The Al-Aqsa Mosque exhibition kicked off at the Shadda Gallery in Red Sea Mall in Jeddah on Sunday.

The event was organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and was inaugurated by Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the OIC, in the presence of Jamal Abdullatif Al-Shobki, Palestinian ambassador to the Kingdom, Emad Sha’at, Palestinian consul general, Saleh Atiyah, Algerian consul general and dean of the Arab Consuls General Group.

The event was also attended by other diplomatic officials, eminent personalities from the academic and cultural community and members of the press.

The Turkish photographer, Orhan Durgut, exhibited 54 photos of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first of the 'qiblas' (the direction Muslims face for prayer) and the third holy mosque after Makkah and Madinah.

“It is worth mentioning that this event is part of the OIC’s efforts to raise awareness among Muslims to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as this dated holy site is still under occupation,” he said.

The artist took the pictures during his visit to the mosque, saying they reflect the strategic, architectural and historic elements of the site.

Durgut also stated that the religious significance of the Al–Aqsa Mosque for Muslims lies in the fact that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went to Jerusalem as stated in the Qur'an.

Ihsanoglu thanked King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for his support and commended the Kingdom's position vis-a-vis the Palestinian cause. Jamal Al-Shobki also thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his support, expressing sorrow that few Muslims have the opportunity to visit Jerusalem given the fact that it is occupied by Israel, a country with few political ties in the region.