The al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem also caught fire, just in the same moments in which the tragedy of Notre Dame was taking place.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himIncredible but true. While Notre-Dame-Dame was in flames in Paris, the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem last night was also in the midst of a disastrous fire, which went almost unnoticed by the rest of the world.
While everyone's eyes were on the Parisian cathedral, in short, another fire, albeit of a smaller size and put out in a short time, devastated another fundamental place of worship and one of the most important in Islam.
The al-Aqsa mosque is in fact the third sacred place for Muslims and a key piece in the Arab-Israeli conflict, as it is located in the old city of East Jerusalem, initially occupied by Jordan in 1948, then by Israel in 1967 and finally annexed in 1980.
For the moment it is known that the fire, the causes of which have yet to be ascertained, would have flared up in guardhouse on the roof of the Marwani prayer hall (also known as "Solomon's Stables"), but according to the director general of the Jerusalem Mosque Affairs Department, Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, the fire may have been set (probably involuntarily) by some children who had been seen playing nearby.
Fire crews put out a fire that broke out on the roof of the Marwani prayer hall in Al-Aqsa Mosque. pic.twitter.com/CVx8X7nx4N
— Palestinian Information Center (@PalinfoAr) 15 April 2019
Why is the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem so important
The al-Aqsa mosque is located in the famous Esplanade of mosques, a hill in the so-called old city of Jerusalem. It is the main religious complex of the city and here, in addition to al-Aqsa, the most important building is the so-called Dome of the Rock, built in the place where according to Islam Muhammad ascended to heaven.
Muslims consider the complex to be the third most important sacred site in the world after Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia. In an interview with the BBC, Sheikh Azzam al Khatib al Tamimi, the head of the Muslim guardians of the Temple Mount explained that for Islam the al-Aqsa mosque is the "closest place to heaven".
That's why watching it go up in flames was just as painful as Notre-Dame Dame.
A fire in Masjid al-Aqsa has broken out on the roof of the Marwani masjid in the south-east corner.
Initial reports are that it was caused by an electrical fault and the situation is now under control.#Palestine #masjidalaqsa pic.twitter.com/bD6j6vzSqF
- IslamicLandmarks.com (@IslamicLandmark) April 16, 2019
Read also:
- Fire in Notre-Dame Dame: the Parisian Cathedral is on fire!
- Fire of Notre-Dame Dame: the moving tribute from illustrators from all over the world
- Fire of Notre-Dame Dame: solidarity contest for reconstruction, how to contribute
Germana Carillo
