The Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem
Since 1917, the Hashemite Kings’ Custodianship of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites has preserved and guaranteed the religious rights of Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem and the integrity of their Holy Sites.
His Majesty King Abdullah II inherited the Custodianship of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian Holy Sites from his Hashemite ancestors, starting with his great-great-grandfather King and Sharif Hussein bin Ali. When King Abdullah II’s father, the late King Hussein bin Talal, declared Jordan’s disengagement from the West Bank in 1988, he specifically excluded East Jerusalem’s Holy Sites and Waqf properties from the disengagement, and so maintained the Hashemite Custodianship. The exclusion was coordinated with PLO President Yasser Arafat. Jordan’s special role was subsequently acknowledged in the 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel.
After Palestine was recognised as a non-member observer state by the UNGA in 2012, His Majesty King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a historical agreement in Amman on 31 March 2013, reaffirming the King’s Custodianship over Holy Sites in Jerusalem, and stating that His Majesty has the right to exert all legal efforts to safeguard them, especially Al Aqsa Mosque, which is defined as “The Entirety of Al Haram Al Sharif.”
First Hashemite Restoration (1922-1952)
In 1922, the Islamic Higher Council was established to preserve Islamic ideals and protect the sanctuaries of Palestine. The council took responsibility for raising funds to restore the Dome of the Rock. A delegation visited Sharif Hussein bin Ali in 1924 and explained to him the mosque’s condition. Sharif Hussein contributed 38,000 golden lira.
Emir Abdullah bin Al Hussein personally supervised the restorations. He also supervised the 1940s renovations, known as the Egyptian Restoration due to the Egyptian technical participation and the import of ceramic tiles from Egypt.
During the 1948 war, the Old City of Jerusalem, Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, and the roof of the Holy Sepulchre suffered considerable damage. Immediately after the end of the war, King Abdullah I visited Al Aqsa and declared the restoration of Mihrab Zakariah (Niche of Al Aqsa) as part of the reconstruction of surrounding buildings which had also suffered structural damages.
In 1949, King Abdullah I personally helped extinguish a fire that destroyed parts of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. King Abdullah I assiduously maintained the role of the Custodian of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem throughout his reign.
Second Hashemite Restoration (1952-1964)
The 1950s restorations replaced the outer wooden plates of the Dome of the Rock, which had not prevented water from leaking into the interior, with aluminium support beams and gilded plates. The dome was also losing its golden polish. In 1952-1953, the newly sworn-in King Hussein oversaw the maintenance of these plates.
In 1954, His Majesty King Hussein issued a directive to establish the Jordanian Law of the Hashemite Restoration Committee, upon which he supervised the restoration of the Dome of the Rock, the Silsileh Dome, Sabil Qaytbay, the Women’s Mosque and other sites.
Third Hashemite Restoration—Emergency Restorations (1969–present)
The Minbar of Salah Al Din in Al Qibli Mosque in Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif suffered great damage when it was set on fire on 21 August 1969, by an Australian Zionist, Dennis Michael Rohan. The Minbar, which was made by Sultan Nur Al Din Zengi, was brought from Aleppo to Jerusalem by Salah Al Din after his liberation of Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187 CE. Its restoration was supervised and sponsored by His Majesty King Abdullah II and cost the Jordanian treasury $2.115 million. The Minbar was installed in its proper historic place in Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif on 2 February 2007. Other damages of the 1969 fire were also restored.
Fourth Hashemite Restoration (1990-1994)
By the 1990s, the Dome of the Rock was beginning to suffer damage again due to both environmental conditions and frequent Israeli police sound bombs. This could be seen on both the interior and exterior. In 1992, King Hussein sold his house in London for $11.636 million in order to pay for the 1994 restorations to the Dome of the Rock. Under King Hussein’s instructions, Jordan's Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs commissioned professionals to undertake the job of gilding the dome with around 1,200 copper and nickel plates painted with 24 carat gold, as well as rebuilding the roof supports, repairing the basic structure of the building and fireproofing of the Dome from the inside.
Fifth Hashemite Restoration (1994–present)
Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem remain of great importance to His Majesty King Abdullah II. As a continuation of the Royal commitment to their care, His Majesty established the Hashemite Fund for the Restoration of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif and the Dome of the Rock under a new law issued in 2007.
The Hashemite restoration projects at Al Aqsa Mosque during the reign of King Abdullah II included the restoration of the Minbar of Salah Al Din, which had been destroyed in a fire in 1969. This restoration was undertaken at Al Balqa Applied University and the pulpit was returned to Jerusalem in 2007. Additionally, the western roofs of the corridors of Al Aqsa Mosque and the roofs of the Women’s Mosque were plated, along with the establishment of the Islamic Museum (2004-2007). Furthermore, extensive restoration work was carried out on the southern and eastern walls of Al Aqsa Mosque between 2003 and 2008. This included the restoration of doors, windows, mattresses, lighting and sound systems, as well as the restoration of Sabil Qaytbay, Sabil Qasim Pasha, the Silsileh Dome, and numerous avenues, terraces, and domes within Al Aqsa Mosque. Artworks were also restored, along with the interior marble walls of the Dome of the Rock, and the mosaic and plaster decorations (2016-2018).
In tandem with safeguarding Islamic holy sites, Jordan has diligently worked to preserve the Christian presence in Jerusalem and safeguard Christian holy sites. In 2016, King Abdullah II personally directed the restoration of the Holy Sepulchre within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, personally bearing the expenses. Furthermore, in 2017, the Hashemite Fund for the Restoration of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif and the Hashemite Reconstruction Authority of the Jerusalem Awqaf oversaw the restoration of the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives.
His Majesty also contributed a portion of the financial sum of the Templeton Prize, which he received in 2018, towards the comprehensive restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The remaining portion of the prize value was donated to support relief and humanitarian efforts, as well as initiatives fostering interfaith harmony both within Jordan and globally. The first phase of restoration of the Holy Sepulchre (2016-2017) was successfully completed, followed by the second phase, which entailed paving and restoring the church's tiles (2018-2023).