Qubbat al-Sakhrah Mosque

Landmark Location:
The heart of the Holy Mosque.

Landmark History:
72 AH / 691 AD in the Umayyad period under the reign of kalipha Abdul Malik bin Marwan.

Reason of the name:
For it is presence above the rock.

Builder Name:
Built by Raja bin Haywa al-Bisani and helped him Yazid ibn Salam, one of the people of Jerusalem.

Details of the shape:
-The Dome of the Rock is located in the heart of Al-Aqsa Mosque (in the middle with a slight deviation towards North) so that it is based on a plate that rises about 4 meters from the level of the courtyard of the mosque, this plate is ascended by 8 drawers, each of which is topped by a barrage or -called arches.
-The Muslim Engineer in the design and construction of the dome built on three engineering departments, which translated with three architectural elements that resulted in the intersection of two equal squares: the dome Which covers the rock and surrounds it, and the internal and external valuations surrounding the dome resulted in between them is an inner hall in the form of octagonal ribs with a medallion in the center of the rock,
-Later a unique Islamic landmark, the rock rises from the floor of the building about a meter and half, and the rock rises in the center of the building round dome diameter of about 20 meters.

–The Dome of the Rock consists of:
-Circle surrounding the dome: Based on 4 pillars covered with streaking marble, and on 12 columns surrounding the Rock, the dome consists of two internal and external domes erected on a wooden frame above the neck of the dome.
-Indoor octagonal open: contains 8 pillars of stone there are two marble columns between each pillar is another 6 meters wide, topped by semicircular contracts decorated with gold-plated mosaics, connected to each other by decorative wooden bridges.
-External octagonal closed: consists of 8 stone facades, opened in 4 of them a door and was opened 4 windows in each front have a door, 5 windows in the front without a door to add 2 windows in the lower half of the facade (added late), width of about 4, covered with white marbled tiles inside.
-The walls of the dome covered with marble plates, Which consists of four symmetrical parts and be a beautiful form called the name (Al Shaqiqa), one of types of Islamic art, it is a very beautiful geometric form that enriches the mosques from the use of decorations and shapes animal and human rights that Islam has denied.
-The outer part of the dome paved with two types of tiles, the lower part of which tiled with white marble tiles, and the upper section paved with al-Qashani, the roof of two yards also covered from the external decoration and even the dome with wooden Jamlonat, wrapped from inside with panels of wood painted, decorated with figures beautiful, and on the outside were laminated with lead panels.

Dimensions and measurements of Dome and Dome of the Rock:
-Internal dome diameter: 20.44 m – Height: 9.8 m.
-Full building diameter: 52 m – Height: 35 m.

Lengths of octagonal ribs Dome of the Rock:
–Rib length: 20.60 m – Rib height: 9.5 m

Dimensions of the Supervised Rock: (17.70 * 13.50).

Cave: (Cave of the Al Arwah)

-It is located at the bottom of the supervised rock, estimated to be 3 meters high, a natural cave that can accommodate for about 40 person.

-The opening at the top of the cave has spread many rumors and many phrases, the false examples of it, and the fact that it was caused by the Crusader occupation after they turned the mosque into a church and they turned the cave area into an altar and created the slot to shed the blood of the slaughtered sacrifices.

As there are two mihrabs and a mastba

The mihrab date back to the Ayyubids period and called the Mihrab of David, and the other is called Mihrab Sulaiman, return to the early Islamic period, and the mosque is located in the corner north, the Khidir Mistaba with dimension of (2 * 1.5).

The Dome’s Nave:
-Is the Wide area surrounding the Dome of the Rock, called the “Al Dukan” in the Al-Abbasi period, and “Al-Dakka” in the Fatimid era.

-The nave is surrounded by a handrail of green dotted marble, removed in the Ayyubids period, this is because the great King Issa ordered the expansion of the bowel from the west side 18 meters, so as to provide space for the construction of grammar school, and the work of tanks to collect water from the saucer to the new cutters under the saucer, and the current shape of the dish fixed from the Mamluk period.

Additional Information about the Landmark:
Designed on precise and consistent geometric foundations that demonstrate the creativity of the mind Islamic engineering, Egypt’s abscess has been required for seven years to build this building, as most historians stated that the construction began in 66 AH / 685 AD and ended in 72 AH / 705 AD, the other part of the historians say that it began construction in 72 AH because of the occupation of the Calipha his war with Abdullah bin Zubair.

Why lavish spending on the Dome of the Rock?
Spending on building the Dome of the Rock with this extravagance; a demonstration of the greatness of Islamic civilization, before the great civilizations then the Persians and the Romans, especially after the entry of those inhabitants the country in Islam has been accustomed to seeing the brilliance of the two civilizations, It was also equivalent

Please increase by 100 thousand dinars after they finished building the dome.

 What is the purpose of building the Dome of the Rock?
The building of the Dome of the Rock dates back to three theories:
1 – In commemoration of the incident of Isra and Maraj.
2 -Show the greatness of Islam, and make it an Islamic city.
3– Order to convert the pilgrimage to the Al Aqsa (as claimed by the Yacoubi) – a Shiai an extremist was trying to distort the image of the Umayyads to win the satisfaction of the Abbasids.

-The interior dome decorated with gilded frescoes and magnificent frescoes, and an opening there are 16 windows for lighting and ventilation.
-The outer dome coated with copper plates with gold plating.

Why the Dome of the Rock built octagonal ribs?

Several theories suggested for building the dome as such:
1– Religious reasons
Because of the famous saying that the rock is the lower throne of God make, the building eight ribs resembled the throne of God in heaven.

2 – Architectural reasons
So as to exploit the space as much as possible and to show the original Islamic architecture.

–Dome of the Rock in the Abbasid period: {750-970m.}

The Abbasids cared for the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem as much as they could, they had many restoration works in Al-Aqsa Mosque, as illustrated by a number of inscriptions and the Abbasid Calipha al-Ma’mun established a fils called Jerusalem this event is the first of its kind in the history of Jerusalem and was documented in 217 AH.

– Dome of the Rock in the Fatimid period: {970-1099.}

The dome was severely damaged by an earthquake that hit Al-Aqsa Mosque, Alhakem be amrellah khalifa started the restoration work and completed by his son Al-Zaher le’ezaz denellah, where the dome rebuilt and shot dead instead of copper doctrine (Umayyad origin) and included the restoration of the dome and decorations, windows in the dome neck And many things in the building.

Dome of the Rock in the Crusader era: {1099-1187m.}

During the crusader occupation, the Dome of the Rock converted into a church and placed above the rock an altar, made the cave a place for the shedding of the blood of offerings, and placed a crucifix over the rock of gold.
After the crusader occupation of 15 years, the kings of the Franja (Westerners) rocked the marble with fear as the priests were trading them and cutting pieces of the rock and selling it for pilgrims and visitors with gold, as for the iron fence, which removed in 1965 from about the rock dates, back to the Umayyad period and not to the crusaders.

– Dome of the Rock in the Ayyubids period: {1187-1250 m.}

-After Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi opened al-Aqsa Mosque, he cleaned and removed all the Crusader monuments of the mosque, returned the
Dome of the Rock to what it was with rose some of the restoration work, and put 21 verses of Taha. In 1198 he did king Othman bin Salah alDin put a wooden barrier around the rock to protect it.
-The Ayyubids continued to take care of the Dome of the Rock after Saladin, and their most cleaned Rock with their hands and wash it with rose water constantly.

– The Dome of the Rock in the Mamluk Period: {1250-1517.}

-The sultans of this period did not hesitate to take care of the Dome of the Rock.
-In 1270 AD,Sultan Zahir Baybars renewed the mosaic decorations in the city external appreciation.
-In 1318, Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad Nasir ibn Qalawun renovated and decorated the dome from inside and from outside, and the nave of the Dome of the Rock.

– Dome of the Rock in the Ottoman era: {1517-1917.}
-The Ottomans took care of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its buildings for 400 years, and did not give up in that.
-During the reign of Sultan Suleiman, the Al Qanoni in the period between 1537–1552 AD he changed the Umayyad mosaics covered with panels, and glass windows installed, which gave them a luster own.
-In 1720: the third Sultan Ahmad renewed the Kashani and glass windows, Consumed about two thirds of the taxes of Jaffa and Tripoli.
-In 1817 AD: the second Sultan Mahmoud changed the outer marble of the dome and performed with the renovation of locally made crustaceans.
-In 1853: a huge project initiated to renovate the internal wooden roof and changing worn-out clothes.
-In 1875 AD: This done during the reign of Sultan Abdul Aziz, and completed the restoration the roof and changing the worn-out tiles, and renewed the verse “Yasein” Around the outer walls.
-Restoration of 1876: During the reign of second Sultan Abdul Hamid, and began this reconstruction brushes luxury carpets.

Dome of the Rock and the Supreme Islamic Council: {1922-1948.}
After the occurrence of Al-Aqsa Mosque under the British occupation, the council assumed responsibility, it protected the Dome of the Rock and made plans for the reconstruction of the dome and the changing of the tiles but the Palestinian revolutions and wars prevented the completion of these reconstructions and the Council only make only some adjustments.

Dome of the Rock and the Covenant of Jordan: {1967-to now.}
-Al-Aqsa Mosque Reconstruction Committee took over the restoration work at this stage. The reconstruction at this stage is so necessary that the prayer hall of the Dome of the Rock in a deplorable state, as it was affected in the 1948 War. The Zionists threw some bombs on Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of which hit the Dome of the Rock and caused damage.
-Al-Aqsa Mosque Reconstruction Committee replaced the lead plates coated the dome replaced with a yellow colored metal that later removed, finally they rebuilt the dome from a painted copper sheet with gold.

What types of decorations used in the Dome of the Rock?

1- The mosaic decoration:
-They are small squares of stained glass, used in a dome building Rock, and the embodiment of the Islamic faith through the designs of mosaics.
-Emphasis were put on mosaics on forms that do not contradict Islam plant shapes or beautiful geometric drawings, some of which had great meaning, when he focused the Muslim artist to draw the Taj Byzantine from within the decorations in the dome, here he wanted to recalling the victory of the islamic state over the great Byzantine state, it focuses and shows the greatness of Islam.

2-Wood decoration:
These motifs found between the pillars and in the

3-wooden barrier around the rock that he ordered Aziz Othman bin Salah al-Din to build. “Art of wood decoration” Known as art Arabesque.

Glass decoration:
These motifs designed on different plants, floral forms, and geometric shapes and come back the Umayyad period, the decorations in the Dome of the Rock, are prototypes for decoration on glass.

4- Marble decoration:
Used in the Dome of the Rock for its durability and hardness, and was used extensively most of the building, we see it in the columns and their crowns and stone stucco, as it is, most of the marble in the dome is the original Umawied .

5-Alqashnia decoration:
It is a colorful pottery painted with a layer of glass, and recently called the tiles of the Chinese tiles. Used in the building of the Dome of the Rock, and it shows as many verses as possible; Quranic verses such as (Surah Yassin and part of the Surat Al Isra), used for the first time in Dome of the Rock, in the reign of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Al Qanoni, color the blue dominated the rest of the colors and the building gained contact with the sky’s glow, believe that the colored tiles used by Sultan Suleiman in the construction of the dome were manufactured in the city Jerusalem, where it found some ovens for cooking Kashani in Al-Aqsa Mosque near a dome the rock.

An Overview of the Landmark:
The Dome of the Rock is one of the most important Islamic architectural monuments in the world, and great religious sanctity in the hearts of Muslims and many people, is the oldest and most beautiful model in Islamic architecture, drew the attention and interest of researchers and all people to what it excelled of the harmony between its elements and architectural structures, considered a verse in the art of engineering architectural, and is the most beautiful and admired wonders of the world.
Muslims have shown particular interest in them over the long Islamic history, especially after the natural disasters that had a significant impact on Al-Aqsa Mosque from earthquakes, storms, rain, etc., as no successor or Muslim Sultan was late restoration, preservation and defense.

The dome was built during the Umayyad Caliph Abdul Malik Bin Marwan’s time and two engineers supervised the building of it; Raja Bin Hayawah and Yazid Bin Salam. After they finished the building the Caliph awarded them with 100 thousands Dinar, but they refused to take anything. So the Caliph made order to use that money and make golden bars to cover the dome with them.

It built with very high precision and its dimensions are:
-Dimensions and measurements of Dome and Dome of the Rock
Internal dome diameter: 20.44 m – Height: 9.8
– Qatar Full building: 52 m – Height: 35 m
-Octagonal rib lengths rock dome
– Rib length: 20.60 m – Rib height: 9.5 m

– Dimensions of the rock supervisor (17.70 * 13.50)

The walls of the Dome of the Rock were paved with marble tablets, which consists of four parts symmetrical and form a beautiful called the name (Al Shaqiqa), one of Islamic art types used in more than one place and more than one type.
The Dome of the Rock contains 14 mihrabs, and the main ones are located in the direction of the Qibla, also it have 52 windows and a large number of black marble tiles is estimated at 99 tiles, as it is it contains 24 arch decorated with mosaics connected the columns with each other.
The Dome of the Rock affected by all historical periods since its construction and every passing period, caused many things of restoration, repair, modification and vandalism as well, in a period the Crusader and Israeli occupation is the worst period, in the Islamic period, the most prosperous period, which transformed it and made it take its current form, and now represents the covered space surrounding the sacred rock is a prayer hall dedicated to women prayers Friday,( Eid, Friday pray and Taraweeh).
The Zionists were particularly interested in the rock, they seek to establish their temple alleged in the place of the rock, made multiple attacks on them in various ways, from bombing their aircraft during the aggression of 1948, and the desecration of the rock supervised by raising their flag above it for some time and a lot of attacks that negatively affect the Dome of the Rock, as it is during the 1980 AD, several attempts were made to blow it up with explosives highly destructive to Jewish extremists, a Jewish soldier named Harry Goldman, he broke into it in 1982 and fired at the worshipers indiscriminately causing in the martyrdom of two and injuring four worshipers.
In addition, excavations and Zionist tunnels continue around and below the Aqsa Mosque, some of them into what is under the Dome of the Rock, but thought to have established Jewish churches, this serious assaults affected the Dome of the Rock with all the great marble surrounding the dome inside, its mosaic decorations from inside and outside suffer from cracking and corrosion and falling, this situation threatened by an increase due to the blockade imposed by the authorities, the Zionist occupation of the Aqsa Mosque and prevented Muslims from doing any restoration work for any of its parts, including the Dome of the Rock