Al-Qala'a Mosque, Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem, Palestine

The al-Qala'a Mosque occupies the western section of the upper floor within the southwestern tower complex of the Jerusalem Citadel. The prayer space sits within this fortress structure and can be accessed by visitors entering through the eastern gateway of the citadel complex.

The mosque was founded in 1310 by Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun inside the Jerusalem Citadel, at its southwestern corner. The Ottomans renovated the fortress in 1532 and added the minaret, which was restored in 1655 under Sultan Mehmed IV. After Israel took East Jerusalem in 1967, the mosque and citadel were turned into a museum called the Tower of David Museum.

The mosque is the only one in Jerusalem where Friday prayer was held despite its proximity to al-Aqsa, because hundreds of Ottoman Janissaries guarded the citadel and the city. Today the prayer hall and the citadel form the Tower of David Museum, and the minaret added by the Ottomans in 1532, rebuilt in 1655 under Mehmed IV, rises in three stone tiers above the southwestern corner.

Access is through an eastern entrance porch within the Jerusalem Citadel, and visitors should dress respectfully for this sacred space. Be aware that visiting hours may vary and accessibility can be limited depending on local conditions.

The minaret added by the Ottomans in 1532 was rebuilt in 1655 under Sultan Mehmed IV; its three stone tiers rise from a square base through two cylindrical stages, the upper one smaller and capped by a small dome. Yusuf al-Natsheh, a specialist in Jerusalem antiquities, notes that the mosque inside the citadel tower was turned into the Tower of David Museum after 1967.