The Dome of the Rock
Historical Background
The Dome of the Rock was built in 691CE by Caliph Abd el-Malik. It is 54
metres high and 22 metres in diameter and has four entrances. It is made
from anodised aluminium obtained from Italy in 1956. On the outside, it is
faced with marble slabs and mosaics. Its golden dome covers a rock sacred
to Islam. A Moslem legend tells us that Mohammed ascended to heaven on his
horse from this rock. This rock is probably the 'Even Hashetiyah' (the
stone of foundation).
There are many traditions relating to this stone:
- it is the foundation upon which the world was created
- it marks the centre of the world
- it is the very place of Akedat Yitzchak
- it is the place where Ya'akov slept and dreamt of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending
- it is the site where the two batei mikdash (Temples) were built
During the Crusades, the Dome of the Rock was converted into a church.
Haram es-Sharif is its Arabic name which means 'the noble house', referring
to the Temple Mount on which stand the Dome of the Rock and the El Aqsa
mosques.
Location
The Dome of the Rock is the third holiest shrine of Islam after Mecca and
Medina. It is an octagonal building in the Old City of Jerusalem, built on
the site on Har Hamoriah where Avraham was commanded to sacrifice his son
Yitzchak and where both the first and second batei mikdash (Temples) stood.
