Is Al-Aqsa Real Gold? What is inside Al-Aqsa Mosque?

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is not made of gold. The mosque is made of limestone for its external walls and façade, lead and concrete for its dome, white marble for its interior columns, and mosaic.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is located on the Temple Mount, which is also known as Haram al-Sharif. The compound contains several other important religious sites, including the Dome of the Rock, which is believed to be the spot where Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

The mosque has undergone several renovations and expansions over the centuries. The present-day mosque was originally built by the fifth Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik or his successor al-Walid I (or both) as a congregational mosque on the same axis as the Dome of the Rock, a commemorative Islamic monument.

After being destroyed in an earthquake in 746, the mosque was rebuilt in 758 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur. It was further expanded upon in 780 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi, after which it consisted of fifteen aisles and a central dome.

The name “Al-Aqsa” means “the farthest mosque” and comes from a story in the Quran called “The Night Journey”. In the story, Prophet Muhammad travels from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he ascends to heaven and meets with other prophets before returning to Mecca .

The site was initially occupied by the Royal Stoa during the late Second Temple period, which was destroyed along with the Temple in 70 CE by the Romans.