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Dome of the Rock

Religious and Sacred Architecture

The Dome of the Rock is an octagonal Islamic shrine at the center of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is the world's oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture and the earliest archaeologically attested religious structure built by a Muslim ruler, celebrated for its gilded dome and elaborate geometric and calligraphic decoration.

Facts
Location
Temple Mount, Old City of Jerusalem 1
Architectural Style
Byzantine-influenced octagonal plan (early Islamic, Umayyad) 1
Primary Material
Marble panel revetment on the lower walls, mosaic-clad upper walls 1
Building Type
Octagonal Islamic shrine within the Al-Aqsa mosque compound 1
Commissioned By
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan 1
Construction
from 691 1
Height (metres)
36 1
Classification
Genre
Architecture 1
Connections

In Form

Early Islamic shrine on the Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

Sources
1. Dome of the Rock (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, paragraph 1
    is an octagonal Islamic shrine at the center of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
  • Lead section, paragraph 3
    Its plan and original mosaic decoration were patterned after nearby Byzantine churches and palaces.
  • Interior decoration section, dedicatory inscription sentence
    The dedicatory inscription in Kufic script placed around the octagonal arcade contains the date believed to be the year the monument was first completed, 72 AH (691/2 CE), while the name of the corresponding caliph and builder of the Dome, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, was later erased and replaced by the name of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun
  • Architecture, Structure section
    They each measure approximately 60 m (200 ft) wide and 36 m (118 ft) high.
  • Exterior decoration section
    the initial Umayyad scheme comprised a revetment of marble panels along the lower walls while the upper walls were covered with mosaics, much like the interior walls.
  • Genre reference
    The Dome of the Rock is an octagonal Islamic shrine at the center of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
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