Where Are the Main Templar Sites in Jerusalem?
The Templar sites in Jerusalem are among the most important and most visited historical sites in the world. The Temple Mount, where the Order was founded in 1119, is one of the most contested religious sites in the world. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Christ’s tomb, was a major destination for the pilgrims whom the Order was founded to protect. The city of Jerusalem was the Order’s spiritual home for nearly a century, and the Order’s presence shaped the city in important ways.
This article is a guide to the Templar sites in Jerusalem. It is a companion to The Founding of the Order and to The Knights Templar in the Holy Land.
The Temple Mount
The Temple Mount is the most important Templar site in Jerusalem. It was here that the Order was founded in 1119, when King Baldwin II gave the new brotherhood quarters in a wing of the royal palace on the south side of the Temple platform. The palace was believed to be built on the site of the former Temple of Solomon, and this association gave the Order its name.
The Templars’ original quarters on the Temple Mount are now part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The Al-Aqsa Mosque itself is believed to incorporate the remains of the medieval Templar and Hospitaller quarters, though this identification is debated among historians and archaeologists.
The story of the founding. See The Founding of the Order.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam, and it occupies the southern end of the Temple Mount. The mosque was built in the early 8th century, but it was rebuilt and expanded several times. The medieval Crusaders used the Al-Aqsa as the royal palace and the headquarters of the Templars, and the remains of the medieval Crusader buildings can still be seen in the mosque’s fabric.
The mosque is also the site of the Crusader-era stables, which are sometimes said to be the original Templar stables. The stalls are medieval, but they are probably later than the Crusader period.
The Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is the iconic golden-domed shrine on the Temple Mount. It is built on the site of the Foundation Stone, which is believed by Jews to be the foundation stone of the Temple of Solomon, and by Muslims to be the place from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
During the Crusader period, a separate church — the Templum Domini (“Temple of the Lord”) — was built next to the Dome of the Rock and served by Augustinian Canons. The Templum Domini was not a Templar foundation; the name is a rhetorical reference to the Temple of the Lord destroyed by the Romans, not a connection to the Order of the Temple. The church was lost when the Crusaders were expelled from Jerusalem in 1187.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the holiest site in Christianity, built on the site of Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The church was built in the 4th century by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine, and it was a major destination for the Christian pilgrims whom the Templars were founded to protect.
The Templars did not have a direct association with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but the Order’s mission was closely tied to the protection of pilgrims to this site. The story of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a major part of the broader history of the Crusades.
The Via Dolorosa
The Via Dolorosa is the route that, according to Christian tradition, Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. The route begins at the Antonia Fortress in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The route is marked by the Stations of the Cross, and it is a major destination for Christian pilgrims.
The Templars’ original mission was to protect Christian pilgrims traveling along the Via Dolorosa and on the other roads of the Holy Land.
The Citadel (Tower of David)
The Citadel of Jerusalem, also known as the Tower of David, is a medieval fortress located near the Jaffa Gate of the Old City. The fortress was rebuilt by the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad in the 14th century, but it incorporates earlier structures, including possibly some from the Crusader period.
The fortress was not a Templar site, but it was a major strategic point in the defense of Jerusalem.
The Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a hill to the east of the Old City, across the Kidron Valley. The mount is a major site in Jewish and Christian tradition, and it is the location of several important churches and monasteries.
The mount was not a Templar site, but it was a major destination for Christian pilgrims, and the Templars’ mission included the protection of pilgrims to this site.
The City of David
The City of David is the oldest part of Jerusalem, located on a hill to the south of the Temple Mount. The City of David is the site of the original Jebusite city of Jerusalem, captured by King David in the biblical narrative. The site has been the subject of major archaeological excavations in the modern period.
The City of David was not a major Templar site, but it was an important part of medieval Jerusalem, and the Order’s activities took place against the backdrop of the city’s ancient history.
The Western Wall
The Western Wall is a remnant of the retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and it is the holiest site in Judaism. The wall is located at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount, and it has been a site of Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries.
The wall is not a Templar site, but it is intimately connected to the Temple of Solomon, the biblical structure that gave the Order its name. The Order’s connection to the Temple of Solomon has been a major theme of the modern Templar mythology.
Other Sites
Several other sites in Jerusalem are associated with the Templars or with the Order’s activities:
- The Cenacle (or Tomb of David), on Mount Zion, is believed by some traditions to be the site of the Last Supper. The site was part of a Crusader-era church that was associated with the Order.
- The Church of St. Anne, near the Pools of Bethesda, is a beautiful Romanesque church that was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. The church is associated with the Virgin Mary’s birth, and it is a major tourist destination.
- The Stables of Solomon, sometimes identified with the Templar stables, are located on the Temple Mount.
Conclusion
The Templar sites in Jerusalem are among the most important historical sites in the world. The Temple Mount, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Via Dolorosa, and the other sites of the city are the spiritual and physical backdrop of the Order’s history. The story of the Order’s founding in Jerusalem is told in The Founding of the Order, and the Order’s military role in the city. See The Knights Templar in the Holy Land.