The Al-Jazzar mosque in Acre, built in 1781 by Ahmad Al-Jazzar (the butcher) Pasha and held to be the most beautiful in Israel, was reopened yesterday after renovations paid for mainly by the government. The ceremony was attended by President Yitzhak Navon and hundreds of Jewish, Moslem, Christian and Druzespiritual leaders, judges and heads of Arab local councils. One of the most sacred relics held by the mosque and on display in a glass cabinet is a hair from the beard of the Prophet Mohammed.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.