Mosque of Omar

On Manger Sq, opposite the church, is the Mosque of Omar , named after the 2nd caliph, Omar Ibn al-Khattab. It was built in 1860 on land granted by the Greek Orthodox Church in honour of the Prophet Muhammad's father-in-law, who in 637 took Jerusalem from the flagging Byzantines and then prayed in the Church of the Nativity. Having declared the region sacred in compliance with the Quran, al-Khattab realised his followers would want to enshrine that spot as a Muslim holy site.

In order to keep the Christian site intact, he instituted the Pact of Omar preventing Muslim prayer assemblies at the church. Only individuals were allowed to pray there.