GISing Baybars: Unraveling the Odd Location of Maqām Nabī Mūsá

Maqām Nabī Mūsá's contested history, conflicting traditions as to its "true" location, and the role it played in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict all make for a fascinating case in point to explore the ways sacred places are constructed, produced, and perceived by different stakeholders and groups. In this paper, I aim to demystify some of the enigmas regarding this pilgrimage and sacred place, focusing mostly on offering an explanation of its rather humble and seemingly problematic and inaccessible location. To that end, the paper starts with a theoretical analysis regarding the inherently contested nature of sacred places. This is followed with an examination of the site's location and situation to demonstrate how problematic and intriguing the location chosen for this compound is. Next, I focus on the crucial role of Sultan Baybars and his motivations in constructing the compound. The final part of the paper engages in a Geographic Information System (GIS) inquiry into its location. This, I argue, allows for a better understanding of Baybars' motivations for locating the disputed tradition of Moses' burial in an unlikely, mostly unseen, and rather inaccessible location.