TRAVEL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009 TODAY’S ZAMAN 09

Women praying The clock tower The Dome of

in front of the and Ottoman the Rock

SAİM ORHAN
AP

al-Aqsa Mosque mosques in Acre

PHOTO

PHOTO
Prophets David and Solomon echo.”
The land of

JERUSALEM, “Yes, if only this sacred spot could speak, and if it could
relate the events it has witnessed throughout the past,
as well as everything it goes through today. Perhaps if it
could do this, the faithless friends of the mosque would
come to their senses” Gülen says.
Jerusalem is one
in which mosques,
churches and

THE AL-AQSA
Our next stop was the Wailing Wall. Everyone is searched
on their approach to this wall, held sacred by the world’s synagogues stand
JERUSALEM-- Jerusalem is a city that three major religions Jews. In the year 70, the Romans destroyed Solomon’s Tem-
ple for the second time and killed or drove out many Jewish
side by side. There is
all see as very important. It is a city which people have not
wanted to share for thousands of years now, a sacred city. In residents of the city. The only part to remain of the second the al-Aqsa Mosque,

MOSQUE AND
temple was what is now called the Wailing Wall. The wall is
the year 1517, the Ottomans took Jerusalem, and it remained
under their jurisdiction for another 400 years. During these 100 meters long and 20 meters high. And so, with their tal- the Wailing Wall and
years, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent commissioned some lith shawls on their shoulders and kippahs or yarmulkes on the Armageddon
important walls, fountains and large gateways in Jerusalem. their heads, Jewish men come to pray here, right next to the
In short, it was a period during which much construction was al-Aqsa Mosque. Some of the Jewish men here wear fedoras Church. The open
and long black coats, swaying and repeating their prayers.
markets of this sacred

THE CITY OF
completed and even sped up in Jerusalem. In fact, the historical
walls still standing and encircling Jerusalem today were built Religious, married Jewish women are careful to wear heads-
during Sultan Süleyman’s time. Also, it was the Ottomans who carves over their hair. In fact, some wear wigs, which are very city are places where
popular among Orthodox Jewish women in general. Orthodox
gave the city the name it still holds in Turkish: Kudüs-u Şerif.
The land of Jerusalem is one in which mosques, church- Jewish families often see to it that their children receive a mostly
people from all three
es and synagogues stand side by side. There is the al-Aqsa religious education. At the same time, members of the Orthodox of the major religions

ACRE Mosque, the Wailing Wall and the Armageddon Church.

The open markets of this sacred city are places where
people from all three of the major religions try to earn a living.
Our first stop was the al-Aqsa Mosque. This mosque lived
out its first golden age during the times of the Prophets Da-
community often vote for the more conservative parties in Israel.
Near the Wailing Wall are many tunnels. Some of these run
near and under the al-Aqsa Mosque. In fact, there was a great
worry in the Muslim world that these tunnels might be used to ap-
proach and harm the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque from underneath.
Christianity also holds Jerusalem in high esteem. The
try to earn a living
YUNUS EMRE HATUNĞLU

vid and Solomon. And after Prophet Muhammad came and

prayer became mandatory, the early Muslims turned toward route last walked by Jesus Christ was through the city of Jeru-
it when praying. Two years after the Hijra, during which salem and the site where Christians believe he was crucified is
now home to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina, the
Our next stop was the historic city of Acre. A short walk
Angel Gabriel revealed verses of the Quran that changed the
through Acre feels like a walk through a real Ottoman city.
direction of prayer from the al-Aqsa Mosque to the Kaaba, a
The city of Acre is home to the Akko Tower, a major land-
cube-like structure in the center of Mecca. To this day, Mus-
mark. After being taken over by the Byzantines, the Mamluks
lims turn in the direction of the Kaaba while praying.
and the Ottomans, this tower fell into the hands of the British.
The most sacred mosques in the world are the al-Harem
Other Ottoman masterpieces include the Jezzar Ahmet
Mosque in Mecca, the Nabawi Mosque in Medina and the
MAP

Pasha Mosque. Its architectural style is a clear sign that it is

al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The Prophet Muhammad is
an Ottoman mosque. On Leyletu-l-Qadr, the 27th night of
reported to have said that prayers performed in these three
Ramadan, visitors have the opportunity to see a hair from
mosques are more valued than prayers done in other mosques.
the beard of Prophet Muhammad here. Other strands of
The second golden age of the al-Aqsa Mosque came during
the Prophet’s beard are held in various places throughout
the reign of the Caliph Umar. During the Crusades, the mosque
the world, including Konya and İstanbul. The grave of Jez-
was taken over by Crusaders and used as a church. When Sala-
zar Ahmet Pasha is located in the courtyard of this mosque.
huddin Ayyubi, popularly known as Saladin, came into Jerusa-
This beautiful mosque is a direct reminder of the presence of
lem, the al-Aqsa Mosque was re-opened as a mosque.
the Ottomans in these lands. The buildings are still the same, the
Near the structure of the al-Aqsa Mosque is the Dome
soil beneath us is still the same, it is only the people who have
of the Rock, topped with a golden dome. This octagonal
changed. The Jewish population of this city, only around 500 in
shaped mosque has inside it a rock from which the Prophet
the 1500s, rose to around 85,000 by the time of World War I.
Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven.
In the evening hours, we met with the mayor of Acre. He told
Fethullah Gülen, a famous Turkish scholar of Islam, de- us that “wherever you look in our city, you will see traces of the
scribes the miraculous atmosphere of peace and serenity Ottomans. In fact, these Ottomans structures encompass the most
contained in the al-Aqsa Mosque in those times as important sections of Acre. There are other subjects of which we are
such: “During that time period, the al-Aqsa very proud here. In this city, Muslims, Bahais, Jews and Christians
Mosque and the Kaaba rose high upon or- all live in peace together. These aren’t merely words. Let’s take a
ders that came from the sky, bursting forth look at the city council as an example. There are four Arab mem-
as if from the ground into the air. The bers on this council and, in fact, one of them is my assistant. And I
sacred mihrabs and minbars opened would also like to add that the Arab population of the city makes a
their wings for the ages… It became full quarter of the city’s population. This is not a small group at all.”
a literal ‘paradise on earth,’ a holy With Acre behind us, we headed straight for the city of
and sacred spot. It is such a great Yafa (Jaffa or Haifa). This port city has many Ottoman mas-
spot that you can hear the voice terpieces left over, with many beautiful mosques and mina-
of the Prophet Adam resound- rets grabbing our attention. One of the historical mosques
ing within it, and you can feel here is the Mahmudiye Mosque. There is also a very his-
the breath of Prophet Solomon torical clock tower that resembles ones in Jerusalem and
around it. Under the dome, Acre and was built in 1906 on the occasion of Sultan Abdül-
the words spoken by the hamit II ascending to the throne of the Ottoman Empire.
TODAY’S ZAMAN, ADEM YAVUZ ARSLAN

The al-Aqsa
PHOTO

Mosque

CMYK