Today, holy sites in the Middle East are politicized spaces tied to different national identities. This was not always the case, however—holy sites used to be universally worshipped, regardless of religious or cultural identity (Meri, 3). In fact, many of our recent readings have discussed shared holy places, specifically shrines. From the 11th to 16th centuries, Jews and Muslims worshipped many of the same saints and thus, made pilgrimages to the same shrines. Similarly, many of their shrines were in fact a part of the natural landscape of the Middle East. As Grehan points out, the shared worship of these shrines was a product of the cultural practices deeply rooted in the land shared by Jews and Muslims.
These ingrained beliefs did not disappear with the emergence of different religions; rather, they overshadowed the official religious doctrines (Grehan, 117). While, in the 12th century Jews and Muslims were segregated by neighborhood, they were often united in the shrines at which they worshipped saints. It was common practice for both religions to make pilgrimages to the shrine of Ezekiel; even after a Mongol ruler built a Muslims mosque at the shrine, Jews continued to make pilgrimages there (Meri, 237). Likewise, both religions shared a belief that caves were holy and they often prayed in the same caves (Grehan, 128). This belief, so ingrained in the culture of Middle East societies, unified Muslims, Christians, and Jews.
Despite the fact that saint worship is not condoned by official doctrines, it has consistently been an important part of Jewish and Muslim life. In developing out of the same landscapes, the two religions maintained the universal sense of holiness associated with certain spaces. Over the years, as they lived side-by-side and faced the same weather, disease, and hardships, they continued to look to the same saints for answers and guidance.