Cavern of the Patriarchs, Religious burial site in Hebron, West Bank.
This memorial is a massive stone construction of rectangular limestone blocks with smooth walls rising above an underground cave system in Hebron. Inside, staircases lead down to several chambers where stone cenotaphs mark the traditional burial sites of six biblical figures, and rooms for different rituals fill the upper levels.
Herod ordered the monumental structure built around 20 BCE over the older cave system, using stone blocks of exceptional size. Byzantine builders later added a basilica before Muslim rulers converted the complex into a mosque, and Crusader invaders temporarily made Christian modifications.
The name Ibrahimi Mosque honors the prophet Abraham, while Jewish worship calls the site Ma'arat HaMachpela. Both communities hold their own ceremonies on different days, with religious festivals setting specific access times that regulate who enters when, shaping daily life around the dual function as a house of prayer for two faiths.
Security checks at the entrance can bring waiting times, and visitors should wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees. Separate entrances and areas divide access for different groups, so a tour shows only parts of the entire structure.
Few visitors know that only a small part of the caves below the building is accessible, and most underground rooms have remained sealed for centuries. Archaeologists have never conducted a complete exploration, so the exact extent of the cave system beneath the ground remains unknown.
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