The Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

¶ … iconic sets of architectural structures in Jerusalem, capital of the ancient land of Israel, is the complex containing the Dome of the Rick and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. These two structures and several smaller elements near them are sometimes referred to collectively as "The Noble Sanctuary," and are among the most sacred sites in Islam, after Mecca and Medina. The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque were built atop the crumbled ruins of the ancient Jewish temple that was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE. Known in modern times as the Temple Mount, the entire area is one in which people from all over the world, especially Jews and Muslims, come to worship. Therefore, the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque have deep cultural significance and value to not only the people of Israel but people all over the world. Their symbolic and religious import endow these structures with a power reserved for few edifices in the world, making the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque also politically charged buildings too. Yet to focus only on their social and political connotations would miss their architectural marvels and aesthetic beauty. The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque have stood the test of time because they demark a specific and transformative era in history.

The Dome of the Rock is by far the more eye-catching, noticeable, and famous of the two structures. It is the gold-covered dome that occupies the bulk of the Jerusalem skyline. Whereas the Al Aqsa Mosque is rendered in monochrome and its dome has a dull and dark grey finish, the Dome of the Rock glistens in all lighting conditions. The Dome of the Rock is also much larger than the Al Aqsa Mosque, making it stand out. The iconic gold covering was actually not always a key feature of the Dome of the Rock, which had been a lead covered dome at one point ("The Al Aqsa Mosque Through the Ages"). With a gold covering, the Dome of the Rock has usurped somewhat the visual power of the Al Aqsa Mosque, which is ironic given the greater spiritual significance of the latter.

The Al Aqsa Mosque was erected in 715 CE. When these structures were being planned, the Temple Mount had been already reduced to rubble and had been so for centuries after the Romans destroyed the Second Temple and drove out the Jews from their Holy Land. In fact, the Romans had been using the Temple Mount area as a "garbage dump," and it was filthy ("The Al Aqsa Mosque Through the Ages"). Omar (Umar) recognized the site as being the archaeological location of many Biblical stories, including stories that involved the Prophet Muhammad. Mythic significance is attached to the entire Temple Mount area, which is believed to be the location of some of the most important narratives in both Jewish and Muslim history. Therefore, Omar set out to cleanse and revitalize the Temple Mount. At the time, few Jews remained in the region and there was little controversy given the triumph of Islam and its increasing political and social dominance in the region. Islam would remain the dominant religion throughout the Levant for well over a thousand years, although the political, cultural, and religious leadership changed dramatically from the time of the Umayyads to the time of the Ottomans.

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the late nineteenth century, all that would change. Because the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque are erected on what was the most important sacred site in Jewish history, these structures symbolize the Muslim encroachment on what had been Jewish land as well as the triumph of Islam as the dominant religion throughout the Middle East until the 20th century. However, Muslims had viewed Islam as being an extension of Judaism and therefore believed that the Temple Mount was an appropriate location to construct these holy sites ("The Al Aqsa Mosque Through the Ages"). Currently, the Temple Mount houses a collection of structures sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including the Wailing Wall, which is the most intact part of the old Temple of Solomon that remains, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Both the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque are holy sites, and both are officially designated as mosques, or places of worship. The Dome of the Rock is also the Al-Sakhrah Mosque, or Mosque of Omar, but is rarely called that due to its more commonly known as the Dome of the Rock. Visitors are restricted, where they are not in other parts of the Temple Mount. The Dome of the Rock was constructed earlier than the Al Aqsa Mosque, with some estimates placing its construction at 684 CE and others offering a larger window of time as being between 688-691 CE ("Dome of the Rock"). Regardless, the Dome of the Rock is clearly one of the earliest Muslim monuments. Its chief architect was Abd el-Malik. As with many Muslim sacred structures, the Dome of the Rock has at its base an octagonal structure, which links it thematically, architecturally, and visually to other Muslim shrines and mosques in the Near East and Central Asia. As such, it is "more characteristic Near Eastern mosque -- an early example being the Umayyad Great Mosque built within and incorporating the ruins of the walls of a Roman temple precinct in the capital city of Damascus," ("Dome of the Rock" 1). Prior to the construction of the Dome of the Rock, similar architectural elements and details could only be found in Byzantine and Roman architecture, showing how Muslim aesthetics borrowed from their contemporaries ("Dome of the Rock"). The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque are constructed on a manmade mound, the Temple Mount, which is why they appear to be erected on a hill.

The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, comprising the Al-Haram ash Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, have stood the test of time for several reasons. One of the most important reasons these structures have withstood centuries of war, social strife, and natural disasters like earthquakes is that they are considered holy. Through a series of successive Muslim rulers and dynasties, the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque have underwent significant alterations to their exteriors but the core elements of their structures have remained mostly the same ("The Al Aqsa Mosque Through the Ages"). One of the most important changes to be made to the Al Aqsa Mosque was the shift from the original Umayyad facade bearing 14 arches, to only 7 when Jerusalem was under Fatimid rule; an earthquake had destroyed the original facade ("The Al Aqsa Mosque Through the Ages"). The mosque's current appearance has changed little since the eleventh century and the Fatimid period. Of course, the most significant development in the Dome of the Rock was the replacing of the lead plating with gold in the 20th century.