Palestine's Sacred Struggle: The Evolution of International Tourist Guides to the Haram al-Sharif

The Temple Mount, referred to in Arabic as al-Haram al-Sharif, had become emblematic of the Palestinian struggle against Zionist forces before the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. In the following two decades the Haram al-Sharif, as the last vestige of Arab sovereignty in historic Palestine, was heralded as a national symbol of Palestinians. Though venerated as a sacred space for centuries, the Haram al-Sharif was elevated in significance during the twentieth century, becoming central to Palestinian nationalist thought. This evolution was catalyzed by two Muslim councils responsible for administering the Haram al-Sharif as a religious sacred space: the Palestinian Supreme Muslim Council from 1921-1948, and the Jordanian Supreme Awqaf Council from 1951-1967