The El-Aqsa Mosque (Masjid el-Aqsa) in Jeruslaem and its supplementary buildings, the Museum of Islamic Art by the Moroccans' Gate and the prayer halls for women, occupy most of the south side of the Haram al-Sherif. Its prayer niche (mihrab) faces south, in the direction of Mecca. The El-Aqsa Mosque was built between 705 and 715 at the southern part of Haram el-Sharif. The largest mosque in Jerusalem was destroyed several times by earthquakes and now has only a few elements of the original structure. The Crusaders and the Ayyubids performed additional modifications to the mosque, making it a mixture of architectural styles.
The mosque was called El-Aqsa ("the furthest away" in Arabic) after the miraculous Night Journey of the Prophet Mohammad to Jerusalem as told in the Sura XVII: "Glory be to him who made His servant go by night from the sacred Temple to the farther Temple whose surroundings We have blessed."
The El-Aqsa Mosque (Masjid el-Aqsa) in Jeruslaem and its supplementary buildings, the Museum of Islamic Art by the Moroccans' Gate and the prayer halls for women, occupy most of the south side of the Haram al-Sherif. Its prayer niche (mihrab) faces south, in the direction of Mecca. The El-Aqsa Mosque was built between 705 and 715 at the southern part of Haram el-Sharif. The largest mosque in Jerusalem was destroyed several times by earthquakes and now has only a few elements of the original structure. The Crusaders and the Ayyubids performed additional modifications to the mosque, making it a mixture of architectural styles.