jerusalem was ruled by the Muslim Ottoman Empire for 400 years from 1517 to 1917. The incredible Old City walls were built under Suliman the Magnificent in the 16th-century AD. Many of the buildings constructed during the Ottoman era have survived. One example is the beautiful American Colony Hotel, originally built in 1876 as the home of Rabah al-Husseini.

To discover sites outside of the Old City walls, take a Jerusalem Old and New Tour and visit the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives where there are a mosque and Christian chapel. If you want to choose which Muslim sites you visit, take a Jerusalem Muslim Private Tour. On a private tour, you might like to stop at the Museum of Islamic Art, the Museum on the Seam, or the Islamic Museum.