Another tradition says that Abraham intended to sacrifice his son Isaac here, but sacrificed a goat instead; when he did, a spring gushed out, feeding the fish pool.

The earliest part of the complex is the minaret, which was built in 1211-12 under Ayyubid rule. There was presumably a mosque with a prayer hall on the site of the present one, which was completely rebuilt in 1819-20 (but probably similar to the original one). The other major component is a series of medrese “cells”, fronted by a portico, which were built in 1808-09 and then renovated in 1871-72.

The original Ayyubid complex may have been built to serve as a medrese, but by Ottoman times it was being used as a tekke with kitchens, reception rooms, and guest rooms, which may have been on the same site as the medrese cells. The tekke complex was converted into a medrese in the 1800s, possibly as soon as the medrese cells were built.

The mosque itself now serves as an antechamber where prayers can be said before entering the cave through a door on the south side.The mosque is entered through a domed vestibule on the west side. The prayer hall is a small squarish room with three aisles; two of them have groin-vaulted ceilings, while the middle one is topped with a dome. The mihrab is surrounded by an arch with squinches that seem to imitate Artukid style.[

The minaret is a square tower that is visually divided into thirds by three molded cornices, one of which is at the very top.   The upper level has pairs of mullioned windows on all four sides.   The tops of the windows form horseshoe-shaped arches.

The medrese cells, now used as a Qur’an school, are elevated from the surrounding pavement.   The cells are fronted by a portico with simple rounded arches.   A balustrade with zigzag posts runs along the front of the portico.   At the northwest corner of the pool is a five-sided room that projects out into the water on three sides. restoration in the late 20th century extended the balustrade onto the top of the five-sided room.