Joyful religious chants echoed at the Aqsa Mosque compound at dawn Sunday as its doors were reopened to thousands of Muslim worshipers, who performed the Fajr prayers, after its closure for about one and a half months as a preventive measure against

The worshipers started to flock to the Aqsa Mosque’s gates and outside paths after midnight at 02:30 am and waited there until three o’clock when the doors were opened to them.

Pictures and video footage showed the great enthusiasm and joy the worshipers showed as they started to walk into the Mosque in order to perform the Fajr prayers

Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, director of the Aqsa Mosque, stated in press remarks that between three to four thousand worshipers spread throughout the Aqsa Mosque and performed the dawn prayers.

“Tears were mixed with joy during the reception of worshipers who were yearning for al-Aqsa,” Sheikh Kiswani, who participated in the opening of the Mosque’s doors, said.

He, however, stressed the need for all worshipers to observe anti-coronavirus measures and health instructions and cooperate with the Mosque employees for their own safety.

“There should be awareness in order for us to coexist with the virus and to keep al-Aqsa open to worshipers,” he said. (ILKHA)