"Glory to Allah Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We have blessed, in order that We might show him some of Our Signs; for He is the One Who heareth and seeth all things"
-Quran/The Night Journey
Jerusalem is the center of the 3 great monotheistic religions of the world; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. For Jews and Christians, Jerusalem is indeed a sanctified city, for Muslims, only Mecca and Medina shine brighter in the firmament of Islam. The plethora of synagogues, churches and mosques in Jerusalem reveal the deep imprint these 3 great monotheistic religions have on this ancient and sacred city. People have lived in and around Jerusalem for more than 4,000 years, and the structure of the "Old City", surrounded by a massive block wall built by Suleyman the Magnificent in the mid-1500's, has changed little since the 2nd century AD. King David, mentioned both in the Bible and the Koran, made Jerusalem the capitol of his kingdom in 1000 BC. Solomon, David's successor, built the first temple there which would later confirm the city as the focus of monotheism throughout the world. After being destroyed, this temple was rebuilt during the time Jesus Christ walked the Earth under the rule of the Roman govenor Herod, and subsequently became known as the Herodian Temple Mount. It was later destroyed (again) by the Roman General Titus and his army in 70 AD in response to a jewish rebellion against Rome. The Western (or Wailing Wall) of today- currently Judaism's most holy site- is, in actuality, a foundation wall of this former temple. Today the Temple Mount is known to Muslims as Haram-esh-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary. This shrine, known as the Dome of the Rock, was built by an Umayyad (Muslim) caliph in 691 AD on the traditional site of Muhammed's historical ascension into Heaven as recorded in the sura entitled, "Night Journey" in the Holy Koran. The dome still stands today as a testament to the sanctity and sacredness of the temple mount to Muslims worldwide.
