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A Palestinian Muslim woman walking through the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Monday. (AP)
Last update - 00:00 09/10/2006
Jordan's king gives carpet to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque
By The Associated Press

AMMAN, Jordan - Jordan's King Abdullah II has donated a huge carpet to the Al-Aqsa mosque and is launching an architectural competition for a fifth minaret for the building, which stands in Jerusalem on the third holiest site in Islam, the palace said Monday.

The palace statement came after the king chaired a meeting of senior Islamic clerics who are overseeing the renovation at the site. Known to Muslims as the Holy Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, the site has been damaged by earthquakes, other natural causes and arson.

The carpet will cover 2,000 square meters, the statement said.
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"I want the carpet to be placed under the dome of the mosque before Laylet al-Qadr," Abdullah was quoted as telling the meeting, adding that it would be provided at his expense.

"Laylet al-Qadr," or the Night of Power, is the holiest night of the year for Muslims as it marks the occasion when the Quran, the holy book, is believed to have descended from heaven to the Prophet Muhammad. This year it is expected to fall on Oct. 20.

The king also announced a competition to design a fifth minaret for Al-Aqsa, which is expected to cost 400,000 to 500,000 Jordanian dinars ($600,000 to 700,000).

The vice chairman of the committee running the project, Raef Nijem, said the king decided the new minaret should be "near the eastern wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque because there is no minaret there, and the area overlooks agricultural land."

The construction would requires the approval of Israel, which controls the site, but this is expected to be granted.

The site is part of east Jerusalem, which was ruled by Jordan until Israel captured it and the adjacent West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. In 1988, the current's king's father, King Hussein, renounced his country's claim to the West Bank, but maintained Jordan's authority to look after the Holy Sanctuary - a custodial role that Israel recognizes.

Jordan has produced a new version of Al-Aqsa Mosque's pulpit and this is expected to be installed soon. The original was severely damaged in 1969 when an Australian Christian with a record of mental instability set fire to the mosque.

King Hussein, who died of cancer in 1999, had pledged to repair the pulpit, which was erected by Saladin al-Ayyubi, the Muslim warrior who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187
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  1.   Jordans King 18:32  |  Omar 09/10/06
  2.   The west bank and gaza are israel lands 19:23  |  Joseph E . 09/10/06
  3.   Joseph #2 20:49  |  Ahmad 09/10/06
  4.   Omar #1 20:51  |  Ahmad 09/10/06
  5.   Ahmad My reply 21:16  |  Omar 09/10/06
  6.   my reply Ahmad 21:16  |  Omar 09/10/06
  7.   My reply Ahmad 21:16  |  Omar 09/10/06
  8.   youre stupid 21:24  |  barry 09/10/06
  9.   # 3 Ahmad 21:32  |  Joseph E . 09/10/06
  10.   Omar 21:40  |  watcher 09/10/06
  11.   dear barry 21:54  |  dan 09/10/06
  12.   Koran and Jerusalem 21:59  |  farhad 09/10/06
  13.   Al-Aqsa Mosque located in wrong place 22:00  |  Yonatan 09/10/06
  14.   Omar and Barry 22:32  |  Ahmad 09/10/06
  15.   Carpet 22:39  |  sh 09/10/06
  16.   Ahmad -- agree some, disagree some 23:51  |  bbl 09/10/06
  17.   Ahmad -- more on my take on Jordan 00:07  |  bbl 10/10/06
  18.   I agree with Omar 00:45  |  fatima 10/10/06
  19.   bbl 00:49  |  fatima 10/10/06
  20.   Waw you could start all this talk from this topic 01:00  |  Karim Zidan 10/10/06
  21.   bbi 03:03  |  gus 10/10/06
  22.   WE WOULD LIKE TO VISIT AL AQSA MOSQUE WITH THE GROUP 07:46  |  royal hajj group 06/04/07
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