His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday unveiled the replica of the minbar (pulpit) of Salah Al Din Ayyubi, completed after four years of intensive work.

The creation of an exact replica for the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem started upon the King's directives in 2002.

The handmade minbar is six metres high and 4.5 metres wide, and consists of 16,500 pieces fixed using the dovetail joints technique — without the use of glue or nails.

The Faculty of Traditional Islamic Arts at Al Balqa University in Salt carried out the minbar's recreation, along with craftsmen and experts in Islamic architecture from Egypt, Morocco and Turkey, among other countries.

Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdul Fattah Salah said King Abdullah today issued directives to build a fifth minaret at Al Aqsa Mosque at his expense, noting that the work will start after the completion of the design.

The Jordan Times