Benedict XVI first pope to enter Dome of the Rock

JERUSALEM, May 12, 2009 (AFP) - Pope Benedict XVI entered the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday, becoming the first pontiff to visit the sacred shrine.

The 82-year-old pontiff was greeted at the entrance by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Mohammed Mohammad Hussein.

He took off his shoes as is tradition when entering a Muslim holy site.

The shrine is located on Al-Haram Al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), also known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is Islam's third holiest spot.

The site, which the Jews call Temple Mount, is also the holiest in Judaism and has been a major flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where the latest Palestinian uprising erupted in 2000.

The late Pope John Paul II had visited the compound during his landmark 2000 pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but did not enter the Dome of the Rock, whose huge golden cupola is seen as Jerusalem's main landmark.

Following talks with the mufti, the pope was to head to the Western Wall just below the mosque compound.

Also known as the Wailing Wall, the sacred site is the top pilgrimage destination for the world's Jews.

Later in the day Benedict will celebrate mass in a valley located between the Mount of Olives and the walls of the Old City.

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