A history built in layers.

Dates use the Common Era (CE). A reign, construction campaign and restoration are different kinds of time spans. This is a selected building history, not a complete political chronology.

1. c. 638#

   An early southern place of prayer

   The custodial guide associates Umar with a simple prayer building on the southern side, preceding the monumental Umayyad mosque. This is an attributed early historical account, not a date for the present hall.[1]

   Al-Aqsa and early Islamic Al-QudsExplore Al-Qibli Mosque
2. 691–692#

   Completion of the Dome of the Rock

   The monument commissioned by Abd al-Malik is completed. Later decoration and repairs form separate layers of its history.[2]

   Dome of the Rock: form, meaning and changeThe Umayyad building programmeExplore Dome of the Rock
3. Early 8th century#

   Al-Walid’s southern mosque campaign

   The custodial guide gives 706–714; Archnet describes a major phase under al-Walid after an earlier beginning under Abd al-Malik. The sources differ in their dating of the campaign.[1][3]

   Al-Qibli Mosque: the southern prayer hallThe Umayyad building programmeExplore Al-Qibli Mosque
4. During 775–785#

   Rebuilding under al-Mahdi

   Archnet associates Abbasid reconstruction with al-Mahdi’s reign. The range identifies the reign associated with the work, not its exact duration.[3]

   Abbasid and Fatimid rebuildingExplore Al-Qibli Mosque
5. 11th century#

   Fatimid reconstruction

   A further major rebuilding phase of the southern mosque is recorded in the Fatimid period. A precise completion year is not asserted here.[3]

   Abbasid and Fatimid rebuildingExplore Al-Qibli Mosque
6. 1099 onward#

   Crusader changes of use

   The two major buildings acquire different uses: the southern mosque as a palace and later Templar residence, the Dome of the Rock as a church.[4][3][2]

   Crusader uses and Ayyubid renewalExplore Dome of the Rock
7. 1169–1174#

   Making Nur al-Din’s minbar

   The celebrated pulpit is made in Aleppo. Its manufacture precedes its later transfer to Al-Quds.[5]

   Nur al-Din’s minbar: makers, movement and memoryExplore Al-Qibli Mosque
8. 1187#

   Saladin and the return to Muslim use

   Following the capture of Al-Quds, the sanctuary’s major buildings return to Muslim use. Nur al-Din’s minbar is brought from Aleppo.[6][2][5]

   Crusader uses and Ayyubid renewalNur al-Din’s minbar: makers, movement and memoryExplore Dome of the Rock
9. c. 1200–1201#

   An Ayyubid phase at the Ascension Dome

   A dedication or renovation is recorded. The original construction date remains uncertain.[7][8]

   Reading Al-Aqsa’s smaller domesExplore Dome of the Ascension
10. 1336#

    Rebuilding the Cotton Merchants’ Market

    The Ministry of Tourism associates the market’s rebuilding with Emir Tankiz. This date is attached to the market complex, not automatically to every adjacent gateway element.[9]

    The gates: names, numbers and connectionsMamluk Al-Quds: schools, water and gatewaysExplore Cotton Merchants’ Gate
11. 1482#

    Qaytbay’s Ashrafiyya madrasa

    The museum record dates the rebuilding through an inscription, endowment document and historical sources.[10]

    Al-Ashrafiyya: a Mamluk educational foundationMamluk Al-Quds: schools, water and gatewaysExplore Sabil Qaytbay
12. 1482#

    Renewal of Qaytbay’s sabil

    Qaytbay renews the fountain associated with an earlier foundation by Inal, beside the educational complex.[11]

    Water, fountains and ablutionMamluk Al-Quds: schools, water and gatewaysExplore Sabil Qaytbay
13. During 1520–1566#

    Süleyman’s tile campaign

    The Dome of the Rock’s exterior tile revetment is associated with Süleyman’s reign. This range is the reign, not a claim that work continued throughout all of it.[12]

    Ottoman renewal and the visible sanctuaryMaterials, decoration and inscriptionsExplore Dome of the Rock
14. 1817#

    A dated tile and a named maker

    A ceramic tile from restoration at the Dome of the Rock records Mustafa Ali Effendi. It later becomes part of the Islamic Museum collection.[13]

    Materials, decoration and inscriptionsOttoman renewal and the visible sanctuaryExplore Dome of the Rock
15. 1882–1883#

    Ottoman repair of Qaytbay’s sabil

    The museum record identifies a later Ottoman renovation of the Mamluk water building.[11]

    Water, fountains and ablutionOttoman renewal and the visible sanctuaryExplore Sabil Qaytbay
16. 1923#

    Establishment of the Islamic Museum

    The museum profile records the institution’s foundation, before its move to the southwestern sanctuary.[14]

    The Islamic Museum and the evidence it preserves
17. 1927#

    Earthquake damage at Ashrafiyya

    The upper storey suffers extensive damage, as described in the museum’s architectural record.[10]

    Al-Ashrafiyya: a Mamluk educational foundation
18. 1928#

    Ashrafiyya’s copper panel enters the museum

    The transfer date records the movement of the object, not its manufacture.[15]

    Al-Ashrafiyya: a Mamluk educational foundationThe Islamic Museum and the evidence it preserves
19. 1929#

    The museum moves to the southwestern sanctuary

    The museum profile dates its relocation to the setting associated with its collection today.[14]

    The Islamic Museum and the evidence it preserves
20. 1966#

    The 1817 tile enters the museum

    The tile is transferred from the Dome of the Rock during restoration, preserving its building association in a collection record.[13]

    Restoration: how Al-Aqsa’s fabric survivesThe Islamic Museum and the evidence it preservesExplore Dome of the Rock
21. 1969#

    Fire and the loss of the original minbar

    The original wooden pulpit is largely destroyed. Surviving fragments subsequently enter the Islamic Museum.[5]

    Nur al-Din’s minbar: makers, movement and memoryRestoration: how Al-Aqsa’s fabric survivesExplore Al-Qibli Mosque
22. 1983#

    Recorded restoration completion

    The Aga Khan project page lists 1983 as completion of the documented restoration project.[16]

    Restoration: how Al-Aqsa’s fabric survivesExplore Al-Qibli Mosque
23. 1986 award cycle#

    Recognition for conservation

    Al-Aqsa’s restoration is recognized in the 1984–1986 Aga Khan Award for Architecture cycle. Recognition and completion are separate events.[16]

    Restoration: how Al-Aqsa’s fabric survivesExplore Al-Qibli Mosque
24. 2012#

    Restoration of the Dome of the Chain

    The custodial guide records work by the Islamic Waqf and TIKA, including renewed tile decoration.[17]

    Dome of the Chain: a small building with open questionsRestoration: how Al-Aqsa’s fabric survivesExplore Dome of the Chain