About 140,000 Muslim worshippers gathered Wednesday in the courtyards and prayer halls of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, marking Eid al-Adha with one of the largest turnouts at the site in recent years, according to the Islamic Waqf Department.
The Waqf, which administers the compound, estimated attendance at 140,000 as crowds filled the vast esplanades of the hilltop sanctuary from early morning for the Eid prayer.
Worshippers prayed across the mosque grounds, which sit at the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, an area that remains under tight Israeli security control and frequent political tension.
A heavy Israeli police presence was deployed across the Old City, including its narrow alleyways, checkpoints, and the main gates leading into the mosque compound.
Security presence is typically heightened during major religious holidays, particularly in periods of regional unrest.
