 Sunset over Nabi Musa | ||
| Nabi Musa, Nabi Mosa, Al Nabee Musa, Hebrew נבי מוסא, arab. نبي موسى | ||
| province | ||
|---|---|---|
| State of Palestine has no parent region. | ||
| height | unknown | |
no value for height on Wikidata:  | ||
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
| ||
Nabi Musa (or Al Nabee Musa) is a Muslim place of worship and pilgrimage hostel in the Judean desert on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho.
background
Not far from the road from Jerusalem to Jericho lies on a plateau in the Judean desert the complex of Nabi Musa. It consists of a mausoleum with a cenotaph, the tomb of Moses, and a pilgrim hostel ("maqam") from the 15th century built around the original building.
history
According to biblical tradition, Moses was not allowed to move into the promised land after the long desert wandering, but was only allowed to look at it once from Mount Nebo before his death (Deuteronomy 34,1-6 ); According to biblical tradition, the place of Moses' burial place is not known.
At one point on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, which was celebrated by Muslim pilgrims to Mecca, the pilgrims were able to catch a glimpse of the Jordan Valley across to Mount Nebo in present-day Jordan.
In 1269, the Mamluken Sultan Baibars built a first shrine at this location and its maintenance was placed under a Muslim foundation (Waqf). The building was extended and a pilgrims' hostel (maqam) was added in 1470/80, with stables on the lower floor and rooms for overnight guests on the upper floor. In the course of time, in tradition, the place from which the tomb of Moses could be seen was mixed with the place of the tomb of Moses.
The buildings, increasingly abandoned to decay, were renovated by the Ottomans around 1820. During this time, the Nabi Musa celebrations were celebrated for the first time, originally probably to set a counterpoint to the Christian-Orthodox pilgrimage festival and to give the Muslims an opportunity to celebrate during this festival time. Seven days before Good Friday according to the Greek Orthodox calendar, the festivities began with a procession of pilgrims to Abi Musa, after three days of festivities at the shrine with fasting and prayer there was extensive celebration until the faithful retreated to Jerusalem on the seventh day in triumphal procession.
The festivities were increasingly politically exploited by the Al-Husayni family, the keepers of the shrine from which the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem later emerged. After the end of Ottoman rule, in the wake of the Nabi Musa celebrations in 1920, under the British Mandate Government, serious rioting against the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem's old city broke out.
getting there
By plane
Most travelers are likely to use the Tel Aviv Airport - Ben Gurion arrive.
By train / bus
The Judean desert resp. the whole area to the south-east is not accessible by rail.
By bus you can reach Nabi Musa from the buses that are on the main road 1 circulate. At the bus stop Nebi Musa Junction stop the buses of the Egged of the lines Jerusalem - Bet She'an and Tiberias, Arab buses and shared taxis also run on the route Jerusalem - Jericho.
In the street
Of Jerusalem coming here you take the main road 1 towards the Jordan Valley (Tiberias resp Dead Sea. At the Nabi Musa Junction, turn onto a narrow paved road and reach Nabi Musa after approx. 1.5 km.
Sightseeing
- by the Entrance gate one enters the rectangular walled complex. Visiting is not only possible for Muslim but also Christian and Jewish visitors.
- the patio is surrounded by vaults, in which most of the stables of the pilgrims' hostel were housed.
- in the building on the left that is mausoleum with the Cenotaph of Moses housed, non-Muslim visitors can see the cloth-covered tomb from the outside through a window. Access to the mosque is open to Muslim pilgrims.
- Stairways lead to the First floor, here are the rooms intended for pilgrims. They are individually covered by a white dome.
- Behind the building, seen through windows, lies an extensive one muslim cemetery.
activities
- Visit to the pilgrims' hostel and the mausoleum of Moses.
shop
- A few souvenirs, mainly from the West Bank, are offered at the entrance
kitchen
- on one snackOutside the complex, drinks, ice cream and snacks were offered.
security
While it is quiet in the West Bank, the complex can easily be visited by travelers from Western Europe; the vehicle can be parked without any problems for the short visit.
Practical advice
- Toilets with fresh water are on the right at the entrance
- In the border area with Jordan you have partly Israeli and partly Jordanian network with the mobile phone and you have to pay attention to additional roaming costs.
trips
- a visit to the pilgrimage site can be completed with a visit to Dead sea, the baptismal site at Jordan Qaser El-Yahud or possibly Jericho (visit with rental car with Israeli yellow number not possible).
