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Jerusalem Archaeological Park
Later Renovations in the Mosque


On July 14, 1099 the Crusaders, under Godfrey de Bouillon, conquered the city, and the Haram area was given over to the knights of the Order of the Temple. The Templars introduced considerable alterations into the Aqsa Mosque: they built their armoury to the west of the Mosque, along the south wall of the Haram area; in the substructure of the southeast corner of the Mosque, west of the Cradle of Jesus, they stabled their horses ('Solomon's Stables'). In 1187 the Al-Aqsa Mosque was recovered and restored by Saladin, as commemorated in the mihrab inscription. The dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque was rebuilt during the Mamluk period (13th century CE). At its base is an inscription assigning the erection of the dome to the days of the Mamluk caliph Muhammad bn Qala'un (1279-1290). In 1938 the building underwent massive reconstruction - the Crusader - period constructions were removed, and the plan of the building was modified to reflect that of the Fatimid period.
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