The Solitary Mosque - Sidna Ali

The mosque of Sidna Ali (in Arabic : Our master Ali) was built in 1481 and is named after Ali Ibn Oleim (Alim), who was killed in combat in the area in the 11th or 13th century, and his tomb is in the mosque premises. The mosque is located on a high cliff rising over the Mediterranean coast of Israel in the city of Herzliya. The Arab village of Al Haram, which was adjacent to the mosque, has been abandoned during Israel’s war of Independence in 1948. The mosque remained inactive until the 1990s, when it was rebuilt with support of the Israeli government. It is currently maintained by an Arab association, comprised mostly by descendants of Al Haram’s villagers. Unlike most mosques which are located inside active communities, Sidna Ali is stands out as solitary among Israeli Jewish population. Only few Israeli Arabs are praying there during weekdays, but on Fridays and holidays hundreds are gathering in the internal hall and in the open yard. Over a period of seven months in 2016-17 I have documented this solitary mosque and the people operating and visiting it.