This album aims to record the damage and destruction on Islamic architectural heritage in Al-Quds by comparing old and recent photographs of various structures. The photographs were selected from the archives of IRCICA and the new ones were taken by Mr. Khaled Zaghari. The texts were written by Dr. Najih Baqirat. The publication resulted from a project initiated by Mr. Sefer Turan (Chief Advisor to the President of Türkiye) and coordinated jointly with IRCICA. Since Al Quds is a sacred place for Muslims, Christians and Jews, it is one of the world’s most frequently visited cities, by pilgrims, travellers, scholars, artists, and starting from the late 19th century, by photographers, who took pictures and recorded detailed information about the city. Unfortunately, many of the buildings visible in historical photographs have disappeared. Destructions and transformations in historical sections of the city continue, as part of Israel’s settlement policies. The first edition of this album was published in 2015 with the contributions of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
