The Qibli Mosque is not the Al Aqsa Mosque, but is an integral part of it. It is located south of the Al Aqsa Mosque, facing Mecca, from which it takes its name (Qibli). It was built during the reign of Caliph Al Walid Ibn Abd Al Malik (705-715). Initially, the Qibli Mosque had 15 aisles and therefore 15 doors on the facade, however, following the numerous earthquakes experienced by the city of Al Quds (Jerusalem), it was restored with 7 aisles, and therefore 7 doors. The Qibli Mosque currently consists of a large central aisle, with three other aisles on each side.
Introduction
Above the northern part of the central aisle rests a wooden dome covered with lead which rises to approximately 17 meters in height. The mosque is 80 meters in length and 55 in width, making its area approximately 4500 square meters.
During the Crusader occupation of Jerusalem, the Qibli Mosque was used as a residence for knights as well as a seat for their rulers. The Qibli mosque remained in this state until the liberation of the city by Salah-eddine Al Ayyoubi (Saladin) in 538 AH (1187 AD).
1967, the Qibli mosque is burned by a Jewish extremist
On the morning of Thursday, August 21, 1969, a Jewish terrorist burst onto the esplanades of the al Aqsa mosque by entering through one of its doors, until reaching the al-Qiblî prayer place, which is the main place of prayer located within the al Aqsa mosque, then he lit a fire in several places, notably near the minbar, the mihrab and the dome, and very quickly the smoke from the fire rose towards the sky.
The fire devoured more than a quarter of the mosque and destroyed irreplaceable and priceless historical treasures, like the minbar offered by Salah-eddine Al Ayyoubi (Saladin) on the day of the liberation of the city of Al Quds.
The minbar, symbol of Islamic victory, was built in Aleppo in Syria in the 12th century. This was reconstructed identically and installed again in the Qibli Mosque in 2006.
Remember, the Al Aqsa Mosque is a group of religious buildings (144,000 m2), bringing together the Dome of the Rock, the esplanade, the Qibli Mosque (gray dome), the Al Aqsa Qadim underground, Masjid Buraq and Masjid Marwani . In sha Allah we will present to you through this chronicle, all of these buildings.
Some definitions: al-Quds (the sanctuary), Bayt al-Maqdis (the Temple of the sanctuary) al-Bayt al-muqaddas (the sanctified Temple).
People are interested in Kaaba - Islamic Building Blocks Set of the Holy Mecca
