REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Palestinian embassy in Jakarta is organizing a photo exhibition titled "Jerusalem: History and Civilization" at the National Gallery, Central Jakarta, on December 16-20, 2015.
Some 63 photographs depicting the past and present of Jerusalem, also known as Al-Quds, are on display at the expo, which is open to the public.
"Many Indonesians do not know much about Jerusalem, except about the Al-Aqsa Mosque," Palestinian Ambassador Fariz Mehdawi stated at the opening of the expo on Wednesday.
Jerusalem is not only a home for Muslims but also for the followers of other religions, such as Christianity and Judaism. The Holy Sepulcher Church is located across the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ambassador Mehdawi noted.
Jerusalem is now going through a difficult period as the Israeli occupiers are attempting to change the character, identity, and demography of Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine, according to Mehdawi.
The displayed pictures shed light on the waves of colonization of Jerusalem and showcase the life in the holy city about 300 to 400 years ago, long before the Israeli colonialists arrived.
The exhibition is organized by the Palestinian embassy in cooperation with the Research Center for Islamic History, Arts and Culture (IRCICA) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, the Indonesian Education Ministry, the National Gallery of Indonesia, and the United Nations Information Center.
Most of the photographs were selected from the collections of Ottoman Sultan Abdulkamid II, the archives of IRCICA in Yildiz Palace, Istanbul, Turkey.
Ten pictures of Jerusalem recently taken by Turkish photographer Suleyman Gunduz are also being displayed in the expo.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest mosque in Islam after the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and Nabawi Mosque in Madina, Saudi Arabia.
The ancient mosque is also the second to be ever built on earth and the first Qibla, the direction Muslims face while offering prayers.
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