East wall of the Noble Sanctuary

At The Heart of Jerusalem is the Noble Sanctuary, Al-Haram al-Sharif, enclosing over 35 acres of fountains, gardens, buildings and domes. At its southernmost end is Al-Aqsa Mosque (built in the seventh century AD.) and at its centre the celebrated Dome of the Rock. The entire area is regarded as a mosque and comprises nearly one sixth of the walled city of Jerusalem.The site was abandoned from 70 AD, during the Christian era, up until the Islamic conquest.

Al-Aqsa mosque complex occupies the southern side of the platform and sits atop the ancient Double Gate, which is on the south wall of the compound. On the eastern wall, north of the center, is the ancient Golden Gate. Other gates, built later in Muslim rule (such as the Mamluk Gate Bab al-Qattanin on the western border of the complex) give access to the site. Other major sites in the Haram include the al-Ashrafiyya (1482), labeled the third jewel of the Haram.