from 45 reviews
5 hours
Daily Tour
10 people
English
Discover Jerusalem’s Rich Islamic Heritage and Magnificent Monuments:
The Islamic Caliphate ruled Jerusalem since the 7th century except for the period the Crusaders ruled the area; hence, their cultural and historical influence is still evident all over the Old City. Jerusalem’s Muslim character that was shaped over hundreds of years is still present and reflected in the city’s architectural facades and rich cultural heritage in particular, the Ayyubids, the Mamluks, and finally the Ottomans who left their footprint on the city. This tour is primarily intended for tourists interested in learning about the Muslim history and faith in the city. This purposely-themed and history-packed tour will allow visitors to discover Jerusalem’s rich Islamic heritage including visits to the main Islamic shrines at Jerusalem’s Old City and beyond. Visit the Haram Al Sharif or Noble Sanctuary and see the magnificent Dome of the Rock in Al Aqsa Mosque. Tour the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and learn about the Islamic architecture, schools, and outdoor markets (souqs).
Pickup location Damascus Gate
Damascus Gate is our first station where you will learn about the history of the Gate and see the Roman Column standing at the entrance.
Our 2nd stop is Souq Al Qattanin, one of the oldest markets in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was built during the Mamluk Sultanate (Arabic: سلطنة المماليك, romanized: Salṭanat al-Mamālīk), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz (western Arabia) in the mid-13th–early 16th centuries.
After the Siege of Jerusalem in 637 by the Islamic Caliphate army, Patriarch Sophronius, the ruler of Jerusalem, refused to surrender the city except to the Caliph Omar (579-644) himself. Omar travelled to Jerusalem and accepted the surrender. Caliph Omar then visited the Church of the Resurrection (today better known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre) and when the time of the Muslim prayer came, Sophronius invited him to pray inside the church, but Omar gently declined so as not to set a precedent and thereby endanger the church's status as a Christian site. Instead he prayed outside, on the steps east of the church. The first Mosque of Omar was later built at that site, as evidenced by a stone plate with a Kufic inscription found in 1897 in the area of the eastern or outer atrium of the Constantinian (4th-century) Church of the Resurrection, defining this area as a mosque.
Approximately 7 hours
min. 4 to max. 15 participants
Lots of walking
(Not disabled friendly)
None
Optional lunch break
Member Since 2022
49 reviews
