Nebi Akasha Mosque of Jerusalem
Nebi Akasha Mosque is located in western Jerusalem, close to the junction of Straus Street and the Street of the Prophets. This mosque was built in the 19th century and it had been regularly targeted by the Jewish settlers in the past. One of the first attack occurred on August 26, 1929 by a Jewish group and this mosque was badly damaged and nearby tombs were desecrated.
As a result of the Palestinian Arab exodus from western Jerusalem during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the mosque was abandoned.
In December 2011 the mosque was defaced with anti Arab graffiti by right-wing extremists who tried to set fire to it. The mosque is inactive and the Jerusalem Municipality uses it as a warehouse at present.
It is believed that Saladin’s soldiers were buried at this site which died during the siege of Jerusalem in 1187. The tombs belonging to those who martyred in the battle were desecrated by the extremist Jewish groups.
Today, it is located in the middle of a park in a Haredi Jewish neighborhood. The area around the mosque looks neglected and bit eerie. In the evening few kids can be seen playing in the park. Due to current tensions between the two communities (Muslim and Jewish), one feels that mosque is not going to open any time soon for the prayers or even for visitors.
