-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
Alex Winder, Vincent Lemire, trans. Jane Kuntz. In the Shadow of the Wall: The Life and Death of Jerusalem’s Maghrebi Quarter, 1187–1967., The American Historical Review, Volume 130, Issue 1, March 2025, Pages 395–396, https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhae536
Close - Share Icon Share
Extract
The Haram al-Sharif—the third holiest site of Islam, upon which sits al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, and the former site of the Second Jewish Temple—rises up in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City. It is bounded on its west by a wall extending sixty-two feet down to ground level, known as the Western Wall. Since at least the sixteenth century, this wall has been a site of Jewish prayer and is also venerated by Muslims as the location where the Prophet Muhammad tied his mythical steed, al-Buraq, before ascending to heaven on his Night Journey. Today a broad plaza extends before the wall, providing uninterrupted touristic views of Jewish worshippers below the gleaming Dome of the Rock. No mention is made there of the vibrant neighborhood that existed in this space until June 1967, home primarily to North African Muslims. In the Shadow of the Wall, Vincent Lemire’s history of this neighborhood, Jerusalem’s Maghrebi Quarter, gives a rich and sometimes frustrating account of its centuries-long life and sudden destruction.
