Encyclopedia of Islam

Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock is the most prominent 

architectural feature in the urban landscape of 

J

erUsalem

 and is one of the most exquisite 

works of Islamic 

art

 and 

architectUre

 in the 

world. The building is located in the middle of 

Dome of the Rock

  

201  J

---

a  spacious plaza atop a hill on the eastern edge 

of the city where the ancient Israelite temple of 

Solomon used to stand. This sacred precinct is 

known today as the Temple Mount (Hebrew: Har 

ha-Bayit) and as the Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: 

al-Haram al-Sharif). The physical structure of the 

building itself shelters a legendary rock that in 

Jewish tradition is believed to be where a

braham

’s 

sacrifice occurred and where Muslims believe 

m

Uhammad

 stood before ascending to heaven. 

The building consists of a large golden dome that 

crowns an eight-sided building and is supported 

by a cylinder resting on a complex of piers, 

arches, and columns. Beautiful Arabic inscrip-

tions and mosaics with vegetal motifs, crowns, 

and jewel designs decorate the monument inside 

and out.

The Umayyad 

caliph

 Abd al-Malik ibn Mar-

wan (r. 685–705) built the Dome of the Rock 

between 691 and 693. The Haram area had been 

largely abandoned in the centuries between the 

destruction of the Second Temple in 70 

c

.

e

. and 

the arrival of the Muslims in 638. Abd al-Malik’s 

project was but part of a larger one to develop 

the area and Islamize the city. Scholars have sev-

eral explanations for the dome’s unique design 

and decorations. The prevailing view is that it 

represents an Umayyad effort to claim Jerusalem 

as a holy city for Muslims and to express the 

triumph of Islam over the Byzantine Empire and 

the Christian Church. Indeed, as art historian 

Oleg Grabar has pointed out, the Arabic inscrip-

tions that decorate the building contain verses 

from the q

Uran

 that recognize J

esUs

 as a prophet 

and refute the Christian doctrine of his divinity. 

Moreover, the structure incorporates features 

that echo those of the nearby Church of the Holy 

Sepulcher (known to Eastern Christians as the 

Basilica of the Anastasis), which it overlooks 

on the western side, not those of a 

mosqUe

. The 

main mosque in the Haram area is the a

qsa

m

osqUe

, located south of the Dome of the Rock.

The building has withstood centuries of polit-

ical and religious turmoil, neglect, and change. 

It has undergone numerous repairs, and restora-

tions have been done to it. When Jerusalem fell 

to the crusaders in 1099, Godrey of Bouillon, one 

of their leaders, had it converted into a church 

called the Temple of the Lord. When s

aladin

(d. 1193) retook the city in 1187, he personally 

joined with his troops in purifying the Haram and 

removing Christian images and inscriptions from 

the Dome of the Rock. During the 20th century, 

the Dome of the Rock became a symbol of Pal-

estinian nationalism and Islamic activist move-

ments. It is still frequented by Muslims living 

in the West Bank, Israelis, and foreign visitors. 

Occasionally, it has also served as a flashpoint for 

confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli 

security forces.

See also  c

hristianity

 

and

  i

slam

;  c

rUsades

; 

i

srael

; J

Udaism

 

and

  i

slam

;  n

ight

 J

oUrney

 

and

a

scent

; U

mayyad

 c

aliphate

.