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Bethlehem’s skyline is a palimpsest in which one can read the many centuries of Christian and Muslim coexistence. Although the Mosque of Omar is unique within Bethlehem’s Old City, many minarets soar up the skies next to bell towers all-round the horizon. Located on Manger Square across from the Nativity Church, the Mosque of Omar was built in 1860 on a land that was donated by the Greek Orthodox Church in honour of the second Rashidi Caliph Omar Bin Al Khattab, who visited Bethlehem in 637 A.D. and vowed to protect the sanctity of Christian churches and monuments, as well as the clergy. The Mosque underwent serious renovation works in 1955, under the Jordanian Mandate over parts of Palestine (the West Bank), and again in 2004, after suffering damages during the Second Palestinian Intifada. During Ramadan nights, the Square in front of the Mosque is animated with worshippers who join in the collective evening prayers, Taraweeh, that mark the Iftar, the breaking of the fast.
