The Holiest Sites In Islam

The Cave of the Patriarchs, or the Cave of Machpelah, in the Old City of Hebron is a sacred holy site for Muslims and Jews alike. According to "Pilgrimages: From the Ganges to Graceland: An Encyclopedia," the cave is where the Islamic and Jewish patriarch Ibrhm, his wife Sarah, their two sons, Isaac and Jacob,

The Cave of the Patriarchs, or the Cave of Machpelah, in the Old City of Hebron is a sacred holy site for Muslims and Jews alike. According to "Pilgrimages: From the Ganges to Graceland: An Encyclopedia," the cave is where the Islamic and Jewish patriarch Ibrāhīm, his wife Sarah, their two sons, Isaac and Jacob, and their wives, Rebecca and Leah are buried. Various legends also ascribe a connection between the cave and Adam and his wife Eve, and Moses and his wife Zipporah.

It was long the site of Jewish pilgrimages, and Muslims soon adopted the same practice after the creation of Islam. The pilgrimage from Muslims to the cave was officially sanctioned by the Prophet Muhammad, who actually encouraged it for those who could not make it to Saudi Arabia to see him. During the medieval Crusades, the cave was under Christian administration, but it was reclaimed by Mamluk Muslims in 1260 C.E.

The structure surrounding the cave's entrance can be traced back over 2,000 years to the reign of King Herod, and Muslims converted it into a mosque upon their reclamation of the city in the 13th century. It has unfortunately been the site of various political tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, including the horrific massacre by Baruch Goldman, an American-born Israeli who killed 29 Muslims as they prayed at the cave in 1994.

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