“Al-Quds, the City of Prophets” documentary premiered”

Diyanet TV held a promotional event for the documentary “Al-Quds, the City of Prophets”. AK Parti’s Deputy Chairman Binali Yıldırım and the President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş attended the programme.

Vice President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Huriye Martı and Director General of Religious Publications Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatih Kurt addressed the audience at the event held in the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation’s Kocatepe Conference Hall.

Expressing in his speech he gave at the programme that he believe “Al-Quds, the City of Prophets” documentary will make great contributions to the knowledge and awareness of audience on Al-Quds, President of Religious Affairs Erbaş wished that this documentary will conduce to goodness.

Stating that Al-Quds is a sacred district that humanity comes together as a universal value, President Erbaş said, “Al-Quds is a blessed city that hosted the memory of many prophets who were assigned the task of conveying Islam since Prophet Adam.

“Al-Quds is the first qibla of Islam”

Reminding that Al-Quds is the place where one of the three holy places is located, which is worth visiting before Muslims by facing up to all kind of troubles, President Erbaş talked as “Al-Quds is the first qibla of Islam: Before hijrah, our beloved Prophet (saw) performed prayer facing al-Masjid al-Aqsa by also facing the Kaaba and he continued to do it until the Kaaba became the qibla in the Medina period. Al-Quds is a city that carries the Masjid al-Aqsa in its heart, which the Qur'an declares that its environment is blessed.”

Stating that Al-Quds is the place where our Prophet (saw) experienced the miracles of al-Isra and al-Miraj, President Erbaş used the following expressions, “Al-Quds is the witness of a path opened from the earth to the Lord of the Worlds (swt) and an exalted mercy descending from the sky to the earth; Al-Quds and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa introduced by the Almighty Allah (swt) as a ‘nice and beautiful place” are the herald and trust of the Prophet (saw) to the Muslims.”

“Al-Quds is the common issue of all Muslims in the worlds and all humanity. “

Stating that one name of Al-Quds is righteousness, and the other is peace and holiness, President Erbaş made the following evaluations, “It is not a just any piece of land in any country in the world. Al-Quds as a great meaning in the life of Muslims that can never be thrown over as the symbols of a stand eligible to faith, decisive direction and orientation connected with affection.”

“Al-Quds is the memory of historical knowledge and values of Islamic civilization.”

Pointing out that Al-Quds is the memory of historical knowledge and values of Islamic civilization, President Erbaş continued his words as follows:

“Al-Quds is constructed with Umayyad, Abbasid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, Seljuk and Ottoman works and tells us the mission and responsibility that its faith, history and civilization impose on it. Since Muslims are undoubtedly the ones who gave the city its current identity.

In the dominance of Muslims in Al-Quds starting with the conquest of Umar ibn al-Khattab, worship places of different faiths existed together for centuries and the followers of each religion lived together freely and in tolerance. Especially in the Ottoman period, Muslims did not interfere with the life, property and freedom of religion of members of different faiths by executing a just and fair administration. Even non-Muslims took refuge in the justice of Islam in resolving their conflicts.

Most clear manifestation of our religions’ extensive tolerance, comprehensive and inclusive understanding is the tablet in the internal wall of Jaffa Gate. Our Ancestors engraved the name of Abraham, which Jewish and Christian faiths also gave importance, on the walls of Al-Quds by writing, ‘Lâ ilâhe illallah, İbrâhim Halîlullah,’ namely ‘There is no god but Allah (swt) and Abraham is the friend of Allah (swt)’.

“Today, Al-Quds longs for tranquillity” 

Pointing out that Al-Quds was the home of peace in the administration of Mulims, President Erbaş talked as, “Al-Quds, which presented the most beautiful examples of security, peace and mercy, and the most precious pictures of the coexistence of different religions, languages, races and sects in the administration of Muslims, unfortunately started to lose this ideal quality with the occupation of the Islamic geography after the First World War. In the history, Al-Quds which has been known as ‘welfare region,’ namely the centre of peace and tranquillity has become a bleeding wound in the hearts of all Muslims.

Ancient city that have common traces and memories of humanity in every corner now longs for tranquillity.”

“Türkiye is with all the oppressed people in the world”

Saying that when we consider the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds with its yesterday, today and tomorrow, the general situation and basic problems of the Islamic geography should also be discussed, President Erbaş talked as follows by indicating that Türkiye is always with all the oppressed people in the world:

“In the every platform we came together from Middle Asia to Africa, we make our Al-Quds case the current agenda and we will continue to do it. We, as a nation, never cut our ties with Al-Quds and Masjid al-Aqsa throughout history, and we cannot cut it. Al-Quds has an exceptional place in the hearts of every believer from past to present and is a blessed place that can never be thrown over.

Istanbul, Baghdad, Damascus, Mecca, Medina, Al-Quds is the brother cities of the same truth and civilization. They are the cities of the same story, sadness and happiness. Therefore, the most sincere words were said for Al-Quds, the most sincere poems were written for Al-Quds, the heartiest laments were made for Al-Quds.”

“Al-Quds will be the symbol of peace again by the will of Allah (swt)”

Emphasizing that Al-Quds is the symbol of a responsibility based on faith, law, history and loyalty to future, direction based on revelation and orientation connected with affection, President Erbaş said the followings:

“We are witnessing a beautiful and successful activity as an expression of this orientation, affection and loyalty to past.  I supplicate from the Almighty Allah (swt) that ‘Al-Quds, the City of Prophets’ documentary series, which was carried out from the traces of Ottoman to Dome of the Rock and have extensive information on the importance of Al-Quds in terms of the history of religions, will conduce to goodness. I believe that this documentary will conduce to new research on Al-Quds and will provide a different determination and excitement to researchers. And I believe that Al-Quds will be the symbol of peace, the welfare region, again by the will of Allah (swt)”

Supplicating that the documentary will contribute to the awareness of Al-Quds, President Erbaş expressed his thanks to everyone who gave effort in the preparation of documentary.

Justice and Development Party General Vice President Binali Yıldırım: “Recognizing Al-Quds is a national duty”

Pointing out that geography has a great impact on formation of Türkiye’s national identity, Binali Yıldırım said that Al-Quds have an important place in both religious and national memory.

Making the evaluation that it is a national duty to know yesterday of Al-Quds, understand its present and conceive its tomorrow, Binali Yıldırım expressed that this city that have an important religious memory is “sad” today.

Emphasizing that it is unacceptable for Israel to try to lay claims to moral identity and historical memory of Al-Quds, Yıldırım said that the denial and neglect of the city's multi-identity existence is the main source of disagreements and conflicts.

After the speeches, a special episode of “Al-Quds, the City of Prophets” documentary was demonstrated. The first episode of the documentary will be broadcasted on the screen of Diyanet TV on February 27, Sunday which is the Lailat al-Mi’raj.

It has been shot in 35 different places

The documentary, which historical and holy places are told with a meticulous work, has been completed as a result of work that was carried out by professional documentary team consisting of 15 people from Palestine and Türkiye.

Documentary, whose production team is composed of experts and academicians conducting studies on Al-Quds, consists of 16 episodes of 26 minutes.

In the documentary whose shootings was made in 35 different places with new generation technologies, there are interviews of people of Al-Quds from the Imam of al-Masjid al-Aqsa to the family members who have the key of Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Previous President of Religious Affairs Lütfi Doğan, President of TİKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency) Serdar Çam, Rector of Ankara University Prof. Dr. Necdet Ünüvar, senior executives of Presidency of Religious Affairs, representatives of NGOs and many guests attended the promotion programme of the documentary.