The Al-Aqsa Mosque has four minarets, all of which were built during the Mamluk era, between the years 677-769 AH (1278-1367 AD). Three of these minarets are located along the western side of Al-Aqsa Mosque, starting from Bab al-Ghawwamah (the Gate of the Ghawwamah), then Bab al-Silsilah (the Gate of the Chain), and finally Bab al-Magharbah (the Gate of the Moroccans). The fourth minaret is situated on the northern side, between Bab al-Asbat (the Gate of the Tribes) and Bab al-Hutta (the Gate of Hutta).

The absence of minarets on the southern and eastern sides is due to the fact that Al-Aqsa was built on a hill that rises in the middle and north and declines in the east and south. Minarets require a solid and elevated location. Additionally, human and residential activity after the Umayyad period was concentrated in the western and northern areas, making the need for minarets in these regions greater than in others.

1. 1. Minaret of Bab al-Magharbah (The Honorary Minaret):

This minaret is located at the southwestern corner of Al-Aqsa Mosque, close to Bab al-Magharbah, precisely above the northwestern corner of the Women's Mosque. It is named the Honorary Minaret in reference to Sheikh Judge Sharaf al-Din ibn Fakhr al-Din al-Khalili, the custodian of Islamic endowments in the city of Jerusalem, who oversaw its construction along with the nearby Fakhriah School in the year 677 AH (1278 AD).

This minaret was built without a foundation and is considered the smallest minaret of Al-Aqsa Mosque, standing at only 23.5 meters tall. The upper part of it was damaged in an earthquake in 1341 AH (1922 AD), after which the Higher Islamic Council demolished and rebuilt it in the same year in a beautiful style, placing a dome on the upper square that had not existed before. Recently, the Al-Aqsa Mosque Reconstruction Committee restored it and covered its dome with lead.

Today, one can ascend to the minaret from the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque via 50 steps leading up to the Islamic Museum (formerly the Mosque of the Moroccans). For many years, the minaret has been fighting attempts by the occupiers to silence the call to prayer, claiming that it disturbs them, which forced the Islamic Waqf Administration in Jerusalem to adjust the loudspeakers so that they point inward towards Al-Aqsa and reduced their volume, depriving the residents of the village of Silwan, located south of the blessed Al-Aqsa, from hearing its call.

2. 2. Minaret of Bab al-Silsilah:

It stands above the western arcade of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, slightly to the north of Bab al-Silsilah, and is also known as the Minaret of the Court, as it is located near the Sharia Court building, which is also known as the Tinkaz School.

Both the minaret and the school are buildings of Prince Sayf al-Din Tinkaz al-Nasiri, built in the year 730 AH (1329 AD) during the reign of Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun. The Higher Islamic Council rebuilt it after an earthquake damaged it in 1341 AH (1922 AD), and it was also restored a few years ago by the Al-Aqsa Mosque Reconstruction Committee.

One can ascend to it through the entrance of the Ashrafiya School via approximately 80 steps. Its base is square, and it stands at a height of 35 meters.

The Minaret of Bab al-Silsilah is considered the only minaret among the four minarets of Al-Aqsa Mosque from which the muezzins have been calling the adhan daily until the use of loudspeakers began in the muezzins' room facing the gate above the courtyard of the Dome of the Rock.

The minaret is located in a very sensitive position, overlooking the occupied Buraq Wall, which has been referred to as the Western Wall by the occupation since 1967.

3-  Minaret of Bab al-Ghawanima:

It is located on the northern arcade of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque at its far west near Bab al-Ghawanima, which is named after it. Its current construction dates back to the era of Sultan al-Malik al-Mansur Hossam al-Din Lajin in the year 697 AH / 1297 AD, but some archaeologists state that it was originally built during the Umayyad period. It was renewed during the reign of the Mamluk Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun in 730 AH / 1329 AD, and it was named "Qalawun Minaret." It was also called the Minaret of the Saraya due to its proximity to the Saraya building located outside Al-Aqsa Mosque, which served as a seat of authority during the Mamluk period. The Islamic Supreme Council renewed it in 1346 AH / 1927 AD during the British occupation.

It is the tallest and most ornate minaret of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, with a height of 38.5 meters, and it rests on a square base, while its upper part is octagonal, accessed by 120 steps. Due to its height, which overlooks various aspects of Al-Aqsa, the Zionists sought to control it through the adjacent Omariyah School, which the occupying municipality had taken over since the beginning of the occupation. Additionally, the western tunnel opened in 1996 passes near the foundations of this minaret, resulting in its cracking, necessitating its last restoration in 2001.

4-  Minaret of Bab al-Asbat:

This minaret is located on the northern arcade of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque between the gates of al-Asbat and Hatta. It is also known as the "Sulaymaniyah Minaret" because it is located near the Sulaymaniyah School outside the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which became the Church of St. Anne during the Ottoman period.

This minaret was built during the reign of Mamluk Sultan al-Ashraf Shaban under the supervision of Prince Sif al-Din Qutlubgh in the year 769 AH / 1367 AD on a square base like the other minarets of Al-Aqsa. During the Ottoman period, it was rebuilt in a cylindrical shape similar to the Ottoman minarets, becoming the only cylindrical minaret in Al-Aqsa.

Its height is 28.5 meters, and it was cracked due to an earthquake in 1346 AH / 1927 AD, forcing the Islamic Supreme Council to demolish its upper section and rebuild it anew. When the Zionist occupation of Jerusalem occurred in 1967, the minaret was damaged from being hit by shells, and it was completely restored afterward by the Committee for the Reconstruction of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and its dome was covered with lead.