Al-Aqsa mosque, third holiest in Islam, closes over virus

A man walking in front of the Dome of the Rock in the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, after Muslim clerics shut the doors of Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock until further notice as a precaution against coronavirus. - Reuters

TEHERAN: The Islamic endowment overseeing the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, says the mosque itself and other buildings will be closed over concerns about the new coronavirus.

Sheikh Omar Kiswani, the director of the mosque, said Sunday (March 15) that prayers will continue to be held outdoors. The closure is to continue indefinitely.