Al-Aqsa mosque

In news- Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque courtyard was recently stormed by extremist settlers under the protection of Israeli forces.

About Al-Aqsa mosque-

Originally built as a small prayer house, the mosque was reconstructed by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik in 705 CE.
It underwent renovations under various dynasties, including the Ottoman empire, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan.
In Arabic, “aqsa” translates as farthest, and is a reference to Islamic scripture and its account of the Prophet Muhammad traveling from Mecca to the mosque in one night to pray and then ascending to heaven.
The mosque sits inside a 35-acre site known by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as the Temple Mount.
The site is part of the Old City of Jerusalem, sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
Though Jerusalem’s Old City is under Israeli control, the mosque has remained under the administration of the Jordanian and Palestinian-led Islamic Waqf since 1967.
The Waqf is a religious trust that manages Islamic historical sites around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Jews and Christians are allowed to visit, but unlike Muslims (Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam), are prohibited from praying on the grounds under the status quo arrangement.
For Jews, the Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as Har Habayit, is the holiest place because it was the site of two ancient temples.
UNESCO has classified the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls as a World Heritage Site.