Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock stands on a raised platform at the centre of the Haram al-Sharif, the walled compound in Jerusalem's Old City also known as the Temple Mount. The Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ordered its construction, and a dedication inscription inside dates its completion to the Islamic year 72, which corresponds to 691 or 692.

The shrine is built over the Foundation Stone, a large outcrop of bedrock. Many Muslims associate the rock with the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey, while in Jewish and Christian tradition the site is linked with Abraham and with the Temple. The building is a shrine rather than a congregational mosque; Al-Aqsa Mosque, at the southern end of the same platform, is the main place of prayer.

The plan is octagonal, with two rings of columns and piers around the rock and a central dome about 20 metres across, drawing on the design of Byzantine churches and palaces of the region. Inside, the original glass mosaics of plant forms and jewels and long Arabic inscriptions survive from the 7th century. In the 16th century Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent replaced the outer mosaics with the blue and green Ottoman tiles that cover the walls today. The dome's golden covering was renewed in 1959 to 1964, and King Hussein of Jordan funded a further refurbishment in 1993.

It is described as the oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture and is one of the best-known buildings in the world. The site is maintained by the Islamic Waqf under the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf.

Non-Muslim visitors can enter the compound only through the Mughrabi Gate during limited hours, and they may view the Dome of the Rock from outside but not enter it. Non-Muslim prayer and religious items are not allowed. Visiting times change often and the compound can close at short notice, so check on the day and dress modestly.

What is the layout inside? Four doors open to the north, south, east and west, and 36 windows pierce the outer walls. Inside, a circle of four piers and twelve columns carries the drum of the dome, and an outer octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns forms a walkway around it. Measurements taken by the archaeologist K. A. C. Creswell give the dome a diameter of about 20.2 metres and a height of about 20.5 metres.

The shrine has survived several earthquakes and a long series of repairs. Quakes badly damaged it in 808 and 846. The upper dome collapsed in 1015 and was rebuilt in 1022 to 1023, and after the 1033 earthquake timber beams were added to strengthen it. Another earthquake on 11 July 1927 brought down parts of the structure. After the Crusaders took Jerusalem in 1099, the building was handed to the Augustinians and used as a church; the Knights Templar called it the Templum Domini, drew it on the seals of their Grand Masters and copied its round plan for their own churches.

Beside the shrine on the east stands the Dome of the Chain, a small open pavilion raised at the same time, in 691 to 692, and renovated in 1561 to 1562 under Suleiman. Below the Foundation Stone is a small cave known as the Well of Souls, entered by steps from inside the building.