Umayyad architecture

Without minaret or dome, the beige, rectangular structure in a former industrial area has none of the ornate grace typical of Islamic places of worship.
But for the Muslims of Athens, it is the result of a long-fought battle - and the city's first formal mosque in more than 180 years.

Israeli police closed the gates to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound for several hours Friday after clashes erupted with Palestinian worshippers following midday prayers at the flashpoint site.

Israeli troops are using live ammunition and teargas to disperse Palestinian protests in different parts of the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, according to Anadolu Agency correspondents at the scene.

Two people have performed prayers inside Istanbul's Hagia Sophia in order to protest its closure to prayers, comparing it to measures taken by Israeli forces at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

The two identified as Halil Akyaman and Mahmut Alan arrived at the museum and suddenly began to pray inside.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Aug. 2 expressed its determination to defend the al-Aqsa Mosque from all threats by Israel and emphasized the sanctity of the holy site for Muslims from around the Islamic world.   

Israel has acted with "common sense," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Aug. 1, following the decision to remove metal detectors placed at the entrances to the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem after weeks of escalated tension between the Israeli government and Palestinians. 

Foreign ministers from Islamic countries will meet in Istanbul on August 1st to discuss the situation at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday, quoted by Daily Sabah.

Members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an extraordinary meeting following a call from Ankara.

Israel's decision to remove the metal detectors from the entrance to the Haram al-Sharif compound, known to Israelis as the Temple Mount, seems to have assuaged recent tensions. The issue, however, still has the potential to upset the shaky regional order.

Palestinians were set to return to pray at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site on July 27 after Israeli authorities removed controversial new security measures, potentially ending a nearly two-week crisis that sparked deadly unrest.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on July 26 that the removal of metal detectors from the entrances to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City was a right move but not enough.