Sophie, her mom and her aunt (who is visiting from Kazakhstan) go together to the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif, the third most holy place for Muslims, and the holiest for Jews. During their visit they tour the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, both incredible structures which go back to the early days of Islam.
This place is believed by Muslims to be the site of Mohammad’s “Night Journey” – where he travelled from Arabia to the Al-Aqsa (the furthest) mosque and than ascended to heaven. The Dome of the Rock (the building with the golden dome), one of the oldest extant Islamic structures, is built over the giant rock where this is believed to have taken place.
The exact same spot is believed by Jews to be the site of the Temple of Solomon, which was expanded by King Herod and later destroyed by the Roman’s. Jews also believe that the very same rock holy to Muslims, is the “Foundation Stone” – the exact place from where the world was created.
Control over this spot is at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and changes to the status-quo of the site, whether factual or simply rumours, frequently result in violent conflict.
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