The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount
Location, construction and dimensions
. In 637 CE, Jerusalem was conquered by the successors of Prophet Muhammad(Sallallahu Allaihi Wa Sallam) i.e,Culpha-e-Rashideen during the Muslim conquest of Syria.
The Dome of the Rock was erected between 689 and 691 CE. The names of
the
two engineers in charge of the project are given as: Yazid Ibn Salam from Jerusalem
and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Ummayad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it would “house the Muslims from
cold and heat” and intended the building to serve as a shrine for pilgrims and not as a
Mosque for public worship.
two engineers in charge of the project are given as: Yazid Ibn Salam from Jerusalem
and Raja Ibn Haywah from Baysan. Ummayad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
who initiated construction of the Dome, hoped that it would “house the Muslims from
cold and heat” and intended the building to serve as a shrine for pilgrims and not as a
Mosque for public worship.
The structure is basically octagonal. It comprises a wooden dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in diameter, which is mounted on an elevated drum,consisting of a circle of 16 piers and columns.Surrounding this circle is an octagonal arcade of 24 piers and columns.
Exterior detail
The Dome
The Dome of the Rock, in 1913.
A hatch in the Dome of The Rock.
- Exterior
In 1955 an extensive program of renovation was begun by the government of Jordan, with funds supplied by the Arab governments and Turkey. The work included replacement of large numbers of tiles dating back to the reign of Suleiman(allaihis salaam), which had become dislodged by heavy rain. In 1965, as part of this restoration, the dome was covered with a durable aluminium and bronze alloy made in Italy, that replaced the lead exterior. The restoration was completed in August 1964. In 1993 the golden dome covering was refurbished following a donation of $8.2 million by King Hussein of Jordan who sold one of his houses in London to fund the 80 kilograms of gold required.
- Interior
According to Goitein, the inscriptions decorating the interior clearly display a spirit of polemic against Christianity, whilst stressing at the same time the Qur'anic doctrine that Isa(allaihis-salaam) was a true prophet. The la sharika lahu 'God has no companion' is repeated five times, the verses from Sura Maryam19:35-37, which strongly reaffirm Jesus' prophethood to God, are quoted together with the prayer: Allahumma salli ala rasulika wa'abdika 'Isa bin Maryam - "In the name of the One God (Allah) Pray for your Prophet and Servant Jesus son of Mary". He believes that this shows that rivalry with Christendom, together with the spirit of Muslim mission to the Christians, was at work at the time of construction.
History
The Dome of the Rock featured on a Palestine Mandate banknote
A stamp of the Mandat Period in Palestine with illustration of the Dome of the Rock
Crusaders
During the Crusades the Dome of the Rock was given to the Augustinians, who turned it into a church while the Al-Aqsa Mosque became a royal stable.Ayyubids and Mamluks
Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin on 2 October 1187, and the Haram was reconsecrated as a Muslim sanctuary. The cross on top of the Dome of the Rock was replaced by a golden crescent, and a wooden screen was placed around the rock below. Saladin's nephew al-Malik al-Mu'azzam Isa carried out other restorations within the Haram and added the porch to the Aqsa mosque.The Haram was the focus of extensive royal patronage by the sultans during the Mamluks period, which lasted from 1250 until 1510.
Ottoman Empire 1517–1917
Dome of the Rock viewed through the Old City's Cotton Gate (Bab al-Qattanin)
British Mandate 1917–1948
The Dome of the Rock was badly shaken during an earthquake in Palestine on 11 July 1927 rendering useless many of the repairs that had taken place over previous years.1948 to present
Israel took control of the Dome of the Rock during its victory in the Six-day War in 1967. Shlomo Goren also entered the Dome of the Rock with a Tauraith book and a shofarA few hours after the Israeli flag was hoisted over the Dome of the Rock in 1967 during the Six-Day War, Israelis lowered it on the orders of Moshe Dayan and invested the Muslim waqf (religious trust) with the authority to manage the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif, in order to "keep the peace".
The Dome of the Rock is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 1000 rials banknote.
Accessibility
Sign at visitors entrance to Temple Mount.
Until the mid-nineteenth century, non-Muslims were not permitted in the area. Since 1967, non-Muslims have been permitted limited access, however non-Muslims are not permitted to pray on the Temple Mount.
In 2006, the compound was reopened to non-Muslim visitors between the hours of 7:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. during summer and 7:30-10:30 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. during winter. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering after 2:30 p.m. and may not enter on Fridays, Saturdays, or Muslim holidays. Entry is through a wooden walkway next to the entrance to the Hebrew Western Wall. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the mosques and accessing the Temple Mount through the Cotton Market. Visitors are subject to strict security screening, and items such as Jewish prayer books and instruments are prohibited. Visits to the Dome of the Rock, however, are currently prohibited to non-Muslims who will be stopped by the guards as they approach the building.
Religious significance
Rock of Moriah, viewed from the Dome.
Rock underground inside 'Dome of the Rock' (Bait-ul-Muqaddas)
Dome of the Rock from inside in 1915.
"Such was Jesus son of Mary and peace upon him on the day of birth and on the day of death and on the day he is raised up again. It is a word of truth in which they doubt. It is not for God to take a son.Glory be to him when he decrees a thing he only says be,and it is"(Quran:19:33–35)
The date recorded as 72 after the Hijra (or 691–692 CE), which historians view as the year of the Dome's construction.
