ramla city

Ramla is located in the coastal plain some 15 km east of Tel Aviv The city was built at the crossroads of two major routes: the via maris along the coast and the road that connected the port of Jaffa with Jerusalem. The origin of the name Ramla is in the Arabic word raml meaning “sand” and apparently refers to the sand dunes on which the city was built.

According to historical sources, Ramla was founded at the beginning of the 8th century by the Umayyad Calif Suleiman ibn Abd el-Malik. It served as the Umayyad and Abbasid capital of the Province of Palestine (Jund Filistin), and the seat of Arab governors of the province in the 8th and 9th centuries. In the 14th century, Ramla regained importance for a short time as the provincial capital of the mamluks

The remains of Arab Ramla lie buried under the present-day city, making archeological research difficult. Results of excavations carried out in 1949 and limited salvage excavations conducted since, indicate that the city has been continuously inhabited since its foundation.

The best known historical building in Ramla is the “White Mosque” and the minaret next to it. The remains of the original structure, erected at the beginning of the 8th century during Umayyad rule, were incorporated in the restoration work by Salah al-Din (Saladin) at the end of the 12th century. The minaret was built during the mamluk period, in the 14th century.

The White Mosque (93 x 84 m.) is oriented to the cardinal points. It is surrounded by walls, with a main gate in the east and a secondary entrance in the north. At the center of the structure is a large, open courtyard; along its southern wall, a 12 m. wide mosque was built, its ceiling consisting of cross-vaulting supported at the center by a row of piers. In its wall facing the courtyard is a row of 12 openings between pilasters supporting the ceiling of the mosque on this side. The ceiling of the mosque and its western portion are additions made during the restoration work by Salah al-Din, as is the mihrab (prayer niche) in the southern wall facing meccs.