The Temple Mount

The Temple Mount

The Temple Mount is a holy site within the Old City of Jerusalem for Jewish, Christian, and Muslim people. All visitors can tour the compound and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the exception of the Dome of the Rock.

Also Known As: The Temple Mount (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת, romanized: Har haBayīt, lit. ’Mount of the House [of the Holy]’), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf. ‘The Noble Sanctuary’), al-Aqsa Mosque compound, or simply al-Aqsa Mosque (, al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, lit. ‘The Furthest Mosque’), and sometimes as Jerusalem’s sacred (or holy) esplanade

Religious: The Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif is the most contentious religious site in Jerusalem. It is revered by Jews at the location of two biblical temples and is the holiest site in Judaism. The compound also houses the Dome of the Rock, pictured here, and the al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest shrine in Islam.

Location: The Temple Mount forms the northern portion of a very narrow spur of hill that slopes sharply downward from north to south. Rising above the Kidron Valley to the east and Tyropoeon Valley to the west. Its peak reaches a height of 740 m (2,428 ft) above sea level. In around 19 BCE, Herod the Great extended the Mount’s natural plateau by enclosing the area with four massive retaining walls and filling the voids.