Al-Qibli is Al-Aqsa’s principal covered congregational prayer hall, but it is not the sanctuary’s only prayer space. The custodial guide includes other covered and lower-level spaces as well as open courtyards and platforms. Building names, religious use and current access are separate questions.[1]
In this guide
The southern hall
Al-Qibli’s present interior is organized into a broad arrangement of aisles leading toward the southern prayer wall. Its mihrab and minbar have different functions: the niche indicates the prayer direction, while the pulpit is associated with the sermon. A photograph showing both should not identify either object simply as an altar. The architectural vocabulary helps make the space’s arrangement intelligible.[2][3]
Spaces below the main courtyard
The guide identifies the Marwani prayer hall in the southeastern part of the site and the Ancient Aqsa corridors below the southern mosque. These are distinct lower-level spaces, not alternative names for the Dome of the Rock. Their existence is one reason a flat overview cannot adequately explain the full sanctuary. A complete description needs to indicate level as well as relative position.[4]
Open space is not outside the mosque by definition
In the broad Islamic understanding presented by the custodial guide, the entire enclosure is Al-Aqsa Mosque. The open courtyards therefore do not become unrelated ground merely because they are unroofed. The guide also describes raised platforms used for prayer and teaching. This should be understood as a description of the sanctuary’s religious and architectural organization, not a current allocation chart for worshippers.[5]
A niche can carry several kinds of association
Some niches have commemorative names linking them to prophetic traditions. The guide explicitly cautions that a particular association, such as the named niche of Zechariah, is not supported by firm evidence identifying the exact place. A respectful account can explain the tradition without presenting it as a demonstrated archaeological location. Naming, belief and physical dating must remain distinct fields of inquiry.[6]
Historical descriptions do not allocate today’s prayer space
A guide may describe a room’s function at the time it was written, while conservation records document earlier changes of use. Neither necessarily tells a visitor which areas are open now. Learn explains the types of spaces and their history. For an actual visit, follow current on-site guidance concerning entry, worship and the use of particular rooms.[7][8]
Sources & references
References are attached to the passages they support. Dates below record source consultation.
- A Guide to Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Ash-Sharif (2015)
pp. 4–5, 8–23, 64–65
PASSIA · Jerusalem Awqaf · Hashemite Fund · Consulted 2026-09-14
- A Guide to Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Ash-Sharif (2015)
pp. 10–11, 58–59
PASSIA · Jerusalem Awqaf · Hashemite Fund · 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
- A Guide to Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Ash-Sharif (2015)
pp. 4–5, 16–23
PASSIA · Jerusalem Awqaf · Hashemite Fund · Consulted 2026-09-14
- A Guide to Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Ash-Sharif (2015)
pp. 4–5, 64–65
PASSIA · Jerusalem Awqaf · Hashemite Fund · Consulted 2026-09-14
- A Guide to Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Ash-Sharif (2015)
p. 11
PASSIA · Jerusalem Awqaf · Hashemite Fund · Consulted 2026-09-14
- A Guide to Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Ash-Sharif (2015)
pp. 16–23; publication date
PASSIA · Jerusalem Awqaf · Hashemite Fund · Consulted 2026-09-14
- Al-Aqsa Library and Islamic Museum
Archnet · Jerusalem Revitalization Program project account · Consulted 2026-09-14