Bethlehem
This mosque on Manger Square is named after Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph, who came to Bethlehem in 637 after the conquest of Jerusalem and gave its…
This mosque on Manger Square is named after Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph, who came to Bethlehem in 637 after the conquest of Jerusalem and gave its Christians a guarantee of safety for their churches and clergy. Tradition holds that he prayed at this spot, across the square from the Church of the Nativity. The present building dates from 1860, on land given for it by the Greek Orthodox Church, and it was renovated in 1955. Its tall white minaret faces the Church of the Nativity across Manger Square. In the past Muslim and Christian families of Bethlehem both brought olive oil to light the lamps around the mosque.