Interior of al-Aqsa Mosque - Jerusalem
al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was the first Qibla for the Muslims, but later Qibla was changed to Kaaba. The interior of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem has beautiful seven aisles, dates mostly from the 20th century. It has 45 columns, 33 of which are white marble and 12 of stone.
There are remains of a Crusader chapel inside the mosque and it’s colorful painted ceiling was funded by King Farouk of Egypt. The Crusaders used it as a royal palace and as a stable for horses. In 1119, it was transformed into the headquarters for the Templar Knights. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099 many Muslims took refuge in al-Aqsa mosque but they were all butchered. When Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, he removed the toilets and grain stores built by the Crusaders at al-Aqsa and he covered the floors with carpets.
Last major renovation of the mosque was carried out between 1938 and 1942. The nave and east side of the mosque were rebuilt as part of a major restoration in 1938-42, during which the Carrara marble columns were used. It is believed that there are 121 stained glass windows in the mosque from the Abbasid and Fatimid eras. The ceiling of the mosque was funded by King Farouk of Egypt and stained windows were restored in 1927.
In 1187 a minbar made of ivory and fine crafted wood was installed by Saladin but it was burnt by a crazed man called Rohan in 1969. Rohan, a member of an evangelical Protestant sect, said he hoped to hasten the coming of the Messiah by having the Jewish Temple rebuilt on the site. He was found to be insane and deported.
Just to the left of the main entrance to Al-Aqsa, a flight of 16 steps leads down to an area called al-Aqsa Qadima (Ancient Al-Aqsa). It leads to one of the original entrance passages to the Temple Mount during the period of the Second Temple but it is closed for public.
