The Great Mosque

The Great Mosque, located in the compound of the Negev Museum of Art, was established in 1906 by the Ottoman authorities and served the local population for prayer. From 1948-1953 it served as a detention center and as a magistrate's court. In 1953, the building of the mosque began to serve as an archaeological museum and important artifacts from the Negev were presented there. The most famous and most important of these artifacts was the altar that is currently on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Ethnographic dioramas from Bedouin life were also presented. The exhibits were evacuated in 1992 due to the dangerous condition of the building. For eight years it stood empty. With the redevelopment of the Negev Museum of Art, the Beersheba municipality sought to renovate it and continued to use it as a museum. The Association for Assistance and Protection of Bedouin Rights, made their best turn it into a mosque for prayer.

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In June 2011, after 12 years, the High Court of Justice accepted the State's position that the building would not be used for prayer but rejected the municipality's demand to turn into an archaeological museum again. After renovation, the Museum of Islamic Culture was officially opened in December 2014.