Archnet describes its use as a royal palace and later as a residence of the Knights Templar. That history differs from the Dome of the Rock’s use as a church.[1][2]
The southern mosque became a palace and Templar residence
Archnet describes the former mosque as a royal palace after the Crusader conquest and later as a residence of the Knights Templar. This is a history of changed use within an existing building. It does not mean the Crusaders first constructed the complete southern hall or that every alteration from the period survives there today.[1]
The Dome of the Rock followed a different path
The Metropolitan Museum describes the Dome of the Rock’s conversion into a church. Medieval Latin identifications distinguished that monument, called Templum Domini, from the southern structure associated with Templum Salomonis. Keeping the names separate prevents the histories of two buildings from being merged.[2][1]
Muslim use was restored after Saladin’s capture
Following Saladin’s capture of Al-Quds in 1187, the major sanctuary buildings returned to Muslim use. Nur al-Din’s minbar was brought from Aleppo to the southern mosque. These events belong to a transition in use and renewal, followed by further architectural change, rather than a single moment that created the whole compound anew.[3][4][1]
Sources & references
References are attached to the passages they support. Dates below record source consultation.
- Jamiʿ al-Aqsa
Archnet · Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT · Consulted 2026-09-14
- The Dome of the Rock · Ana Botchkareva
The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Consulted 2026-09-14
- The Art of the Ayyubid Period (ca. 1171–1260)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Consulted 2026-09-14
- Pieces from the Nur al-Din Zangi minbar · Nazmi Al-Juʿbeh
Museum With No Frontiers · Discover Islamic Art · Consulted 2026-09-14