Long before the arrival of Islam, the Jews believed, and still, they do believe that the Rock is a sacred place. The Dome of the Rock is a magnificent edifice sitting on the Temple Mount, and it is visible from all over the old city of Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock was built by Abd al-Malik, the 5th Umayyad caliph of Islam during his reign (Cytryn-Silverman 80). It was built from 688 to 691 to be a shrine for pilgrims and not a mosque.
Traditionally, it is believed that the Doom of the Rock was built to commemorate the ascending of Muhammad to heaven after the Jerusalem night journey. However, it later became evident that Abd as-Malik desired to construct an impressive Islamic building to outdo the majestic Christendom churches. In 1545, Sulieman the Magnificent renovated the exterior mosaics of the structure destroyed by the Jerusalem winters (Cytryn-Silverman 75). He replaced them completely with tiles and made the parapet walls with an intricate inscription. This inscription was done by filling the small arches topping each façade. The Dome of the Rock’s windows is date back in its construction dates.
In terms of the artistic work done in establishing the Dome of the Rock, its extra ordinally visual is a result of the mathematical rhythm of its proportions. Each crucial dimension was made in relation to the center circle surrounding the sacred stone. For instance, its outer walls are 67 feet long. Also, the diameter of the Dome and its height from the drum’s base is 67 feet (Cytryn-Silverman 84). In addition, the Dome of the Rock has a realistic and stylized mosaic of its interior. The mosaic presents a beautiful garden and rich jewelry such as necklaces.
Initially, the Dome crowning the Dome of the Rock was made of gold. Later on, it was replaced by copper and aluminum covered with gold leaf. Its top is decorated by a full moon decoration signifying the Islam crescent moon symbol. Its octagonal parts are inscribed in Arabic. These inscriptions are verses from the Holy Qur’an, and they are dated from Suleiman’s renovations. The drum is the tiled region below the golden doom. The drum’s glazed tiles are of the Turkey model, and they hold Arabic inscriptions that narrate Muhammad Night Journey as the Qur’an describes it.
My preference for the Dome of the Rock is based on the monumental history it holds and the ancient stories it tells. This piece of architecture tells the ancient rivalry between Christians and Muslims. Abd al-Malik built the Dome in such a magnificent manner to outstand the churches built in that period. This would, in turn, reflect the Islamic superiority over Christianity (Tolan 528). Upon its completion, all non-Muslims were prohibited from entering the Dome of the Rock, which is upheld to this day.
The legends and myths formed from the Dome of the Rock are quite interesting. A story is told that the Temple Mouth is the same biblical Temple King Solomon built for God. The Jews people also tell the story of father Abraham. They believe that the Temple Mouth is the same Rock on which Abraham was supposed to sacrifice his son Isaac (Tolan 529). The Muslims narration how Muhammed’s winged horse ascended him to heaven from the sacred Rock. According to the Islamic traditions, it is believed that an angel will descend unto the Rock and blow the last judgment day trumpet on Judgment day.
Works Cited
Cytryn-Silverman, Katia. “The Dome and the Rock Where Adam, Moses, and Jesus Meet.” Jerusalem and Other Holy Places as Foci of Multireligious and Ideological Confrontation. Brill, 2020, pp. 71-96.
Tolan, John. “The Dome of the Rock and Its Umayyad Mosaic Inscriptions.” 2018, pp. 528-530.