Shrine of Hasan ar-Ra'ai
| Shrine of Hasan ar-Ra'ai | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the shrine in 2010 | |
Interactive map of Shrine of Hasan ar-Ra'ai | |
| 31°47′01″N 35°25′41″E / 31.7837404°N 35.4279752°E | |
| Type | Shrine, mausoleum |
| Location | Nabi Musa, Palestine |
| History | |
| Built | 19th century |
| Site notes | |
Architectural style | Ottoman architecture |
The Shrine of Hasan ar-Ra'ai (Arabic: مقام حسن الرعيعي, Hebrew: מקאם א-רעי) is a shrine located in Nabi Musa, Palestine. Built during the Ottoman period in the 19th century, the shrine is a domed sanctuary centred around the grave of a shepherd named Hasan, who is believed by locals to be a confidant of the biblical prophet Moses.[1][2][3] Before World War II, the shrine was a major checkpoint in the Nabi Musa pilgrimage festival, with pilgrims stopping to gather at the shrine before making their way to the nearby tomb and mosque complex of Nabi Musa.[4] After 1948, the pilgrimage gradually decreased in size and was ultimately abandoned in the 21st century.[5]
Architecture
The date of the construction of the shrine is unknown, although the present day shrine exhibits Ottoman architecture and has inscriptions bearing the date 1270 in the Islamic calendar, which corresponds to 1853–1854 in the Gregorian calendar.[6][7] However, the shrine had seemingly existed earlier than that, as it was visited by traveller Andrey Muravyov in 1830, along with another shrine dedicated to an unspecified Lady Aisha.[8] The Municipality of Jericho provides an Ottoman origin for the shrine, stating that the shrine is a tomb of the 19th-century caretaker of the nearby Nabi Musa religious complex who was named Hasan, and not of a companion of the biblical prophet.[9]
Made out of sandstone bricks, the shrine has a rectangular layout plan, divided into two square rooms, with each room topped by a flat dome, while six arched entrances (two on the length, one on the breadth) lead into the shrine.[10][11] The tomb of Hasan ar-Ra'ai is marked by a simple stone sanduga in the first of the two rooms. Sandstone brick walls surround the shrine and keep it fenced.[10][11] A mihrab to indicate the direction of the qibla is embedded in the southern fence wall of the shrine, with another two additional unused mihrabs situated in the eastern and western fence walls that are intended to point in the direction of Jerusalem, which was the former qibla before it was changed to Mecca.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ Clemont-Gannaeau, Charles (1896). Archaeological researches in Palestine during the years 1873-1874 (1st ed.). London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. pp. 48–50.
- ↑ The Survey of Western Palestine. Vol. 3 (1st ed.). London: Committed of the Palestine Exploration Fund. 1883. p. 231.
- ↑ Saulcy, Louis Felicien (1853). Voyage autour de la mer Morte et dans les terres bibliques exécuté [Journey around the Dead Sea and in the biblical lands undertaken] (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, Éditeurs. pp. 172–173.
- ↑ "موسم النبي موسى مناسبة دينية تحولت إلى فعل مقاوم بالقدس" [The Nabi Musa Festival: A Religious Occasion Transformed into an Act of Resistance in Jerusalem]. Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 2025-09-17. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ↑ Halabi, Awad (2022). Palestinian Rituals of Identity: The Prophet Moses Festival in Jerusalem, 1850-1948. University of Texas Press. doi:10.7560/326312. ISBN 978-1-4773-2631-2.
- ↑ Saleh, Sanbal (2021-01-28). ""مقام النبي موسى" إرث تاريخي إسلامي يقاوم الاندثار" [The "Shrine of Prophet Moses" a historical heritage resisting extinction]. Asdaa Press (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ↑ "Makam Hassan er Ra'ai, 1270 CE". The Palestinian History Tapestry. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ↑ Murayov, Andrey (1840). Путешествие ко святым местам в 1830 году [Journey to the Holy Places in 1830] (in Russian). Vol. 2 (1st ed.). Типография Штаба Отдельнаго Корпуса Внутренней Стражи. pp. 27–28.
- ↑ "Maqam Hasan Al Ra'i and Maqam Aisha". Municipality of Jericho. 2014-06-24. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- 1 2 3 Canaan, Tawfiq (1927-05-15). "Mohammedan Saints and Sanctuaries in Palestine". The Journal of the Palestine Oriental Society. 5: 17–20 – via Internet Archive.
- 1 2 Guérin, Victor (1868). Description géographique, historique et archéologique de la Palestine [Geographic, historic and archeological descriptions of Palestine] (in French). Paris: l'Impr. impériale. pp. 20–21.