Al-Qibli Mosque
It is located in the southern area of the Al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Built by the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid bin Abdul-Malik Ibn Marwan between 705-715 AD, the mosque follows a rectangular plan, measuring 80 meters from north to south and 55 meters from east to west. Historical sources indicate that the mosque was initially larger than its current size. It originally consisted of fifteen corridors, with the central corridor being the largest, ending with a beautiful dome on its southern side. The corridors opened to fifteen doors on the northern side and eleven doors on the eastern side.
In 749 AD, an earthquake led to the demolition of its western and eastern sides. The Mosque was first renovated during the reign of the Abbasid Caliph Abu Jaafar Al-Mansur (754-775 AD). It is believed that a second earthquake occurred during the reign of Caliph Al-Mahdi (775-785 AD), resulting in further restoration and rebuilding in 780 AD. Another earthquake struck in 1033 AD, causing significant destruction in the region, including to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Fatimid Caliph al-Zahir restored it in 1034 AD, reducing the number of corridors on each side to three, resulting in seven corridors and seven doors as it stands today.
The mosque underwent additional restoration during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mustansir Billah in 1066 AD. It was also renovated during the Ayyubid period when Al-Nasir Salah al-Din ordered the installation of the pulpit made by Nour al-Din Zengi in Aleppo, which was later burned in 1969. The Mamluks also carried out major renovations to the mosque and the dome. During the Ottoman period, the mosque received significant attention and maintenance. Since the beginning of the last century, the Supreme Islamic Council and the Islamic Endowments have been continuously working on building and renovating the mosque.