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27 Apr, 2016

Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque renamed “Solomon’s Stables” in Israel tourist map

Among the map’s many omitted Christian sites is the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, whose bell tower is one of the most recognizable features of the Old City’s skyline. The fourteen stations along the infamous Via Dolorosa – the path Jesus walked before his crucifixion – are also unlisted, even though they are a major tourist attraction. Similarly, St Anne’s Church, built around 1138 and a striking example of medieval architecture, is not featured. The church, which is a testament to the city’s layers of religious heritage, was converted into an Islamic school after Saladin conquered the city in the 12th century before again becoming a church during Ottoman rule. This amalgamated history is marked by an Arabic-language plaque above the church’s front door.

According to a report from Haaretz, the map refers to the Dome of the Rock, the one Islamic site it mentions, by the Israeli, Hebrew terms of Temple Mount, Har Habait, and Mount Moriah. More alarmingly, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam and an important symbol of Palestinian nationalism, is labeled Solomon’s Stables.

Read the rest: Israeli Tourist Map of Jerusalem Rewrites History