Islam's third holiest site, after Mecca and Medina, Al-Aqsa Mosque sits on the southern end of the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif) and has been a place of Muslim prayer since the early 8th century. The mosque as it stands today, with its distinctive silver dome, can accommodate around 5,000 worshippers; the wider Temple Mount compound, including the outdoor plaza and the Dome of the Rock, can hold tens of thousands more for Friday prayers.
Non-Muslims can enter the Temple Mount compound through the Mughrabi Gate (next to the Western Wall) during restricted visiting hours — typically weekday mornings — but are not permitted inside Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock. Access for non-Muslims is sometimes suspended due to religious tensions or security incidents; check current conditions before planning a visit. The views from the platform, looking south over the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives, are extraordinary regardless of access to the buildings themselves.