Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque will be closed to Muslim worshippers throughout the holy fasting month of Ramadan due to the coronavirus epidemic, the council of clerics that oversees Islam’s third-holiest site said on Thursday.
Jerusalem has sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All three religions have taken coronavirus precautions.
Ramadan will start around April 23. It typically draws tens of thousands of Muslims daily to the mosque as worshippers believe the site is where the Prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven.
The decision extends a March 23 ban on Muslim prayer at the complex. Muslims should instead “perform prayers in their homes during the month of Ramadan, to preserve their safety”, the council said in a statement, adding that the decision was “painful”.
Israel has reported at least 140 deaths and nearly 12,600 cases of the virus.
