Jerusalem, Palestine
Coordinates: 31.776383, 35.234040
The Mughrabi gate is the only gate to Haram ash-Sharif that the Waqf allows non-Muslims to use for visiting Haram ash-Sharif complex.
The bridge is the only way to reach the gate.
Construction
Until 2004 an earthen ramp allowed non-Muslim visitors direct access to Haram ash-Sharif through the Mughrabi Gate. It partially collapsed.
In 2007, the current wooden bridge was built, originally intended as a temporary measure that would stand for several months until a more permanent bridge was constructed.
Controversy
In order to build a permanent bridge, the remains of the old ramp and the dirt under it had to be excavated, which resulted in accusations by the Waqf that Israel was trying to destabilise Haram ash-Sharif and collapse the Dome of the Rock – 400 metres (1,300 ft) from the location of the ramp – which in turn resulted in international criticism, violent protests and calls for a third Intifada.
Several of the neighbouring Arab states argued that the work threatened their internal stability, while other states threatened war.
As a result, the bridge was still standing at the end of 2011, when the city engineer of Jerusalem issued an order to close the structure because it was not safe.
In 2012 and 2013, the support scaffolding of the bridge was replaced with a large metal beam structure and the area under the bridge was again open for visitors to walk around, resulting in a 1.5–2x increase in size of the Western Wall’s women’s prayer area.
In August 2014, construction was started on a second bridge to the Mughrabi Gate. The second bridge would be a supplement to the 2007 Mughrabi Bridge.
This secondary bridge became controversial, and at the wishes of the Jordanian government, work was halted and what had been built was torn down.
