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The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine at the center of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is the world's oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture, the earliest archaeologically attested religious…. Photo: Wikimedia, GFDL. Ukraine is facing shortages in its brave fight to survive.
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Dome of the Rock, shrine in Jerusalem built by the Umayyad caliph ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān in the late 7th century ce. It is the oldest extant Islamic monument.
The structure is situated on a flat elevated plaza known to Muslims as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (“The Noble Sanctuary”) and to Jews as the Temple Mount (the site where the Temple of Jerusalem once stood). According to Muslims, the rock above which the dome is constructed is the spot from which the Prophet Muhammad was taken up into heaven for an encounter with God (an event known as the Miʿrāj). Nearby, on the southern extreme of the plaza, is Al-Aqṣā Mosque; Muslims believe the Prophet was miraculously transported there from Mecca on the night of his encounter (see Isrāʾ). The term “Al-Aqṣā Mosque” is commonly extended to denote the entire plaza and, consequently, to the Dome of the Rock itself.
The Dome of the Rock’s structure and ornamentation are rooted in the Byzantine architectural tradition, yet its construction in the 7th century represents an early stage in the emergence of a distinct Islamic visual style. The structure, positioned near the centre of a wide raised platform, comprises an octagonal base topped by a gilded wooden central dome. The dome, which is approximately 65 feet (20 metres) in diameter and is mounted on an elevated drum, rises above a circle of 16 piers and columns. Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns. Below the dome a portion of the sacred rock is exposed and protected by a railing. A stairway leads to a natural cave beneath the surface of the rock. The outer walls also form an octagon, with each of the eight sides being approximately 60 feet (18 metres) wide and 36 feet (11 metres) high. Both the dome and the exterior walls contain many windows.
The interior and exterior of the structure are decorated with marble, mosaics, and metal plaques. Although the mosaics are similar in technique to those found in Byzantine public buildings and churches, the Dome of the Rock’s mosaics exclude any representations of human or animal forms, instead featuring Arabic script and vegetal patterns intermixed with images of items such as jewels and crowns. Arabic religious inscriptions run around the octagonal arcade.
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After conquering Jerusalem, the ninth Islamic Caliph, Abd al-Malik built the Dome of the Rock to commemorate his conquest of Judaism's capital. That is why it was built on the spot of the Temple Mount where the Jewish Temple of Jerusalem had once stood. For the next 1,300 years, Dome of the Rock served as a flag of victory for whoever conquered ...
The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra), Jerusalem, 691–692 (Umayyad), stone masonry, wooden roof, decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt aluminum and bronze dome, with multiple renovations, patron the Caliph Abd al-Malik (photo: Gary Todd, CC0 1.0) "The Dome of the Rock is a building of extraordinary beauty, solidity, elegance ...
- Do we know how the mosaics were designed? Was there a main artist who had assistants such as many ot...Many of the 45,000 blue and gold exterior tiles were installed under Suleiman the Magnificent in the 1500s.
- In the article it says: "While Islam does not prohibit the use of figurative art per se, it seems th...Nope -- there are so many counterexamples. Just look up Arabic, Safavid (Muslim Persian) or Mughal (Muslim Indian) miniatures. You will find a whol...
- who was the builder of Dome of the Rocksome of what you're asking may be answered in this article: http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/byzantium-and-islam/blog/where-in-th...
- why is this space sacred to christians?All of Jerusalem is sacred to Christians. The temple mount, upon which Qubbat al-Sakhra stands, is neither more nor less sacred than any of the res...
Sep 19, 2022 · After the Persian invasion in 614 AD, Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik ordered the construction of the Dome of the Rock between 689 AD and 691 AD. Jerusalem was captured in 1099 during the crusades and the Dome of the Rock was turned into a church. However, by 1187, when Jerusalem was captured by Saladin, the Dome of the Rock was consecrated as an ...
The Dome of the Rock was built by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik from 688 to 691 AD. It was not intended to be a mosque, but a shrine for pilgrims. According to tradition, the Dome of the Rock was built to commemorate Muhammad's ascension into heaven after his night journey to Jerusalem (Qur'an 17).
Aug 15, 2023 · Crowning Jerusalem’s sacred mount, the Dome of the Rock is a place of both prayer and protest. Extensive restoration and archaeological research are uncovering fresh clues to the shrine’s origins.
