Jerusalem Archaeological Sites: Solomon’s Stables
A group of ancient stables was discovered in 1996 on the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount. This structure was last used by the Crusaders during the medieval era. The Crusader King Baldwin handed the place over to the Knights Templars, and they turned it into stables for their horses. Archeologists have called it "Solomon’s Stables," referring to the knightly Order of Solomon’s Temple (the Templars) who reconstructed the halls after it was presented to them by Crusader King Baldwin and renamed it Solomon’s Stables. The stables are located 12 ½ meters below the Temple Mount Courtyard and include twelve rows of pillars and arches.
In 1996, Palestinian Islamic clerics converted the underground structures into a large mosque. The mosque was later enlarged, and the construction was controversial because it was done without Israeli permission and involved the removal of tons of dirt containing artifacts from the First and Second Temple periods, which were disposed of in garbage dumps, damaging and destroying many of them.