New Pictures from the Temple Mount

(taken between 01/12/03-15/02/04)

All of the pictures are courtesy of Moshe Alafi, Hate’nua Lekinun Hamikdash

The northern entrance to the Islam Museum. Ancient debris collected in sacks. This debris probably came from a new digging inside this structure.

In spite of the claims of the police that no trucks are allowed inside the mount, we can see here a truck evacuating the ancient debris from the recent illegal work.

The northern section of the Islam museum structure after all its exhibits was taken out. (Bottom picture take by Sandy Livoti)

Dismantling the pavement slabs west to the Dome of the Rock ramp, as preparation for a maintenance dig.

Another dig.

New illegal construction in a structure named ‘Al-Aqsa Library’. It is located near the Iron Gate. The door was kept open, but when we came the workers closed it in front of us.

Construction work in the area between the Islam museum and the Western wall. The scaffolding underneath them is related to the reconstructed wall that collapsed several months ago. This construction work is taking place for the last 6 months.

Illegal construction work in the new Medieval relics that were discovered in the Dec 1999 dig, north to the “Solomon’s stables”. It still hasn’t been scientifically examined by Archaeologists.

A tractor working west to the Dome of the Rock.

A tractor maneuvering debris in the eastern section of the Mount.

A tractor carrying old pipelines that were removed by an unsupervised dig.

Wooden beams that were removed from Al-Aqsa mosque during the last 6 months. These beams were in second use in the Mosque and originally used in prior structures. Some other beams that were removed from the Mosque in the past were dated to the First Temple period, and identified as Cedar wood.

New construction material that were entered to the Mount during the last months.