Shrine of three religions. How are Muslim temples arranged?

Believers of many religions live in our country. And often, even out of curiosity, we go into churches of representatives of a faith that is not ours.

We compare architecture, traditions, customs. What is it desirable to know when entering a place of worship for Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists? What should you remember so as not to inadvertently offend religious feelings?

Orthodox Church in the shape of... a ship

The religious buildings of Orthodox Christians are churches, cathedrals and chapels. For a long time, all Christian churches have been built in such a way that from a bird's eye view they look like a huge cross, a circle (a symbol of eternity) or a ship (Noah's Ark). According to tradition, an Orthodox church is always erected with the altar facing the east.

The temple, as a rule, has one or more domes of a round, cross-shaped or octagonal shape. They are crowned with bell towers. Inside Orthodox churches there is an iconostasis - a partition with icons attached to it. It separates the altar, where only men can enter, from the vestibule and porch. Each church also has a choir and choirs for singers, readers and sextons, and in the middle there is a lectern with icons.

When entering the temple, a man must remove his headdress and stand on the right side of the temple, and a woman must cover her head and take a place on the left side.

Famous temple.Hagia Sophia was built in the 11th century in the center of Kyiv by order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. At the turn of the 17th-18th centuries it was rebuilt in the Ukrainian Baroque style. To this day, many ancient frescoes and mosaics have been preserved in it, including the famous mosaic of Our Lady of Oranta.

Catholic church - without iconostasis

Catholics pray in churches and cathedrals. Most often, these places of worship are built in the Gothic or Neo-Gothic style. Internal organization buildings are in many ways similar to Orthodox churches, but Catholics do not have an iconostasis. The central part of the temple is clearly distinguished - the altar, or, as it is also called, the presbytery. This is the very place where services are held and where the Holy Gifts are kept. It is marked by an unquenchable lamp. Next to the central altar there are often side chapels in honor of saints. In addition, the premises of the Catholic church have a separate place for the choir and sacristy.

When entering the temple, men must remove their hats, but women do not have to cover their heads. The parishioners dip the fingers of their right hands into the crypt - a vessel with holy water, which stands in front of the temple, and then cross themselves.

Famous temple. The Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Lutsk is the oldest in Ukraine. Built in 1616-1639 according to the design of the famous architect Giacomo Briano as a church at the Jesuit monastery.

The synagogue “looks” at Jerusalem

Jews conduct religious ceremonies in the synagogue, the façade of which must necessarily face Jerusalem. In Europe this means facing east. From the outside, the synagogue is an ordinary building. Inside it, at the entrance, there is a laver where the clergy wash their hands and feet before starting the service, and an altar for animal sacrifices. Behind them is a tent-shaped Sanctuary, which only clergy can enter. In the depths of the Sanctuary, behind the curtain, is the Holy of Holies with the Ark of the Covenant, on which are carved the Ten Holy Commandments of the Jews.

Crossing the threshold of the synagogue, Jews must touch the mezuzah mounted on the door frame - a case in which a parchment with a passage from the Torah is inserted. Women and men enter the synagogue with their heads covered and pray in separate rooms.

Famous temple. In the village of Zhovkva, Lviv region, there is a unique synagogue-fortress, built in the 17th century by order of the Polish king John Casimir in the Baroque style.

The mosque faces Mecca

The house of prayer for Muslims is a mosque. It is a round or square building, which faces Mecca, with minaret towers (numbering from one to nine). There are no religious images in the mosque, but verses from the Koran may be inscribed on the walls. On the right is the pulpit-minbar from which the preacher-imam reads his sermons.

Believers pray in mosques five times a day. Before prayer, Muslims perform ablutions, and before entering the temple, they must remove their shoes. Also, everyone needs to cover their heads, and women also need to wear as closed clothing as possible. Men and women pray in different rooms.
Famous temple. In 2011, the Ar-Rahma ("Mercy") mosque with a huge 27-meter minaret was erected in Kyiv on Tatarka.

Buddhist temple collected cult treasures

To be a Buddhist means to take refuge in the "Three Treasures" - the Buddha, his teachings and community. The Buddhist temple is designed in such a way that all the treasures are collected in one place. The temples are distinguished by the abundance of spiers, stucco decorations on the facade, as well as the special design of the cornices, which are gently and gracefully curved upward.

The temple consists of three halls. The “golden hall” houses statues and images of Buddha, as well as an altar. The second hall - the pagoda - has three or five tiers, in the center there is a pillar made from the trunk of a large tree. At its top, a piece of the remains of Buddha is kept. And the third room, for readings, is intended for sacred scrolls and books.

Before entering the golden (altar) hall, women and men must remove their hats and walk to the altar in the direction of the sun (from left to right). During a religious service (khural), you can sit on benches or on the carpet in the lotus position, but you cannot cross your legs or stretch your legs towards the altar.

Famous temple. The largest Buddhist temple in Europe, "White Lotus", was founded by followers of the kung fu school in 1988 in Cherkassy.

Let us remind you that we previously told you that .

Dictionary

Sacristy- a place where liturgical objects, including vestments, are kept.

Lectern- a table on which books, icons and other church supplies are placed.

Not only people can change religion. Over the course of history, mosques became temples, synagogues became mosques, and Christian monasteries became inhabited by Buddhists.

Magoki Mosque

The mosque was built from the 10th to the 14th centuries. The building is located in the Uzbek city of Bukhara, on the site of an old bazaar, where spices and idols were traded in ancient times. Archaeological excavations also speak of an ancient pagan sanctuary at this site. Local literature says that on the site of this mosque there was a Buddhist monastery, then a Zoroastrian Moon Temple, which was rebuilt into a mosque. Bukhara is the oldest city in Central Asia, and Buddhist communities and temples of fire worshipers actually existed here in ancient times. For some time, Bukharan Jews, before the construction of the synagogue, prayed in this mosque separately from the Muslims who visited it.

Synagogue del Transito

The oldest synagogue of Toledo is a city in the very center of Spain. Built in 1357. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, it became the monastery of San Benito, in which the knights of the Order of Calatrava prayed and lived. Today it is a museum.

Al-Sunna Mosque

The once numerous abode of Yemenite Jews, the synagogue in Jibla, was rebuilt into a mosque in the 16th century. Together with the mosque in honor of Queen Arva, it forms the dominant feature of the city.

Hagia Sophia

The main Christian cathedral of the Middle Ages, a symbol of the Byzantine Empire. Here in 1054 Patriarch Cerularius was excommunicated and a division of churches took place. So the cathedral became the main Orthodox church. For some time (1204-1261) it was under the rule of the Crusaders. After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Hagia Sophia became a mosque.

Seville Cathedral

The largest Gothic cathedral in Europe, it was built over a hundred years on the site of a mosque in the city of Seville. The cathedral is business card city, especially its main tower, the Giralda, rebuilt from a minaret typical of Arab countries North Africa. What remains of the Muslim building is a portal decorated with bronze plates, a courtyard and a fountain (first built by the Visigoths).

Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque

Located in Cyprus in the city of Famagusta. The temple in the mature Gothic style was built at the turn of the 13th-14th centuries by the kings who were descendants of the Crusaders. After 1571, the temple was turned into a mosque, which began to be called the “Magus Hagia Sophia.”

Intercession Cathedral in Vitebsk

At the beginning of the 19th century it was built as a Catholic church. However, already in the middle of the century it was closed and rebuilt as Orthodox Church: domes were built and paintings were added.

Church of the Archangel Michael in Smolensk

The temple was built at the end of the 12th century in a style very significant for Polotsk-Smolensk architecture. This style arose under the influence of European Gothic and gave the building a “soaring” character. After the conquest of the city by the Poles in 1611, it served as a church for about a hundred years. Later it again passed into the hands of the Orthodox.

The only place on globe, which from the deepest antiquity has been consecrated by worship To the One God and which since ancient times has been looked at with reverence by believers of three religions - Jews, Christians and Muslims, is located in the eastern part of Jerusalem.

At the end of X I - beginning of the 10th century BC Jerusalem became the capital of the Hebrew state of Israel, and c. 935 BC - capital of the kingdom of Judah. The rise of construction in the city dates back to this time, when new fortress walls, palace and religious buildings. The most outstanding of them was the temple, built in the era of kings David and Solomon (late X I century - OK. 928 BC).

Most researchers, following the message of the Bible, believe that Solomon built the temple on Mount Moriah, on the site that his father David bought from Orna the Jebusite(2 Kings 24:18,25; 1 Chronicles 21:18–30). But David was not destined to build the temple; He erected only an altar to the One God on the threshing floor of Orna and died, bequeathing the continuation of construction to his son Solomon.

Solomon began building the temple almost 1000 BC And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, which was shown to David his father, in the place that David had prepared , - it says so in the Bible(2 Par 3 : 1).

Work on the construction of the temple lasted 7 years (1 Kings 6; 7; 2 Chronicles 3–4). The temple became the only place of worship of Jehovah God;I consecrated this house built by you , - The Lord spoke to Solomon, - so that My name may remain there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there always (see 1 Kings 9:3).

The Ark of the Covenant was transferred to this temple; the place where the Holy of Holies was located was forbidden to visit, and only once a year did the high priest have access here.

Further history of the Old Testament temple

Jerusalem was subsequently conquered, destroyed and rebuilt by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II , Persian king Cyrus, the Egyptian king Ptolemy, the Romans. The fate of the city was shared by the Temple of Solomon: in 588 BC it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. The second temple, the construction of which began upon the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity to 524 year BC, built during 19 years and subsequently suffered repeated destruction. It was restored to its former splendor under the Palestinian king Herod the Great (40– 4 years BC). Work continued 46 years (see John 2:20).

This place of worship of the One God was still considered accessible only to God's chosen people of Israel; as Josephus and Tacitus reported, inscriptions in Greek and Latin warned foreigners not to enter the temple grounds.

In the last quarter X I The 10th century French archaeologist Clermont Gannot discovered a stone with a Greek inscription near the site occupied in the past by an Old Testament temple. Its text reads: “no foreigner has access to the inside of the fence and stone wall around the temple. Whosoever is caught breaking this rule, let him bear the penalty of death that follows” (quoted from the Toronto Bible Dictionary, 1980, p. 483).

The main gate of the temple was on the east side; in addition, there were three gates in the north, three in the south. The first part of the courtyard was called the women's courtyard, from where they moved to the men's courtyard. Then came the third - for clergy. It contained the sacrificial altar and the Holy of Holies. This was the temple during the reign of Herod and at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament Temple in Gospel Times

According to an ancient common Christian legend, Mary the Virgin Mary was led into the temple by the high priest. Many church writers testify that the Blessed Virgin, after her introduction into the temple, remained until her betrothal in the temple itself, where a special part of the building was intended for residence by women and virgins who dedicated themselves to serving God, like Anna the prophetess,who did not leave the temple, serving God day and night with fasting and prayer (Luke 2:37). Subsequently, Christians called the church built on this site the Church of the Entry into the Temple. Holy Mother of God. Here Elder Simeon received the Infant Jesus from the Blessed Virgin and exclaimed:Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace. (Luke 2:29). Here the Teacher of the world instructed the people, interpreted the Holy Scriptures; He called this temple the house of His Father; He drove out the merchants from the courtyard of this temple (John 2 : 13–22 ) . It was here that He commended the diligence of the poor widow (Lk 21 : 1–4 ) . This is where the event that the Evangelist Matthew narrates took place:Then the devil takes Him to the holy city and places Him on the wing of the temple, and says to Him: If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written: He will command His angels concerning You, and in their hands they will bear You up, lest You dash Your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, “It is also written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy God.” (Matthew 4:5–7).

This event is mentioned by one of the pilgrims who visited Jera salim in 333 year. In his “Walk” - The oldest pilgrimage description of the Holy Land mentions the site of the ruins of Solomon's Temple. As this traveler notedfrom Bordeaux (now southern France), he saw there “the corner of a very high tower, onto which the Lord ascended, and the one who tempted Him said to Him: if You are the Son of God, throw yourself down. And the Lord answered him: Do not tempt the Lord Your God, and serve Him alone.” .

According to ancient legends, on the south-eastern part of the temple courtyard lay a huge stone, prepared for construction, but for some reason it did not fit into the wall and for centuries remained “an inaccessible exile from among the elect.” It was this stone, says legend, that the Savior had in mind in his words about the stone neglectedbuilding (see Mark 12:10). Catholic writers added that the Savior also had this cornerstone in mind in his address to the Apostle Peter:You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church (see Matthew 16:18). In local Arabic legends there is also a mention of some forgotten stone, crying out to the sky for vengeance on the creators who neglected it. .

And finally, the most terrible moments in the earthly life of the Savior are associated with this temple, when here the church curtain was torn from top to bottom, when the redemption of the world was accomplished (Lk 23 : 45).

The Lord's disciples and followers also had a direct relationship with the Old Testament temple. This is stated in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, where it is stated thatPeter and John walked together to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer (Acts 3:1); From the steps of the temple, the Apostle Paul addressed the people with a speech (Acts 21 : 40).

Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple (70 A.D.); Wall of Tears

The Savior's prophecy about the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:2; Luke 21 : 6; Mark 13:2) came true shortly after His death on the cross: during the Jewish War(66–73 d.) Jerusalem was ravaged by the troops of the Roman emperor Titus Flavius (41–81 gg.); Solomon's temple 70 The city was also destroyed, and to date only part of the outer fence, that is, the Western Wall, has survived from it.

Such a place as the site of Jehovah's temple could not be forgotten after the destruction of the Old Testament sanctuary. The fame of this place forced Emperor Hadrian (117–138) through 50 years to build a pagan temple of Jupiter here from the ruins of Herod’s temple. Hadrian ordered his statue to be placed inside this temple.

At the beginning of IV V. Under Emperor Constantine, Jerusalem became a Christian holy city, and the pagan temple of Jupiter was destroyed. But in 363, under Emperor Julian the Apostate, the Jews were allowed to begin rebuilding Solomon's Temple on its ancient site. Julian's decree, which allowed the Jews to build a temple, was given to Rabbi Hillel, but after the ancient foundation was opened and the first stones were laid on it, a strong earthquake threw them from their place, and the builders fled in fear .

IN the southwestern part of the territory once occupiedTemple of Jerusalem, there is the Western Wall. The crying of the Jews at the foot of the destroyed Temple of Solomon began in ancient times. As reported in 333 year, a Bordeaux pilgrim, not far from the destroyed temple there was “a broken stone, to which once a year the Jews come, anoint it, weep with a cry, tear their clothes and then leave” . Blessed Jerome also mentions permission for the Jews to visit the site of the former temple on the day of its destruction by Titus. . According to him, when Jerusalem had already been converted into Aelia Capitolina, Jews from all over the world gathered at their ancient ashes and at the price of goldthey sought permission to “cry on the ruins of the temple.” This custom continued for many centuries; during the times of the Crusaders, Christian authors often mentioned the “place of weeping of the Jews at the western wall”; this custom was reported in 1163Benjamin of Tudela .

One of the Russian pilgrims described it this way in the 2nd half of X I X V. his visit to the Western Wall: “It is curious to see here on Friday evening crowds of the children of Israel, wrapped in white shrouds and pressing their foreheads to this shrine. They come here to pray, read “Lamentations of Jeremiah” and literally water the precious stones with their tears.” .

Al-Aqsa - “the most remote mosque”

In VI century, on the site of the ancient Jerusalem temple, the Church of Mary was erected, which later received the name of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary into the temple. But in 638 (according to other sources - in 637) Arab troops under the leadership of Caliph Omar (634–644) took Jerusalem, and Omar accepted the surrender, then prayed on an abandoned rocky wasteland, into which the ruins of the sacred temple of Solomon had turned. By this, Omar wanted to emphasize the continuity of Islam in relation to the religions “preceding” Islam - Judaism and Christianity.

While in Medina, the founder of Islam - Muhammad faced hostility from the Jewish population. He tried to get closer to the Jews by adopting some of their rituals and teachings and making Jerusalem a qibla - the place to which the believer turns his face during prayer. But the Jews rejected his teachings, and then he recognized the Meccan Kaaba as the main shrine, not Jerusalem, and after 622 - during the migration from Mecca to Medina (Hijra), Muhammad ordered his followers to turn to Mecca in prayer not to Jerusalem, but to Mecca. This is discussed in 2nd sura of the Koran: “Turn your face towards the forbidden mosque (Kaaba - A. A. ). And wherever you are, turn your faces towards her.” (2, 139).

And although Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Koran in this regard, it is clear from the text of the Koran that previously it was prescribed to turn in a different direction during prayer: “We made the qibla that you adhered to only so that We would know who follows the messenger among reversing" (2, 138) .

Soon after the conquest of Jerusalem, the Arabs converted the Basilica of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary into a mosque, which later becamebe called Al-Masjid al-Aqsa (‘the most distant mosque’). After a few more decades, Jerusalem's importance increased again; Caliph Abd al-MalikI(685–707) during the fight against his Meccan opponents, he forbade Muslims from visiting Mecca and ordered the Hajj to Jerusalem. The fact is that during the Hajj to Mecca, the local ruler Ibn al-Zubeir forced Muslim pilgrims to take an oath to him, and Abd al-Malik took decisive measures against this. But the believers were unhappy with this, and, as the Arab historian Al-Mekin (d. 1273) narrates, “in 65 AH (687/688 -A. A .) Abd al-Malik sent an order to Jerusalem to increase Masjid al-Aqsu and ordered the people to perform the Hajj to Jerusalem” .

Gradually, Jerusalem became the third most important (after Mecca and Medina) religious center of the entire Islamic world, and the al-Aqsa Mosque began to be considered the greatest Muslim shrine. This was largely facilitated by the Muslim tradition (sunnah), a collection of oral stories about Muhammad (hadith); the sunnah was formed gradually and took its final form in I X century. The fact is that in the Koran there is a brief mention of the “night journey” of Muhammad; The 17th sura is called: “Transferred by night.” The first verse of this sura says: “Praise be to him who carried His servant at night from the inviolable mosque to the distant mosque around which We blessed, in order to show him from Our signs” (17:1).

Initially, the “outermost mosque” (al-Masjid al-Aqsa) meant the heavens where Muhammad was supposedly ascended one night. From the end VII V. a tradition is emerging to regard this journey as Muhammad’s “night journey” to Jerusalem, distinguishing it from Muhammad’s subsequent ascension to heaven. According to legend, Muhammad was sleeping near the Kaaba when the archangel Jibril (Gabriel) appeared to him with the winged horse Burak. Accompanied by Jibril, Muhammad went to Burak to Palestine. In Jerusalem he met Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) and led them in prayer together.

Among Muslim commentators of the Koran, there is another opinion, according to which this “night journey” was only a vision, as mentioned in the same 17th sura: “The vision that We gave you to see served only to test people” ( 17, 62). As testified at the beginning of the twentieth century. authoritative Islamic scholar A.E. Krymsky, “there is still a disagreement among Muslims about whether to consider this event a vision (as the Koran indicates), or a real and physical journey” .

Therefore, it is quite understandable that Muslims identified the most distant mosque (al-Masjid al-Aqsa), mentioned in the Koran, with the Jerusalem one, which became known as al-Aqsa. According to legend, it was here that Muhammad was allegedly miraculously transported to Burak before his ascension (miraj) to heaven. And in X I century, the Arab writer Nasir-i-Khosrow (d. 1088) defined the religious significance of Jerusalem for Muslims as follows: “This place is the third house of God. Scholarly theologians admit that each prayer performed in Jerusalem is equal to 25 thousand prayers.” .

Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock Mosque)

Closely connected with the legend of Muhammad's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem is the legend of the miraj - the ascension of Muhammad to heaven. According to these ideas, after a night journey to Jerusalem, Muhammad was elevated to heaven by Jibril (Gabriel).

The place of worship associated with the ascension of Muhammad was a rock located near the al-Aqsa mosque. It was here in 687–691. The Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Merwan built an octagonal mosque building with a large dome. This mosque was named Qubbat al-Sakhra (“Dome of the Rock”).

The reason that prompted the caliph to begin construction of the mosque was political rivalry with the Meccan ruler, as discussed above. According to the Arab historian Al-Ya'qubi (d. 904), Abd al-Malik, having forbidden his subjects to perform the Hajj to Mecca, said: “The Jerusalem mosque (al-Aqsa -A. A. ) will replace the Mecca mosque for you, and this rock (al-Sahra), about which they say that the ambassador of God, ascending to heaven, stepped on it, will replace the Kaaba for you.” . And, as another Arab historian, Abu-l-Mahasin-ibn-Taghriberdi (d. 1469), continues, Caliph Abd al-Malik “built a dome over al-Sahra and the cathedral mosque al-Aqsu, in order, thanks to these buildings, to replace the people’s hajj ” .

It should be noted that Qubbat al-Sakhra is often mistakenly called the Mosque of Omar, believing that it was built in 637 year during the reign of this caliph. But nevertheless, events related to the history of this mosque are associated with the name of Omar. As the legend tells, in 638 In the same year, Caliph Omar ben el-Khattab, having taken Jerusalem, turned to the then Patriarch of Jerusalem Sophronius with a request to show him the most sacred place in the city to build a worthy sanctuary on it. Omar demanded that the Patriarch, in return for abandoning the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, assign to his flock the most worthy place for the construction of a mosque. The Patriarch showed him several sacred places in Zion and Acre, but the Caliph remained dissatisfied. Then the Patriarch said: “I will show you the place lying in the middle of the world, where the Holy of Holies of the Israelites was and where God appeared to Jacob,” and he led the caliph to the ruins of Solomon’s temple.

The Caliph, having examined this place, identified it as the site of a future Muslim temple. The Omar Mosque, originally built here, housed within its walls 3000 people.

B 686 year, Caliph Abd al-Malik, in connection with the constant influx of Muslim pilgrims to Jerusalem, conceived the construction of a new mosque on this site - octagonal in plan. The sanctuary, built soon after this, was considered a wonder of the world, and the rare pilgrim going to Mecca did not stop by to see the Dome of the Rock mosque. .

The shape of the mosque building is unusual. Wooden dome 20,44 m in diameter rests on a high drum cut through by sixteen windows; the drum stands on four pylons and twelve columns surrounding the rock. The outer walls form an octagon with side about 20.6 m. The sloping wooden roof covered with lead rests on a system of eight intermediate pylons and sixteen columns. The ritual passage of pilgrims is thus ensured around the rock.

The Dome of the Rock mosque stands among the large Haram al-Sharif square with a slightly trapezoidal plan (450 × 260 × 285 m), where 10 lead gate Around the “Dome of the Rock” there is a smaller space fenced off with the same outline (160× 125 × 150 m). According to Muslim teaching, this is haram,sacred, reserved territory where it is forbidden to shed blood and carry weapons. Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located in such a place. But this prohibition was not always observed even among Muslims. When the Turkish emir Atsiz-ibn-Auk al-Hawarizli attacked Jerusalem in 1068, then, as the Baghdad historian Ibn al-Asir (d. 1233) reports, “the inhabitants of Jerusalem took refuge from him behind the walls of the city. He killed many of its inhabitants, even those who took refuge in Masjid al-Aqsa, but did not touch those who were at al-Sakhra and its borders.” .

Qubbat al-Sakhra Mosque - Temple of the Lord

The further history of the Dome of the Rock mosque is associated with a number of destructions and reconstructions. The lightweight structure of the mosque could not withstand frequent earthquakes and was destroyed more than once. But the rulers of Jerusalem increased its splendor with each restoration of the mosque. The mosque suffered extensive damage in 1060 year when the roof of the building fell from 500 lamps; On this occasion, Muslims expected misfortunes for all followers of Islam. These fears came true in 1099 year, when the Dome of the Rock mosque was stained with the blood of Muslims shed by the crusaders.

B 1099 year the crusaders took Jerusalem by storm; The Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem was formed. Struck by the grandeur of the Dome of the Rock mosque, the crusaders who captured Jerusalem first considered it a genuine Old Testament temple and called it the Temple of Solomon, or the Temple of the Lord - Templum Domini. The temple was named after and founded in 1119 year, the order of the Knights-monks of the Templars, whose monastery was originally built near the temple.

The Crusaders did not change anything in the structure of the mosque and limited themselves to placing a Christian altar on the rock revered by Muslims, and painting the walls with Christian scenes. The rock was covered with marble in the form of a raised area or floor on which stood the altar and choir. On the third day of Easter 1136 year, the papal legate Alberich solemnly consecrated the former mosque as a Christian church. The chronicler John of Würzburg, who saw the Christian temple converted from the Rock Mosque, reported many inscriptions from the temple, with which the crusaders reminded worshipers of those New Testament events that took place at this place or near it.

The three-year-old girl Mary was brought to this temple to God. This event was recalled by the inscription: Virginibus septem virgo comitata puellis / Servitura Dei fuit oblata triennis (The Virgin, accompanied by seven young virgins, was offered here to serve God at the age of three).

Without a doubt, the Virgin received heavenly consolations here: Pascitur angelico virgo ministerio (The Virgin is protected by angelic care).

Jesus Christ expelled the merchants from the vestibule of this temple. In memory of this event, on the right side of the temple they showed a stone consecrated by the feet of the Savior, surrounded by many lamps. This stone was joined by another, on which Jesus Christ was brought into the temple for the first time, as if on an altar. The painting depicting this event had the inscription: Hic fuit oblatus Rex regum virgine natus / Qua propter sanctus locus est hic jure vocatus (Here was sacrificed the King of kings, born of the Virgin, which is why this place is rightfully called holy ).

Near this temple, Jesus Christ justified the harlot, saying to her accusers:He who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her . The painting depicting this episode had the inscription: Absolvo gentes sua crimina corde fatentes (I free (from sins) peoples who confess their sins in their hearts).

Zechariah came and went here when the birth of his son was announced to him. The caption on this image said:Ne timeas Zacharia exaudita est oratio tua(Do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard.)

There were special inscriptions above the four gates of the temple on the outside. In the West:Pax aeterna ab aeterno Patre sit huic domui / Benedicta gloria Domini de loco sancto suo(Eternal peace from the eternal Father be to this house, / Blessed be the glory of the Lord in this holy place).

At the southern gate: Bene fundata est domus Domini supra firmam petram/ Beati qui habitant in domo tua, in saecula saeculorum laudabunt te(The house of the Lord is built well on strong rock; / Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, for ever and ever they will praise Thee.)

On the eastern: Vere Dominus est in loco isto et ego nesciebam / In domo tua Domine omnes dicent gloriam(Truly the Lord is present in this place; but I did not know. / In Your house, O Lord, everyone will praise (You).

In the north: Templum Domini sanctum est / Dei cultura est, Dei aedificatio est (The Temple of the Lord is holy, / This is the place of God, this is the house of God) .

It is interesting to note that this temple was seen by one of the first Russian pilgrims - Abbot Daniel, who went to the Holy Land in 1106–1108, when it was still under the rule of the Crusaders. This is how he describes the temple of the Lord - the former Dome of the Rock mosque, which he calls by its Old Testament name- Holy of Holies. “There is a church, the Holy of Holies, wonderfully and cunningly created, - writes a Russian pilgrim, - and her beauty is indescribable, created in a round way; on the outside it is written cunningly and indescribably, its walls are beaten with marble boards of another marble and covered with red marble boards. There are pillars under the top, standing around, 12, and the built pillars 8; there are 4 doors; You are forged with gilded media.And the top is covered with musiaya from the bottom (by the artist - A. A. ) cunningly and unspeakably, but I rang, the top was broken, there was gilded media” .

In 1187 g., when Sultan Salah ad-Din ousted the crusaders from Jerusalem, the golden cross was removed from the Temple of the Lord and the crescent was installed again; Christian inscriptions were destroyed, and the walls were washed with rose water brought here on 500 camels. In 1229 German Emperor Frederick II, Having returned Jerusalem under his rule for a short time, he concluded an agreement with Sultan Kamal, according to which Christians and Muslims were to jointly own the Mosque of the Rock, and a symbolic statue of common brotherhood was erected in the temple. But this did not last long, and around 1250 the Muslims again took full possession of the mosque and rebuilt it. According to X V century, the Rock Mosque attracted many thousands of pilgrims and travelers with its beauty .

Al-Aqsa Mosque - Temple of Solomon

As already noted, in VI V. Al-Aqsa Mosque was the Christian Church of the Entry of Our Lady into the Temple. The Crusaders turned her into Christian Church. King Baldwin of Jerusalem II (d. 1131) gave part of the temple building to the Templars, who soon also built a long gallery adjacent to the temple from the west. The Crusaders had a royal residence here, called “Solomon's Court.” Al-Aqsa became the main center of the Templars. Their buildings were crowded around this church, and al-Aqsa then bore the name “Solomon’s Temple.”

This ancient Christian basilica, despite numerous reconstructions, has largely retained its original Byzantine character. The famous Russian public figure A. wrote about this.S. Norov, who compared this ancient basilica with built at the end of IV V. Church of St. Paul in Rome. As Norov recalled his visit to the al-Aqsa mosque in 1835 year, “we headed towards a large building painted red; it is built in a parallelogram, with a dome at its tip. This is a former Christian temple in the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary<…>Entering this solemn building through the covered porch, I thought that I was in the church of St. Paul outside the walls of Rome" .

According to another Russian researcher who visited the al-Aqsa mosque in the middle XIX century, “as you walk through the temple, you notice the Byzantine character of the building everywhere. It has 7 cross passages or naves. The central nave is supported by massive marble pillars, 6 on each side; the capitals of these pillars are somewhat reminiscent of Corinthian ones.” ABOUT The Russian publicist also testified to the original Christian nature of the architecture of the al-Aqsa mosque E . L. Markov, who visited here at the end of X I X century. According to him, “the Gothic style of the pediment and long majestic nave of this church, supported by two rows of columns, has been fully preserved to this day. Islam only painted the inside of a Christian temple with the usual brocade of its colorful arabesques.” .

Haram al-Sharif during the Ottoman Empire (1517–1917)

At 1250 The Ayyubid dynasty, founded in Egypt by Salah ad-Din, was replaced by the Mamluks. In 1516, near Aleppo (modern Aleppo, Syria), the army of the next Mamluk sultan was defeated by the army of the Turkish Sultan Selim I. The territory of Palestine became part of the Turkish Empire, and this continued until the endFirst World War. The Turkish pashas began to rule Syria, and in 1516 Palestine became part of the Damascus pashalyk.

As a result of the Turkish-Egyptian war of 1831–33. The Egyptian army under the command of Ibrahim Pasha extended Egyptian rule to Palestine. The beneficial changes were felt primarily by those Christians who lived in Jerusalem. Previously, they were subjected to numerous exactions here by local Muslim authorities. So, for example, the then Damascus pasha from the Greek monastery in Jerusalem alone “charged a thousand bags (about 120 thousand silver rubles per year) for the right to own holy places” .

Upon entering Jerusalem, Ibrahim Pasha led the Egyptian garrison in 1831 year his order addressed to the chief judge was promulgated - Sheikh of the Rock Mosque."IN In Jerusalem there are temples, monasteries and places of worship, to which all Christian and Jewish peoples of different confessions come from distant lands, - the order said. - These worshipers have hitherto been burdened with enormous taxes in fulfilling the vows and duties of their faith. Desiring to eradicate such abuse, we command that such taxes be abolished in all ways without exception.” .

But, demonstrating his religious tolerance, Ibrahim Pasha, like his father - The ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Ali, did not take into account all the consequences of his bold undertakings. As a Russian researcher wrote in the middle of X I X century, “instead of limiting himself to the wise taming of popular fanaticism, the pasha uselessly insulted the most religious feeling of the people. Many European travelers were allowed to visit the Mosque of Omar (“Dome of the Rock”) in Jerusalem - A. A. ), which is considered the second sanctuary in Islam after the temple of Mecca. Nothing could produce a greater temptation in the fanatical population of Jerusalem. The old servants of the Omar Mosque wept over this desecration, hitherto unheard of in the Muslim world, and every time foreigners visited the mosque, the local authorities had to surround themselves and the visitors with a military team.” .

This circumstance, associated with the Jerusalem shrines of Islam, was one of the important reasons for the rapid weakening of Egyptian power under Ibrahim’s 70,000-strong army in 1840. At the end of 1840, the Egyptian army was forced to evacuate Palestine and other areas that were part of the Ottoman Porte. Under the terms of the London Treaty 1840 Palestine was again transferred to the Turkish government.

As can be seen from the above information, in the first half of X I X century Muslims living in Jerusalem continued to show religious intolerance towards people of other faiths and, first of all, towards Christians. This was an echo of the era of the Crusades. A Russian pilgrim who visited Jerusalem in the middle of the 19th century speaks eloquently about this. I X century. According to him, on Friday the city gates AND Jerusalem was locked around noon, when “the Mohammedans of Jerusalem flock in crowds for common prayer in the former Temple of Solomon, converted into their main mosque; At the same time, all city exits are locked and even the gatekeepers move away from their places.” .

And then the author gives the following explanation of this tradition: “there is an old legend among the inhabitants that someday on Friday, during the general prayer of the people, suddenly numerous crowds of armed infidels (non-believers, as they call Christians) will unexpectedly approach the walls of Jerusalem and from all sides, they will take possession of the city and, rushing towards the main mosque, the ancient Temple of Solomon, filled with residents immersed in prayer, they will destroy the fans of Muhammad with fire and sword.” .

Another interesting explanation of the religious intolerance of Muslims towards people of other faiths that existed at that time was given in one of the Russian almanacs. Having mentioned that non-Muslims were prohibited from entering the Haram al-Sharif square and visiting the al-Aqsa and Qubbat al-Sakhra mosques on pain of death, the author further writes: “This place is so holy, - they (Muslims) say - A. A. ), - that every prayer said there must necessarily be heeded by God, and, therefore, it is very important to remove Christians from this place who would not fail to pray for the fall of the Mohammedans, for their expulsion from Jerusalem, etc.” .

IN At that time, Christian-Muslim relations remained generally tense. But nevertheless, the successes that European countries and Russia achieved in the fight against the Ottoman Porte strengthened the influence of Christian powers in the Middle East. As A. A. Olesnitsky, a professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy, wrote during these years, “the flow of Mohammedan pilgrims to Jerusalem is almost not inferior to the number of Christian pilgrims; here you can meet Mohammedan pilgrims from Siberia, India, Morocco; the rare pilgrim going to Mecca will not be in the Haram of Jerusalem.” .

In the second half of X I In the 10th century, a number of influential Christian powers opened their missions in Jerusalem; The influx of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land increased markedly. All this could not but cause concern among the Muslim clergy of Jerusalem, who sought means to protect followers of Islam from excessive communication with Christians. One such method was reported by the Russian researcher E.E. Kartavtsev, who visited Jerusalem in the late 1880s and early 1890s. According to him, during these years a tradition of mass pilgrimage had already developed with the transfer of the banners of Caliph Omar to the grave of the Prophet Moses (Musa), revered by Muslims after Muhammad and Jesus Christ (Isa). As is known from the Bible, Moses was never in Palestine and after his death he wasburied in a valley in the land of Moab opposite Bethpeor, and no one knows the place of his burial even to this day (Deuteronomy 34: 6). Nevertheless, the place of his burial was declared to be one of the hills “versts in 35 from Jerusalem." Next, you should give the floor to the author of the notes.

“Both time and place, - writes E. E. Kartavtsev, - chosen with subtle calculation; the time was adjusted to the moment when especially many Christian pilgrims accumulated in Jerusalem, so that one huge fanatical mass could be opposed by another, no less; if both of these masses remained one next to the other, then clashes and bloodshed would become inevitable; this is avoidedbecause on Friday Palm week sacred banners are carried out from the mosque of Omar and, accompanied by a mass of people, the Muslim clergy, go to the tomb of Moses, where the zealous worshipers of the prophet camp and spend several days.

Thus, in its timing, this pilgrimage to the tomb of Moses coincides with the day of the solemn worship of Christians and avoids clashes.” .

European Christians at Muslim shrines in Jerusalem

In order to more fully present the picture of Christian-Muslim relations in the Holy City, we can cite excerpts from the memoirs of Christian pilgrims who described, along with Christian shrines, Muslim ones.

“And in the midday corner (Jerusalem - A. A. ) the church stands wonderful and high, in Hebrew it is called Yeroya, and in Russian“Holy of Holies” - wrote Moscow priest Ioann Lukyanov, who visited Jerusalem in January 1711. - And the Church of the Holy of Holies, the creation of Solomon, was completely destroyed by Titus, the king of Rome.<…>Now on that place there are two large Turkish mosques; and the Turks won’t let you in to see if they’re killing him or turning him into Turks.” .

Next, X I In the 10th century, it would seem that nothing has changed if you read the lines written by another Russian pilgrim in the 1840s. “At the entrance to the Mosque of Omar,- he writes, - there were armed gatekeepers who did not allow us to even stop in front of it (the temple - A. A .): a Christian under the death penalty is prohibited from entering this mosque unless he agrees, in order to save his present life, to destroy his future life by renouncing Christ and accepting the Mohammedan law.” .

But already at this time there were some small improvements in the sphere of Christian-Muslim relations and, in particular, religious intolerance decreased. As the Russian publicist and public figure A. S. Norov noted, “they say that Burchard,the famous traveler and orientalist, who became close to oriental customs to such an extent that he was recognized by the Arabs as a sheikh, visited the Omarova mosque; Mrs. Belzoni, dressed in Muslim dress, in 1818, quickly ran through part of the Omarova mosque, agitated by fear, and everything she said about her is also completely wrong O" .

As for A.S. Norov, he was, apparently, the first Russian pilgrim since the time of Abbot Daniel (X II c.), who in 1835 managed to visit both mosques located within the enclosure of Haram al-Sharif. “I had a case- Norov wrote, - see both mosques located V fence of Solomon's Temple: Omarov - el-Sakhru and another, called el-Aqsa, which is converted into a mosque from the ancient Church of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” .

A. S. Norov managed to obtain written permission from the Syrian Pasha to enter the “Omarov Mosque,” ​​but, in order to avoid possible incidents, Norov and his companions “were asked to somewhat hide the European costume under oriental clothing.” “There has never been an example of such almost official permission and, without a doubt, we owe for this success to the powerful action of the name of the Russians” , - A. noted with satisfaction. S. Norov.

The reaction of the mosque gatekeeper was interesting:a simple Muslim who was far from new trends in the balance of power in the Middle East arena. On this occasion, A.S. Norov noted that “the gatekeeper looked at us with surprise, but, seeing the cavas with us, he entered into a conversation with him, which lasted several minutes; from his facial expressions we saw that he presented difficulties; but it ended with us, leaving our shoes at the gate, and stepping onto the marble platform of the vast courtyard.” .

Thus, A.S. Norov and his companions were given a rare opportunity at that time to calmly, without risking their lives, examine both famous Jerusalem mosques, and thanks to this, the Russian researcher was able to compile a detailed and thorough description of the internal appearance of the Qubbat al-Sakhra and al-Aqsa .

After the Crimean Campaign (1853–1856), the position of European powers in the Middle East further strengthened, and this, in turn, led to easier access for Christians to Haram territory– al-Sharif. As V.N. Berg wrote about this in his book, “ in 1862 year, I saw Count Vogüet, a famous researcher of the antiquities of Palestine, walking freely around the courtyard of the mosque, without any escort. He worked in the Mosque of Omar as boldly as he would in the Vatican. Nowadays you can see chromolithographic drawings of the mysterious mosque in many print shops in St. Petersburg.” .

It is interesting to note that A.S. Norov, discussed above, managed to visit Jerusalem again in 1861 and visit Haram al-Sharif.“In 1835, - recalled the Russian traveler, - I was one of the very small number of Europeans who managed to see the inside of the reserved mosques of al-Sakhra and al-Aqsa. My visit was then fraught with danger, but now, having paid 20 half-imperials, I was freely allowed to view big society not only both mosques, but also the underground structures of Mount Moriah, which I could not see then.” .

The famous researcher of the Perm region D. Smyshlyaev, who visited Jerusalem in 1864–1865 gg. and having visited both famous mosques there, he already busily notes that “having climbed the stairs, the visitor is obliged to replace his shoes with babushkas” . And the abbot of the Guslitsky monastery, hieromonk Parfeniy, still 5 years ago I came across in Jerusalem the fact that “nowadays every week a Turkish kavas goes to the monasteries and invites them to the Omar Mosque, only they take from each 6 piastres, that is, according to Russian two-griven” .

In 1874 year, professor of the Kyiv Theological Academy A. A. Olesnitsky went to the Middle East for scientific purposes. For him, visiting Haram al-Sharif was no longer a problem, and he spent a long time inside each of the two mosques, the result of which was a monumental study he subsequently published entitled “The Old Testament Temple in Jerusalem” (St. Petersburg, 1889).

Returning to the history of the Middle East region, we can mention that in the last quarter of X I In the 10th century, Germany's position in the Middle East began to strengthen, despite the fact that the spheres of influence in this region were already divided between France andGreat Britain. As you know, Germany sought to become an ally of the Ottoman Porte. In the autumn of 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Jerusalemand Damascus, where he examined not only Christian but also Muslim shrines . 21 October, while in Jerusalem, the German Kaiser visited the Al-Aqsa and Qubbat al-Sakhra mosques. Both shrines were renovated for the arrival of the distinguished guest. “The magnificent tiles that adorn the walls of the mosque have been cleaned and shine like new. Everything inside has been renovated and gilded,” - this was reported in the Russian press .

Christianity and Islam in Jerusalem

All of the above facts indicate that the Christian-Muslim conflicts were based on the “human” factor, and as relations developed, the problem lost its severity and relevance. In this regard, it makes sense to at least briefly summarize those religious moments that bring Christians and Muslims together in their veneration of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God.

One may recall that Muhammad himself ordered that the image of Mary with the Child of God be preserved in the Meccan Kaaba, which remained there until the fire of 683 . It can also be noted that the Muslim Arabs who invaded Palestine in the 7th century initially showed religious tolerance towards Christians and Jews, who in the Koran are called “people of the Book,” that is, Scripture, Divine Revelation.

The veneration of Jesus Christ remained among Muslims during the Middle Ages, despite the sharp deterioration in their attitude towards Christians, which was associated with the events of the Crusades. Christian pilgrim from Munich Johann Schiltberger, who traveled through the Middle East at the end of the 19th century IV - first quarter X V centuries, testified to this. According to him, “Muslims say that Abraham was a friend of God, Moses - prophet of God, Jesus - Word of God and Muhammad - messenger of God. In general, they place Jesus among the four main prophets and consider Him superior to God, so that all people will be judged by Him at the last day.” .

Similar thoughts were expressed almost through four century and A.S. Norov when visiting a Jerusalem mosque in 1835. “Muslims call the Savior the prophet Jesus, and it is wonderful that they give Him a special nameRuhul-lah , that is, the Spirit of God, - reports a Russian scientist. - The Most Holy Theotokos is called among them, as among Christians, Mariam; they place her above all the women in the world; recognize the disembodied conception of Jesus; they say that only Jesus and Mary are sinless; they recognize the main events of the Savior’s life, but say that God did not allow His crucifixion; also have a concept of the Gospel, calling itEnzhil and considering it given from God to Jesus" .

Speaking about the “remote mosque,” ​​the Arab historian Al-Masudi (d. 956) wrote about the common veneration of this temple by both Muslims and Christians. “Solomon was the first to build Beit al-Maqdis (sacred house - A. A .), that is, that Mesjid al-Aqsa, the surroundings of which God blessed<…>In the eyes of Christians, this is the main church in Jerusalem, where they have other churches.” , noted this author.

The above message is supplemented by the Benedictine monk from Montecassino Peter the Deacon(XI c.), who, telling about the holy places of Jerusalem, notes thatMuslims revere those thererelics associated with the Infant God. First, Peter the Deacon speaks of “the temple of the Lord, built by Solomon.” “In the middle of the temple there is a large mountain, surrounded by walls, where there was a tabernacle, and in it the Irk of the Covenant, which was transferred to Rome after the destruction of the temple by the emperor Vespasian.”. “Not far, - Peter the Deacon continues, - Solomon's temple was built in which he lived<…>Below, nearby, is the cradle of Christ, His font and the bed of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Below the temple of the Lord to the east there is a beautiful gate into which the Lord entered, sitting on the foal of a donkey; here Peter also healed the lame man.”

AND Once again, one can cite the message of a medieval Arab chronicler, once again confirming the antiquity of the Islamic tradition of venerating Jesus Christ. Nasiri-Khosrow (d. 1088 g.) speaks of an underground mosque at the eastern wall of Haram al-Sharif: “The cradle of Jesus is located here. It is made of stone and is so large that people perform prayers in it. I performed prayer there. The cradle is so firmly attached to the floor that it is immovable. Jesus lay in this cradle as a child and talked to people. In this mosque, the cradle is replaced by a mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of prayer - A. A .); in the same mosque, on its eastern side, there is a mihrab of Mary. There is another mihrab there, the mihrab of Zechariah. At these mihrabs those verses of the Koran were written in which we're talking about about Mary and Zechariah<…>This mosque is known as Meghd-Isa (Cradle of Jesus). There are a large number of copper and silver lamps hanging in it, which burn all night.” .

Of course, one can doubt the authenticity of this “stone cradle” of the Infant God, but in this case it is important to testify to the deep veneration that Muslims showed to the One by whose name Christians call themselves. A. S. Norov also reported about the imaginary cradle of Jesus, preserved by Muslims for many centuries.“In the southeast corner of the square (Haram al-Sharif - A. A .) is deep square room, illuminated by a window overlooking the Cedar Valley. In this room, Muslims with deep reverence keep in a niche under the canopy the so-called cradle of Jesus Christ, carved from stone and more like a bathtub or on the sarcophagus."

This cave, which has been mentioned by many Christian and Muslim authors, is located near the al-Aqsa Mosque, where adherents of both religions could also worship at the shrine they shared. A. S. Norov mentioned this for the first time in Russian pilgrimage literature. Describing internal view Al-Aqsa Mosque, he paid special attention to the altar part former church Presentation of the Virgin Mary into the temple. “Where the altar should be,- noted Noro in, - stands now from carved wood a Muslim pulpit, and behind its partition two niches are visible in the extreme wall. On the platform of the first niche, which is on the right side, the footprint of one human foot is imprinted on a simple stone; and on the platform the second - footprint of two feet. The first, lonely foot, is the footprint of Jesus, transferred here from the top of the Mount of Olives, where another imprint of the Divine foot remained. The other two footprints were left on the ground, as Muslims say, by the Blessed Virgin Mary. I fell on my face and kissed both shrines.” .

In the same regard, E. L. Markov also writes about the al-Aqsa mosque, noting that “not only for Muslims, but also for Christians, this is also the place of many memorable events of the Gospel<…>Here the Most Pure Virgin lived as a young woman, dedicated to God, and travelers are still shown in the niche of the lower cave the place of her virgin overnight stays.” . “This is also a very revered Muslim mosque, it bears the name mentioned in the Koran, - the author continues, emphasizing that there are more Christian and biblical memories in it than Mohammedan ones<…>A special marble niche near the main mihrab marks the place where Christ prayed and where the imprint of His foot is shown in the marble slab<…>In another similar niche is the seat of the high priest Zechariah.” .

The same shrine for Christians is the Qubbat-as-Sakhra mosque, inside of which, not far from the rock, there is a descent, where, according to legend, the Mother of God fortieth the day after the birth of Christ, brought two doves as a cleansing sacrifice.

"It should be noted- Norov wrote, - that the inscription from the Koran, made in gold letters on a blue field, which encircles the rotunda of the dome of al-Sakhr, contains everything that relates to Jesus Christ, such as: “Jesus is the son of Mary, the messenger of God, His Word, God made Him man in Mary, He is His breath.” The al-Sakhra Mosque was built by Byzantine architects. A very interesting remark made by Count Vogüet: “...many mosaics decorating the walls approximately express the heads of cherubs. Obliged to comply with the demands of Muslims, who do not allow images of human beings, Greek artists were able to compose sketches from floral drawings and arabesques, reminiscent of the holiness of a place trampled upon by infidels. Grapes and ears of corn, - emblems of the Eucharist, woven into flower leaves, outstretched like wings." .

And finally, to summarize what has been said, we can give the floor to the famous Russian publicist V. Doroshevich, who most fully summarized the messages of his predecessors related to the topic under consideration. “In this square, on which the temple stood, the temple where he took the Child into his arms– Christ Simeon, where the Youth Christ talked with scientists about the Scriptures, where Christ preached, where He drove out merchants, - everything is still full of the memory of Christ<…>Patterned gold inscriptions from the Koran on the blue enamel of the Omar Mosque - verses from the Koran talking about the Messiah, Jesus, Son of Mary<…>Walking around this square with the mullah, you will hear the name at every step- “Christ”. This elevated platform, which has always served for the worship of God, is flooded with the rays of His glory. And the memory of Him was preserved here, like a quiet ray of sunset trembling for a long time on the top of a mountain.” .

This is how a Russian writer-pilgrim expressed his impressions at the junction of X I X and XX centuries. And it was difficult at that time to imagine that the good relations that were being established between the adherents of the three great religions living in Palestine would soon be overshadowed by the changed political situation.

The Arab-Israeli conflict in its religious aspect

In the middle of X I 10th century, the Jewish population of Palestine was insignificant and numbered little more than 11 thousands of people. While Muslims began to allow non-believers to visit Haram al-Sharif, Jews continued to avoid going there. As V. Doroshevich wrote, “it is unknown where exactly the Holy of Holies was, and Jews do not come here (to the Haram), fearing to touch the sacred place where the Ark of the Covenant stood.” .

They continued to content themselves with praying at the Western Wall, gathering there in large numbers on Friday evenings. “Crowds of Jews and Jewish women in their prayer clothes, old women, boys, girls and gray-haired old men of an important appearance with stern eyes in glasses and ancient books in their hands, filled this nook that had no exit; everyone stood with their heads pressed to the mossy stones of Moriah and with passionate enthusiasm sent up prayers of adoration to the foot of their broken temple.” , - wrote X at the end I X century E. L. Markov.

In the Ottoman Empire, which included Palestine, 1876 In 2007, a constitution was promulgated, one of the provisions of which read as follows: “Islam is the state religion. While adhering to this principle, the State nevertheless protects the free exercise of all faiths recognized in the Empire, and maintains the religious privileges granted to the various communities, provided that no prejudice is caused to public order and good morals.” .

Although this provision of the constitution was intended to guarantee religious tolerance, in practice this was not always carried out. In the minds of many Muslims, the opinion has long been established that the Western Wall - this is the same wall mentioned in the 57th sura of the Koran:" IN that day when hypocrites and hypocrites will say to those who believe: “Wait for us, so that we may borrow your light!” - They will be told: “Go back and look for the light!” And a wall was built between them, with a gate; its interior - mercy, and appearance- on her part - punishment" (57, 13). This is the interpretation mentioned as early as 1496 by the chief Hanbali judge in Jerusalem Mujiraddin al-Hanbali (d. 1520) , did not at all contribute to improving relations between Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem.

December 9, 1917 2010, British troops entered Jerusalem. The centuries-long Turkish rule in Palestine was over. According to the agreement with Russia, concluded back in 1916 year, the British pledged to establish international governance in Palestine. But, having entered Palestine, they tried with all their might to keep this country under their rule. . At this time, the Qubbat al-Sakhra mosque was in deplorable condition. Therefore, in 1918, a member royal institute British architects Ernst T. Richmond was invited to lead the restoration of the Rock Mosque. It was necessary to put it down urgently 26 thousands of new tiles on the surface of the walls to save the crumbling base of ornamental decorations .

In 1922 In 2010, Great Britain received from the League of Nations a mandate for Palestine, which was allocated as a separate territory during the division of the Turkish Empire. A few years after this, a conflict arose in Jerusalem between Muslims and Jews due to the fact that local authorities gave permission to the Majlis-Islam (Muslim religious council) to build a school and other premises on the Western Wall. Mid August 1929 years, the Arabs demanded that the entire Wailing Wall be given to their direct use. The Jews refused to do this. The dispute escalated due to the fact that on these days the Jewish and Arab communities of Jerusalem celebrated their religious holidays: 15 On August, the Jews had a day of mourning in memory of the destruction of Solomon's temple, and 17 In August, Muslims celebrated the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.

23 August, a large crowd of Arabs came to the Western Wall and dispersed the Jews who had gathered there. The last one to come to the rescuearmed militia and entered into a shootout with the Arabs, during which more than 100 people were killed and wounded. In response to this, Muslim committees were created to protectbeetroot (as the Western Wall is called by the Arabs) from capture. Arab-Muslim com They launched a broad pan-Islamic campaign, calling for a holy war in defense of the Wall, which was then a waqf - the sacred property of the Muslim community . In turn, the Jews presented their demands - cry and pray at this wall in Jerusalem.

Jewish demonstrations began, organized in Arab neighborhoods near the Western Wall and held under anti-Arab slogans. IN In response to this, the Executive Committee of the Arab Palestinian Congress organized a protest demonstration, which took place at the same Western Wall. The Muslims were led by the Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj al-Husseini. - religious head and chairman of the Supreme Muslim Council.

In the history of the Arab-Jewish confrontation in Palestine, the Mufti of Jerusalem occupies a special place. It is a historical fact that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, the spiritual leader of the Palestinian Arabs, in November 1941 year had a meeting with Hitler in Berlin. During the Second World War he lived in Germany and was an SS officer. He organized a military unit of Arabs within the German army and, together with Hitler, developed plans for the final solution to the fate of the Jews in Palestine and the conquest of the Middle East region by Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Corps .

In 1990 In 2009, the book “The Crescent and the Swastika” by famous French journalists Roger Faligo and Remi Coffer was published in Paris. It talks about the connections of Arab nationalists with Nazi Germany. “I met with the authors of the book,” writes Kirill Privalov, Paris correspondent of Literary Gazette. - Roger Faligo showed me symbolic photographs. The Fuhrer is talking with the Grand Mufti, both are smiling - both Hitler and his guest. Right hand raised in Nazi salute - Grand Mufti receives a parade of the Waffen-SS division- “Yatagan”, formed from Muslim Bosnians. Another photo: the Grand Mufti - hands reverently folded on the stomach - thanks Allah for the creation in Berlin of the “Arab Legion” of volunteers eager to fight the “infidels” in the ranks of the SS.” .

But before that there was still a whole 12 years old, and in the summer of 1929 In 1960, events gradually began to go beyond the Arab-Jewish conflict, developing into a nationwide movement directed against the British presence in Palestine. The struggle of the Palestinian people has found response and sympathy in many Arab countries. Thousands of fellahs and Bedouins from Transjordan, Syria, and Sinai were sent to helpPalestinians. “We live as if on a volcano,” wrote a correspondent for the London Daily News newspaper in those days, “now the Arabs rely on the help of fellow believers in Syria, Egypt, the Arabian states and India.” .

The presence of unrest in the country in the form of religious clashes served as a pretext for the transfer of British troops to Palestine, and by the beginning of 1929 they managed to suppress the uprising .

An important milestone in the history of Jerusalem was the UN resolution adopted on November 29, 1947 on the division of Palestine and the creation of two states on its territory - Arab and Jewish. Due to the fact that Jerusalem's shrines, associated with the history of three religions, are of exceptional value to hundreds of millions of believers, it was decided that Jerusalem should be internationalized and given a special status. A special section of the resolution was devoted to this issue (§ 13. Holy places), where the following was said:

a) already existing rights in relation to holy places or buildings and places intended for religious purposes are not subject to abolition and cannot be limited;

b) free access to holy places or buildings and grounds designated for religious purposes and the free exercise of worship shall be ensured in accordance with existing rights, subject to the requirements for the maintenance of public order and decency;

c) holy places and buildings and areas intended for religious purposes are subject to protection. No actions are permitted that might violate their sacred character.

The first Arab-Israeli war began immediately after the proclamation of independent Israel. On May 15, 1948, troops from seven Arab countries - Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Yemen - entered Palestine .

As a result of the Arab-Israeli War (1948–1949), Jerusalem was divided by a demarcation line into 2 parts: the western part became part of Israel, the eastern part, which included the Old City with its shrines, became part of Jordan.

During the “Battle of Jerusalem” - hostilities fought in 1948 between the Israeli Haganah (“defense”) and the Arab Legion, Haram al-Sharif and the mosques located on this site received significant damage. “Fresh breaks in the wonderful patterns of azure and golden smalt, broken window bars, reminiscent of stone lace of the finest work, take you back to the events of our days. Only a few years ago, during the Palestinian war, shells exploded here, destroying the precious treasures of human culture,” wrote one of the correspondents who visited East Jerusalem in the mid-1950s. .

On October 15, 1948, the Coptic Patriarch of Jerusalem declared King Abdullah of Jordan King of Palestine . In his policy, Abdallah relied on Great Britain; At the same time, he opposed American penetration into Jordan and, as a result of Anglo-American contradictions in the Middle East, became the victim of a conspiracy. On July 20, 1951, he was killed in Jerusalem at the entrance to the al-Aqsa Mosque a member of the pro-American military organization Al-Jihad al-Muqaddas (Organization of the Holy War). Thus, to the damage that occurred on the al-Aqsa mosque since the 1948–49 war, traces of bullets were added that killed the grandfather of King Hussein of Jordan .

Between 1958 and 1964 a number of Arab countries, such as Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, allocated funds in the amount of 750 thousand Jordanian dinars for the restoration of the Dome of the Rock mosque , for the repair of stained glass windows, mosaics and paintings of rare beauty and elegance, on which the most skilled craftsmen of India, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and other Eastern countries worked in their time. The restoration of the mosque was basically completed. But soon the Jerusalem shrines were subjected to new threat destruction that occurred with the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli war in 1967.

On the night of June 5, 1967, the Israeli army launched a preemptive strike against the armed forces of three Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan and Syria. During this “six-day war,” Israeli troops occupied East Jerusalem. This was given not only strategic, but also religious significance. One of Israel's two chief rabbis, Iser Yehuda Unterman, said of the 1967 war: “This is an unusual war. This is the chapter that will be added to the Bible." .

Israeli leaders celebrated victory 1967 year, organizing an off-site meeting of the government cabinetin Jerusalem with a visit to the Western Wall. In those days, the Shearim newspaper wrote: “Holy Jerusalem is again in the hands of Israel. We liberated it from foreign possession and planted on its walls the flag of freedom and liberated Israel after it fell to Edom. 1900 years ago."

During the 1967 war, Jerusalem's Muslim shrines again suffered significant damage. Speaking about these sad facts, Jordanian Minister of Religious and Islamic Affairs Abdul Hamid al-Sayegh stated: “During the occupation, the great gate of the Omar Mosque was hit by an artillery shell and completely destroyed<…>One of the minarets of the Omar Mosque was also shelled. The bombing also damaged the mosque building.” .

In August 1969 years, part of the al-Aqsa Mosque was set on fire.

21 August, a young religious fanatic from Australia, Denis Mikael Rohan, acting “on a call from above” to restore the ancient Jerusalem temple, set fire to the al-Aqsa mosque; at the same time, priceless carved pulpits made from valuable rocks were destroyed eight trees centuries ago, in the era of Salah ad-Din . This crime was committed under unclear circumstances. Charged with arson with intent, the Australian was soon declared insane and, after a formal trial, was released. As for the Arab press, it saw in this case an analogy with the burning of the Reichstag during the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany .

Before 1967, nearly a quarter of a million pilgrims filled the courtyard of the al-Aqsa Mosque during Friday afternoon services during the holy month of Ramadan. And in 1973, during the Ramadan holiday, only a few thousand people could arrive here.

On April 11, 1982, tragic events occurred again at the al-Aqsa Mosque. In the morning, at about 9 o'clock, a man of about thirty in Israeli military uniform with a machine gun in his hands. He opened fire on Muslims praying; as a result, 2 people were killed and more than 35 were injured; all the victims were Arabs . The shooter was arrested after police and soldiers managed to break into the mosque and wound him in the leg. The terrorist turned out to be a certain Eliot Gutman, who arrived in Israel from New York in 1976.

On April 14, 1982, the UN Security Council began considering a complaint from a group of Arab and Muslim states in connection with terrorist act in the al-Aqsa mosque, which was by no means an isolated phenomenon, but represented another link in the chain of the Middle East conflict.

In those years, terrorists planted bombs in mosques - one of these groups, calling themselves “Messianic Jews,” aimed to blow up Arab mosques in Jerusalem in order to “speed up the coming of redemption.” The attack planned by terrorists to blow up the al-Aqsa mosque was prevented in last minute thanks to the vigilance of the guards. There was another extremist organization - the “Movement for the Capture of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” ​​which demanded the immediate demolition of this shrine of the Arab world, since it is located on the site of the ancient Temple of Solomon.

As reported in 1988 The Jerusalem Post newspaper, in Jerusalem there was serious talk about the restoration of the Temple of Solomon, destroyed by the Romans near 70 AD In Jerusalem, the Society of Believers of the High Temple was formed under the chairmanship of Stanley Goldfoot, which began to raise funds for the construction of a new temple. “Goldfoot says the donations come largely from fundamentalist Christian groups,” the Jerusalem Post reported. “They see the existence of the State of Israel as the fulfillment of prophecies.

There is disagreement among Orthodox Jews regarding the very location of the future temple. Some groups encourage going to the top of the mountain, where there was an ancient temple and now a mosque, in order to teach believers to worship in this place, while other groups, on the contrary, forbid their followers to go there, believing that Jews are not allowed desecrate the site of the former Holy of Holies. “The mosque has two entrances and both are locked. According to the agreement with the Muslims, the key of one of the entrances was given to the Jews so that they could also go there if they wish, but the second key is still in the possession of the Arabs and serves as proof that they are now still the owners of the place where they once there was an Old Testament temple. The Jewish side installed a guard at one of the entrances to warn Jews who wanted to visit this place that a group of chief rabbis of Israel prohibited their believers from going there. There are also compromise groups that allow visiting the mountain on the condition that pilgrims perform a ritual of special ablution and enter without shoes.” .

““It is absolutely certain,” this message concludes, “that whatever the opinions of the Jews regarding visiting the site of their former temple, the issue of building a new one is now on the agenda and the Jews are preparing to resolve this problem politically, financially, and religiously.”

In the 1980s Israeli specialists have begun archaeological excavations on the territory of Haram al-Sharif - the site where Solomon's Temple once stood. This was perceived by Muslims as one of the ways of “Judaization”. “A series of attacks on religious, educational and social structures in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, - noted the Arab publicist Ya. Saeg in 1983, - is unconditional evidence of a systematically pursued policy of cultural genocide<…>The expropriation of Muslim and Christian religious sites and the threat of destruction due to the excavation of such sacred sites as the Mosque of the Rock in Jerusalem, - Here are just some examples of this policy.” .

All these events contribute to the intensification of pan-Islamic sentiments in the Arab world, and this is used primarily by extremist organizations with branches in many Arab countries, such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

Currently lives in Jerusalem 200 thousands of Arabs who consider themselves the guardians of the Muslim shrines of the city, to which the attention of the entire Islamic world is riveted. Apparently this prompted the mayor of Jerusalem, T. Kollek, in 1985 to take measures to ensure access for Arabs from other countries to the holy places of Jerusalem . The Israeli leadership is also aware that in the event of the destruction of the al-Aqsa or Qubbat al-Sakhra mosques, it will antagonize all Arab and Muslim states without exception.

Question about Jerusalem - one of the main ones in the complex of Palestinian-Israeli relations. Negotiations on this issue were supposed to begin in 1996 year. However, it should be taken into account that Jordan also has its own interests in resolving this long-standing dispute. The fact is that the Jordanian King Hussein (1999) always considered himself the “guardian” of the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (by analogy with the king of Saudi Arabia, who bears the title “guardian of the two holy places” - mosques in Mecca and Medina). At one time, the Jordanian monarch spent 10 million dollars for the restoration of the sacred complex on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. There, on the steps of al-Aqsa, in 1951 In front of King Hussein, then still a teenager, an Arab terrorist killed his grandfather, King Abdullah. - the only Arab leader who sought to establish peace with Israel. In wars 1948 and 1967 gg. many Jordanian soldiers gave their lives fighting for Jerusalem .

In 1994 An Israeli-Jordanian declaration was signed in Washington to end the 46-year state of war between both states. Returning from Washington, King Hussein opened an air corridor over Israel. Former combat pilot Hussein personally flew the plane, making several circles over old Jerusalem at low altitude. After landing in Amman, Hussein, struggling to contain his excitement, told reporters that he could not express the feelings he experienced while flying over the holy city. According to him, Jerusalem should now become a place of meeting and peace for everyone: Israelis, Arabs, Palestinians .

However, two years later, in September 1996, another conflict related to the Temple Mount broke out in Jerusalem. This time, unrest among Palestinian Arab Muslims began after the Israelis opened a tunnel leading under the al-Aqsa mosque. Jews used this historic water tunnel three thousand years ago. Animals sacrificed in Solomon's temple were washed with its water. However, the underground passage under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem existed long before the Jews settled in these places - it has a natural origin: no one dug or built it.

But concerned Muslims decided that clearing the tunnel of rubble could lead to the al-Aqsa Mosque subsiding or even collapsing, or to terrorists filling the tunnel with dynamite and blowing up the Temple Mount. According to the Palestinians, by opening the tunnel, the Israeli authorities intend not only to prove that al-Aqsa was erected on the site of Solomon's Temple, but also, by allowing tourists there, to destroy the mosque and erect a copy of Solomon's Temple in its place.

The Israeli version was that the tunnel was just an excuse for Yasser Arafat to improve his image among disillusioned Palestinian radicals by organizing mass unrest .

The problem of unwalling the archaeological water pipeline and putting it into operation arose in the 1980s. The Likud government first tried to open the tunnel in 1988, but abandoned the attempt because the Shabak security service predicted an explosion of Palestinian indignation. The problem of the tunnel and the possible consequences of its opening were dealt with by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and his closest collaborators; senior officials concluded that the tunnel could only be opened as a result of an agreement with the relevant Muslim religious authorities. Rabin, who secretly visited the tunnel, rejected the recommendation: “All we needed now was the turmoil and bloodshed around the tunnel. And all this in a holy place for Muslims, and even in Jerusalem! This will shake up the entire Muslim world.” Thus, the solution to the question of the underground passage leading from the Via Dolorosa to the Temple Mount was frozen at the very top. Then the government of Shimon Peres returned to the issue of the tunnel, but also postponedopening until 2000 - the expected completion date of the negotiation process.

The Netanyahu government has “cut the knot.” Bibi Netanyahu, after consulting with the Minister of Internal Security and the Mayor of Jerusalem, gave permission to open the tunnel. Immediately afterwards, six Palestinian factions issued a joint statement calling for anti-Israeli demonstrations. Among them are Fatah, led by Yasser Arafat, and his longtime rivals, who have always rejected the idea of ​​peace with Israel, the Islamist movement Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Result: 15 killed Israeli soldiers and officers, 30 killed Palestinians, many dozens wounded on both sides. And, according to analysts, this is not the end.

Over the next four years, the Arab-Israeli conflict over the Temple Mount was like a smoldering fuse leading to a keg of gunpowder. In 2000, discussions on the status of East Jerusalem intensified. On September 19 of the same year, Pope John Paul II made a statement on the issue of Jerusalem: “The unique religious character of Jerusalem should be ensured by a special status guaranteed at the international level.” On the same day, Israel's Minister of Religious Affairs put forward the idea of ​​giving the Temple Mount in Jerusalem international extraterritorial status. On September 22, Israel proposed transferring the Temple Mount under the sovereignty of the UN Security Council, or more precisely, its five permanent members. This idea was supported by the USA, France, Egypt and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan .

On September 28, a delegation of the Likud parliamentary faction led by its chairman Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount. The day before, Sharon announced his intention to visit these places, sacred to both Muslims and Jews, as a sign of peace and at the same time protest against the possible loss of Israeli power over them.(Ariel Sharon has been an extremely negative figure for Palestinians, ever since he allowed Maronite Christians to destroy the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in Beirut in 1982). The visit resulted in serious clashes between Muslim Palestinians and the police guarding the delegation. The Palestinians threw stones at them. Stones flew down the mountain towards the Jews who were at the Western Wall. In turn, the police used rubber bullets against the demonstrators. As a result, about 80 people, mostly Israelis, were injured on both sides. Perhaps this was a provocation, but in any case, Sharon had the right to go anywhere in his own country, in particular to the Temple Mount, where crowds of non-Muslims, including Jews, constantly go anyway. But the Arab radicals, who attacked the police there and from that moment began to throw stones and Molotov cocktails at everything, throw stones at passersby and cars, kill secretly or openly individual Jews they came across, thereby actually violating the existing framework “ peace process” truce.

Excesses have happened before. But this time the pogrom actions of the radicals were openly supported by the Arafat administration, whose leaders, including Arafat himself, called what was happening an uprising (in the Middle East they joke: “Tell me that Arafat is your friend, and I will tell you who you are”).

Since the early morning of September 28, the muezzins of Jerusalem mosques have called on Muslims to go to the Temple Mount and by any means to disrupt the Likud delegation’s visit to it. In response to Ariel's warnings against visiting the Temple Mount, Sharon replied that he had the right to visit any place under Israeli sovereignty. In turn, 4 Knesset members from Arab parties also went to the Temple Mount. They tried to get into an argument with their parliamentary colleagues there, but were pushed back by the police .

In those days The situation in the Middle East continued to deteriorate. Clashes between Palestinians and Israelis occurred in the territories of the Palestinian Authority - Gaza, Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem. Shots were also heard in residential areas of Jerusalem. There were casualties, mostly among Palestinians. The Israeli authorities closed the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for 4 days - until the evening of October 9, until the end of the Yom Kippur holiday, but this not only did not prevent the continuation of the clashes, but only aggravated them.

On October 6, the day that Hezbollah and Fatah militants declared “the day of wrath,” a real battle broke out on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Young Palestinians, leaving the al-Aqsa mosque after Friday prayers already prepared for battle (in black knitted helmets with slits for the eyes or in white scarves covering the lower part of the face), seeing two or three Israeli soldiers at the Lion Gate, pelted them with a hail of stones . Others smashed surveillance cameras installed by the Israeli army near al-Aqsa to smithereens. A crowd of Palestinian youth shouting “We will protect you, al-Aqsa!” broke into the Old City, where Israeli police met them with rubber bullets. To no avail, Faisal Hussein, one of the few remaining respected Palestinian leaders, urged the crowd to calm down from the minaret of the al-Aqsa Mosque. Demonstrators set fire to a police station at the Lion Gate, threw stones at Jews at the Western Wall, and tried to raise the Palestinian flag over al-Aqsa. The police detained 110 people that day .

The next day, thousands of Palestinians, shooting in the air and shouting anti-Israeli slogans, destroyed Joseph's tomb on the outskirts of Nablus. The Israeli army surrendered Joseph's Tomb to the Palestinians, leaving their positions in Nablus (Nablus), a city located in the territory of the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank of the Jordan River. About a dozen Israeli soldiers guarding the tomb were withdrawn from there at three o'clock in the morning. The Israeli army stressed that the troops left the shrine temporarily . The tomb was guarded by Palestinian police who tried to push away hundreds of young Arabs who had gathered there to celebrate the victory over the Israelis.

The border guard unit guarding Joseph's tomb in Nablus was evacuated by personal order of the head of government, Ehud Barak. All religious valuables, Torah scrolls and holy books were taken away. But despite the fact that the withdrawal of the Israeli unit was agreed with the command of the Palestinian police, automatic weapons opened fire on the armored vehicle, and one of the border guards was wounded.

The Palestinians pledged to ensure the safety of Joseph's tomb, but did not keep their word. Early in the morning after the Israeli unit was withdrawn, crowds of Arabs surrounded the tomb, set it on fire, and then completely destroyed the religious school and synagogue located there. The walls were smashed with picks and shovels, and then a Palestinian flag appeared over the desecrated ruins .

Army bunkers and trees in the courtyard were burned, a bulldozer stormed the walls, and the dome of the tomb was destroyed. At nine o'clock in the morning, the police and security forces of the Palestinian Authority began to disperse the rioters, and only thanks to this the tomb itself survived.

The amazing fact of the pogrom of the tomb of Joseph, revered by Muslims as a prophetYusuf , is explained by the widespread belief among Arabs that Joseph was buried in Egypt, and the tomb in Nablus is an “Israeli fake,” while Joseph, at his request, was actually buried not in Egypt, where he ended his days, but in the land of Israel .

The controversy between Muslims and Jews over the Temple Mount and its surroundings has entered new stage after the Mufti of Jerusalem, Ikram Sabri, declared the Western Wall - the main shrine of Judaism - Muslim property. Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz denounced the statement as an attempt to distort history.

The spiritual leader of the Islamic community of Jerusalem stated on February 20, 2001 that the Western Wall of the Jerusalem Temple (Wailing Wall) is the foundation of the al-Aqsa Mosque and has nothing to do with Judaism. “Not a single stone of the Western Wall is connected with the history of the Jewish people,” says the mufti’s decree. According to legend, just in front of the Western Wall, the Prophet Muhammad tied his horse Al-Buraq before being taken to heaven.

They amaze even experienced tourists. It's hard to believe that this is the work of man. “Houses of the Gods” are huge and magnificent, designed to make you think about the frailty of existence and find peace of mind.

Sagrada Familia Cathedral has become a symbol of Barcelona (Spain), although construction has not yet been completed. It has been going on since 1882 and is financed only by donations from private individuals.

The architect of the temple, Antonio Gaudi, was a famous specialist in non-standard solutions, whose projects were ahead of their time and were truly fantastic. This is how the Holy Family Cathedral became. All covered in fancy curlicues, it looks like a huge rock in the middle of the square. But once you get closer, you can look at the structure for hours. Fragments from the Bible are carved into the walls. This was the genius’s idea - to create a unique architectural book.

When listing the most beautiful temples in the world, one cannot fail to mention St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It is the heart of the Catholic world; such a miracle simply could not become an ordinary architectural monument. Over the course of 100 years, 18 popes supervised the construction of the cathedral. The design was carried out by 12 greatest architects, including Michelangelo and Raphael.

The size of a football field, it does not depress with its grandeur, but amazes. From the outside, the cross-shaped building looks like a castle with domes, but inside it is a real museum. Everything here is a work of art: altars, naves, statues, mosaics, columns. Tourists should go up to the famous statue of Peter on the papal throne and rub his feet. The saint's feet are already worn out by those who like to make wishes.

The most beautiful Orthodox churches

The Orthodox Church can also boast of architecture.

St. Basil's Cathedral in Russia there are 9 churches built on the same foundation. Many people know the terrible story of how Ivan the Terrible ordered the eyes of the masters to be gouged out so that they could never repeat such beauty again. The onion domes of the temple are especially stunning, with unique decoration and different patterns.

How many times did the fate of the cathedral hang in the balance! Either the French wanted to blow it up in 1812, or party leaders tried to clear a place for parades, but it survived, although it remained a museum. Only occasionally are services held here.

Famous St. Andrew's Church in Ukraine – a representative of the Baroque. It was built on the terrace of a two-story building that stands on an artificial hill. Empress Elizabeth herself laid the foundation for the court church. According to legend, St. Andrew the First-Called erected a cross at this place and declared that God’s Grace resides here.

The church does not have a traditional bell tower that calls the townspeople to the service. For a long time There were no services held in it, because the heirs to the throne rarely visited here, and the church was royal. There is a legend that the sound of the bells can awaken an underground spring, which will finally flood the shrine.

The most beautiful Buddhist temples

Wat Rong Khun Temple in Thailand - an amazing snow-white fairy tale, which was created in 1997 by a famous artist. Halermhai Kositpipat spent 20 years collecting money from the sale of his works to build an all-white temple with glass mosaics. The structure surrounds a pond with white fish.

At sunset, this magnificence reflects the red rays of the sun, and during the day the beauty is simply dazzling. The temple is like a lace, all in curls, with interesting sculptures. Tourists note that the structure does not look like traditional Thai ones. If you are not interested in Buddhism, then you should definitely come here to take amazing photos.

Shwedagon Temple Complex in Burma differs from the traditional Buddhist architecture in color and splendor. In addition to the fact that the pagoda is one of the unique temples in the world, it is also one of the holiest for believers. Relics from various Buddhas are walled up under Shwedagon: a bowl, part of a tunic, a staff and 8 hairs. The famous pagoda does not have an entrance; it is a raised hill, lined with stone and brick, and covered with gold on top.

Silver bells hang on the spire to catch the wind. The entire top of the temple is strewn with emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. It has shrines that correspond to the days of the week. They believe that wishes come true if you leave gifts in the one that corresponds to your birthday.

The most beautiful Muslim temples

The mausoleum-mosque (India) ranks not only among the most beautiful temples in the world, but also among the most famous. Translated from Persian, the name of the tomb means “crown of all palaces.” Previously, the snow-white building was crowned with silver doors, the walls were decorated with pearls and precious stones. Such wealth has not survived to our time. But inlaid gems, fine painting and mosaics remained.

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan for his third wife Mumtaz. This is an amazing Indian story: the emperor met love in the market and, blinded by her beauty, stopped noticing the poverty around him. Mumtaz, despite her advanced age (19 years), bore him 13 children, and died giving birth to the 14th. The tomb still conveys all the beauty of Shah Jahan's beloved.

Famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, built in Abu Dhabi, demonstrates the power and wealth of the UAE. Here you can see the world's largest carpet, a chandelier in Swarovski crystals, listed in the Guinness Book of Records for its size. The spiers of the minarets support the sky, their height is 115 meters. The largest mosque can accommodate 40 thousand believers.

Issues of religion are probably one of the most complex and controversial in our history. And although the essence of all the main religions known to human civilization boils down, in general, to one goal - to do good and be Human, the attributes, rituals and ceremonies that accompany them can differ significantly in appearance. For example, even places of prayer (mosques, synagogues, temples) where believers gather different religions, are not at all similar to each other.

We won't go into complex religious problems. But it is entirely within our power to explain how a mosque differs from a temple. This question often arises both on the Internet and in everyday communication. Many people guess that there is some difference between these two “houses of prayer”, but they absolutely do not know what it is. Let's try to fill this gap.

Temple

Historical reference

Temple is the generally accepted name for places of worship in the Christian religion. The first Christians could not build separate buildings for the joint performance of religious rites. As we know, Christianity originated during the pagan Roman Empire and was brutally persecuted by local and higher authorities. Therefore, services were held in secret and often in places not suitable for this. For example, the fact of performing Christian rituals in the catacombs is widely known - this is what underground burials were called in those distant times. By the way, they were widespread not only in the enlightened Roman Empire, but also in the “barbarian” East, where they also did not like the first followers of Christ, rightly seeing them as a threat to local cults.

Roman laws considered burial dungeons inviolable, and therefore they were rarely visited. Just walking through a cemetery, as is customary in our times, was considered an extremely unethical action by the Romans. Therefore, there was no better place for illegal meetings of adherents of the new religion.

Christianity gained recognition in the 4th century AD. The official date can be called 313 AD. e., when Emperor Constantine the Great gave the go-ahead to legalize the young religion. After this, not immediately, but quite quickly, the construction of official Christian churches began throughout the Roman Empire. This is Short story the emergence of churches and the development of standards of behavior in them among Christians.

Architecture

The first “legal” temples had the shape of an elongated quadrangle, where the main design element was columns. Subsequently, Christianity spread throughout Western Europe and split into various movements - accordingly, different architectural styles arose in the construction of the “Houses of God” and some differences in the conduct of religious services.

Considering that Russia is largely an Orthodox country, we decided to first focus on describing the architecture of an Orthodox temple (church):

• The foundation of the temple may have different shape, but must correspond to some Christian symbol. For example, the appearance of an eight-pointed star represents the sign of the Star of Bethlehem.
• Symmetrical arrangement along the central axis.
• The middle of the temple is made in a cubic shape.
• The structure of the temple consists of three connected rooms - the temple itself, the vestibule and the altar.
• It is necessary to have at least one dome. In fact, there can be a lot of domes, and their number is strictly symbolic. For example, on Trinity Mountain stands the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, made of wood and crowned with 33 domes according to the number of Christ’s earthly years. The domes also differ in shape (helmet or onion) and color - again, all in strict accordance with certain religious symbols.
• The tops of the domes are crowned with a cross - it is different in shape for Orthodox and Catholics, but the essence of this symbol is the same - the crucifix.
• Another obligatory element of any temple is the bell tower. Its main purpose is to call a Christian to prayer. Also used in various emergency situations (fires, natural disasters, epidemics, enemy invasion) or during religious holidays. Available in all Christian churches, regardless of faith.
• The facades and interior are decorated with arches and niches. The window openings are narrow.
• The altar in the church faces east as a sign that “the Divine Light emanates from there.” You can get to the altar from three entrances: through the doors of the iconostasis (northern and southern) and through the main entrance - the so-called Royal Doors, located opposite the Throne, the most important part of the altar.
• Externally, Orthodox churches look elegant, but without frills. However, the interior decoration of even a relatively poor church amazes with its rich appearance, abundance of gilding and silver, expensive materials, as well as magnificent wall paintings.

We talked about the main features of the architecture of Orthodox churches. But, by and large, the system of structure of all Christian churches is almost the same, with the exception of some non-fundamental differences.

Rituals and behavior

What can and cannot be done in the temple? What norms of behavior have been developed over almost 17 centuries of the official existence of Christian churches? Eat general rules, which are the same for all cults of service - both for Christians and Muslims, and for Jews and Brahmins: you cannot drink, smoke, curse, show disrespect to others and directly to the place of service. However, then the differences begin. Let us list some basic norms of behavior characteristic of Christian holy houses, as well as the procedure for conducting worship. Let us remember that we are talking primarily about Orthodox churches:

• The altar is only accessible to males through the southern or northern doors. Only clergy have the right to enter the Royal Doors and only during the service.
• Divine services (liturgy) are held 3 times a day: in the evening, in the morning and in the afternoon. And exactly in that order. A church day is different from a secular day. It starts at 18:00 so morning service is not the beginning of a new day.
• On average, the liturgy lasts 1.5-2 hours, but sometimes it takes much longer - depending on the number of people receiving communion, confessing, whether there is a holiday, etc.
• When approaching a church (temple), you should cross yourself at it and make a bow from the waist. There is no need to do this too earnestly and for a long time.
• Before the entrance to the temple there is a special area - a porch. It is intended so that the believer can stop for a moment and make the sign of the cross.
• It is bad form to show up exactly when the service begins; you should arrive 10-15 minutes in advance. During this time, you can light candles, give notes, and pray in front of the icons.
• During the service, men occupy the right side of the temple, women occupy the left, the order (lining up in a line) does not matter.
• When performing a service, it is customary to stand (Orthodox) or it is allowed to sit (Catholics, and even then not everywhere).
• There are some requirements for the appearance of believers gathered for worship. Clothes must be closed. Shorts, T-shirts, and tracksuits are not officially prohibited, but are condemned.
• Men must take off their headdress when entering a church; women, on the contrary, enter the temple with their heads covered (this applies to Orthodox Christians; Catholics allow women to be in the temple premises with their heads uncovered).

These are some of the rules of conduct and service in Christian churches.

Mosque

Historical reference

The emergence of Islam dates back to the year 610 of our faith, when the Prophet Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel and revealed to him the first five verses of the Holy Book - the Koran. The first mosque of the Islamic world was built in Saudi Arabia, near the city of Medina, in 622 and is known as the Prophet's Mosque. It was already created then architectural style, according to which most subsequent mosques were built, with minor deviations.

Let us immediately clarify that for Muslims a “house of prayer” is not a purely sacred place intended exclusively for prayer and worship. Some holidays that are not directly related to religion can be celebrated here. IN mosques Prominent representatives of Islam often perform, and competitions are held for the best reciter of the Koran. A tired traveler can always find a place to rest and spend the night here. Such nuances reveal the significant difference between a mosque and a temple.

The architecture of mosques, as we have already written, was originally laid down in the Prophet’s Mosque, therefore the basis and symbolism for all mosques is the same, with the exception of unimportant details. Although, of course, external architectural delights can vary greatly. Let's move directly to this very architecture.

Architecture

The external differences of mosques are mainly related to the historical development of the Islamic world. To the most early style The architecture of mosques includes the first prayer buildings in the Arab East, which drew a lot from the local construction flavor. By the way, scientists believe that the appearance of some elements (domes, rounded lines, arches, etc.) of the first mosques was inspired by Byzantine culture.

A significant contribution to the appearance of these religious buildings was made by Ottoman Empire. In particular, the central dome (above the prayer hall) appeared there, during the period of the spread of Turkish influence throughout the Middle East.

In general, we can say that every historical era that has taken place since the appearance of the first mosque has left a noticeable mark on the style of these buildings. However, common elements are easily recognizable and are present to varying degrees in most mosques. Let's briefly list them:

• The shapes of the mosque are varied - from a triangular, square appearance to a multi-level and multi-angle structure, reminiscent of some kind of airy, fantastic palace. However, for the most part, mosques have a square or polygonal outline.
• Thin, soaring towers - minarets. Initially used as beacons (a fire was lit inside) and an observation post for security, then they came under complete subordination to spiritual authority and became a place from where the muezzin called believers to prayer.
• There can be any number of minarets. Muslims do not have any regulations on this matter. For example, in one of the most important shrines of Islam, the Al-Haram mosque, there are 9 of them. And somewhere they may be completely absent.
• On the minarets and domes there is a symbolic sign of the crescent - its origins date back to the Ottoman Empire.
• Walls surrounding the entire perimeter of the mosque.
• Vaulted halls (aivans) with three walls and a roof. Also called volumetric wall niches.
• A typical mosque has a main hall, which necessarily faces Mecca, 3 auxiliary halls and 4 ivans.
• A prayer niche (mihrab), where the direction to Mecca is indicated on the inner wall.
• The courtyard is called sahn (Arabic), around which all kinds of rooms are located, and in the center, as a rule, there is a small fountain.
• The Koran prohibits the use of images of humans and animals, so the walls of mosques are covered with intricate script - arabesques. They evoke admiration for their harmonious beauty and the painstaking work of the artist who created them.
• The presence of large and small domes. Large domes are located above the main prayer hall and above the main trading area, smaller domes cover small trading areas.
• Very great importance given to the appearance of the mosque. All kinds of balconies, arches and windows of various shapes, ramps, columns and other architectural delights are present in huge quantities in all more or less significant mosques in the world. However, this is not meaningless decoration, but a well-thought-out structure of a religious building - every, even the smallest detail carries a symbolic, semantic or useful load.
• In the halls where prayer is performed, there are no pieces of furniture; everything looks, so to speak, Spartan, although thanks to the interior decoration and arabesques on the walls, the rooms look quite elegant and comfortable. But still, simplicity is emphasized and comes first.

Let's now talk about how one should behave in a mosque and how services are performed there.

Behavior

The general rules of conduct in Muslim places of worship are similar to those in Christian churches:

• you need to behave modestly and not defiantly;
• You can’t make noise, make trouble, talk loudly;
• clothes must be closed;
• You must not smoke, come drunk or under the influence of drugs;
• you should be in a calm, peaceful state.

However, there are differences, and quite significant ones:

• You need to come to prayer clean. There are two types of ablution - complete (ghusul) and small (taharat). Any mosque has a special room for taharat. If you need to perform ghusul, you should go to the bathhouse or take a full bath before visiting the mosque.
• It is allowed to cross the threshold of the mosque only with your right foot. In this case, you need to say certain words.
• Upon entering the mosque, the believer must greet: “As-salamu alaikum (Peace be upon you!).” Even if there is no one in it, greeting is mandatory - it is believed that angels are always present here.
• Parishioners of Muslim temples take off their shoes before prayer, leaving them in special places or lockers; the floor of the mosque is covered with carpets.
• Alms are given with the right hand and are accompanied by a wish spoken to oneself. The person accepting alms also does this with his right hand, saying in his soul: “Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim (in the name of Allah, the Gracious and Merciful).”
• Women cannot come to the mosque when they are “unclean” (menstrual days).
• A person preparing to go to the mosque should not have a strong odor, such as strong perfume, onions or garlic. You can only come when there is no smell. This is what the prophet Muhammad said.
• People with mental disorders are not allowed to visit Muslim temples.
• They leave the mosque with their left foot, saying the phrase: “Allah, forgive my sins.”
• All visitors to a Muslim temple must adhere to the rules listed above, regardless of their religion and purpose of visiting.

Service

The performance of services in the Muslim world is also in many ways different from Christian rituals:

• Muslims perform namaz (prayer) 5 times a day at the exact time allotted for this. The prayer lasts 5-10 minutes, during which any extraneous movements not related to prayer are prohibited. The beginning of prayer, or rather the invitation to it, is announced from the minaret by a special servant - the muezzin. The obligatory prayer is Friday prayer (Juma prayer), at noon. All adult men are required to attend; you need a very good reason to miss it.
• Prayer consists of reciting certain surahs (chapters) from the Koran. This prayer is read in Arabic.
• Postures during prayer are strictly defined and regulated by the raakat (the structural unit of prayer), there are six in total, starting with standing upright and ending with bow to the ground. In addition to spiritual renewal, these poses provide physical health benefits. For each of the 5 daily prayers there is a certain number of raakat.
• As a rule, Muslims bring with them to prayer a clean “sajjada” rug, on which they sit while reading the sacred verses of the Koran.
• During prayer, men and women stand separately and are fenced off from each other, or women are in another room (in large mosques). Moreover, visiting a mosque is not necessary for a woman - she can perform namaz at home or in any suitable place.
• Before prayer, believers line up behind the imam (priest) in strict rows. Everyone's face should be turned towards the Muslim shrine - Mecca, where the heart of Islam is located, its main sanctuary, the Kaaba. In a mosque, this direction is given by the mihrab (see above), near which there is a minbar (on the right) - the place, the platform, from where the sermon is preached.

Comparison

Above we have collected quite extensive material about the temples of the Islamic and Christian religions. Naturally, it is not possible to talk about a full analysis of this issue due to the limited volume of the article and the vastness of the topic described. We briefly covered the main facts, and even then not all of them. However, even this little knowledge will be quite enough to avoid getting into trouble and feel confident both in the church and in the mosque.

In order to finally consolidate what we have read, we will create comparison table, in which we arrange the information in a logical series.