Umar ibn al-Khattab Mosque

The Mosque of Omar is the oldest mosque in Bethlehem and serves as the city’s primary mosque. It is dedicated to the memory of Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab, who visited Bethlehem in 637 AD after issuing a decree guaranteeing the safety of all Christians and clergy, as well as respect for their sacred sites. No improvements or modernizations were carried out during the Ottoman era or the British Mandate period; however, in 1955, under Jordanian rule, the Mosque of Omar underwent a complete renovation. It is a customary practice among both Muslims and Christians in Bethlehem to provide olive oil to illuminate the mosque—a testament to the coexistence between the city’s Christian and Muslim communities.