JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound will be closed to Muslim worshippers throughout the holy fasting month of Ramadan due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Jordan-appointed council that oversees Islam’s third-holiest site said on Thursday.
The decision extends a ban on Islamic prayers at the holy compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount that has been in effect since March 23.
The council “decided to extend its decision to suspend the gathering of worshippers from all gates of the (compound) during the blessed month of Ramadan”, in line with clerical guidance and medical advice, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs said in a statement.
(Reporting by Roleen Tafakji, Writing by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
