Hettah Gate

Landmark Location:
Located in the northern gallery about 120 m from Bab Al Asbat.

Landmark Location relative to Dome of the rock:
At the north of Dome of the Rock.

Landmark History:
-Renewed the Gate in 617 AH_1220 AD in the days of the Ayyubids. -Renewed at the days of Ottomans in 989 AH-1581 AD. -Renewed by Hassan Agha in 1231 AH-1816 AD.

Reason of the name:
Named for the memory of the verse (.. And enter the Gate prostrate and say a plan to forgive you your sins and we will
increase the benefactors).

Builder Name:
Does not known who build it.

Details of the shape:
-This Gate is a simple building, textured workmanship, rectangular entrance, and overhead set of ties The stone, once used to hang the Lamps.

-Feel the Gate verse inside the mosque descends stairs and limits to the right and north of the two areas they have niches to pray and to get out of the Gate must climb several degrees; the verse is subject to bowing, and then Prayer need two kneeling at the combatants on top of the mastaba.

Additional Information about the landmark:
-According to the book of the Holy Jerusalem to the living Al-Danif, the entrance to the mosque in the period the Ottoman was across the Gate of Hetta.

-The Ayyubid renewal shows their use of some Crusader stones with stone seals In Latin.

-Hetta Gate opens to an Arab Islamic neighborhood in Jerusalem called ” al Harat Al Sa’adia” which is one of three dors only the Al-Aqsa Mosque allows the occupiers to open the prayers of Al Maghreb, Al Eshaa and Al Fajer, unlike the rest of the Gates are closed during these prayers.

-Constant attacks by the occupiers, most notably preventing worshipers from passing through it, especially when the Israeli occupation forces prevent the entry of those under the age of 40 years to the Aqsa. It is the only Gate open during Fajr prayer from the north side, and where such a ban is in force Starting from the time of the Fajr prayer, large numbers of Israeli soldiers are stationed at it to carry out an order prevention, there are many clashes with dozens of young worshipers banned from entering the Al AQSA.

An Overview of the Landmark:
Hitta Gate is located in the Northern gallery, about 120 meters away from Al-Asbat Gate, north of the Dome of the Rock. Its name has come from the holy verse (58) of Surat Al-Baqara: “and enter the gate bowing humbly and say: ‘relieve us of our burdens’ (Hettatun). We will [then] forgive your sins for you, and We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]”. From inside the mosque, there are stairs. It is surrounded, from the right and lift sides, with two terraces that include niches for praying. To go out from the gate, many stairs need to be climbed; which is a manifestation of the verse that includes humbleness, and then performing a two-Rak’a prayer near the niches. It is simple, well-built, with a rectangular entrance. It’s topped by a set of stone hangers, that were previously used to hang lamps.

The gate was restored in 1220 (617 A.H.), during the Ayyubid time. It appears that they used some Crusade stones that has the seals of some stonecutters. Then, it was restored during the Ottoman era, in 1581 (989 A.H.). finally, it was restored by Hasan Agha in 1816 (1231 A.H.)
According to “Manasik Al-Quds Ash-Shareef” book for Yahya Ad-danaf, in the Ottoman era, people used to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque through Hitta Gate.

This gate opens to As-Sa’diya Quarter, which is an Arab Islamic quarter in Jerusalem. It’s one of only three gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque that the occupiers allow to be opened for Al-Maghrib, Al-I’sha’a, and Al-Fajr prayers. Unlike the other gates that are closed during these prayers.

This gate is frequently subject to the occupation’s attacks. Some of the most prominent forms of aggression is that they prevent worshippers from passing through it, especially when the occupation’s forces declare that no one under the age of shall enter the mosque. Since it’s the only open gate during Al-Fajr prayer on the northern side, and so the prevention takes effect starting Al-Fajr time, enormous numbers of the soldiers are stationed in front of it, to implement the prevention order. Therefore, a lot of clashes between the soldiers and tens of young worshippers who are prevented from entering Al-Aqsa mosque.