Page 181 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places
P. 181
ISRAEL 179
KEY DATES
691 1500s 1981
~~ ....... :""1 SYRIA
Building W"Ork Suleyman the lhe Dome of
on the Dome Magnificent the Ra<k joins SEA
of the Ra<k is commissions the UNESCO's list Tel Avov • OD ME OF THE ROCK,
JERUSALEM
completed. dazzling tile W"Ork of 11\brld Heritage
on the exterior. Sites.
JORDAN
E.GYPT
. ____ __,.::;:,.,___~Q
HOLY SITE
One of the oldest and most
beautiful of all Islamic monuments,
the Dome of the Rock is the third MOHAMMED'S NIGHT JOURNEY
A Interior of the Dome holiest site of Islam after Mecca The Koran, the holy book of Islam, is regarded as
Inside the dazzing golden dome are and Medina. The shrine is also the exact word of Allah. Muslims believe that it
elaborate floral decorations, a swell
/ as various inscriptions. The large text important in Judaism, since it can never be truly understood unless read in
· commemorates the Muslim sultan stands on the site of the two Arabic; translations into other languages can
\ !) Sa lad in, who sponsored restoration temples of the Jews-the first built only ever paraphrase .. The Koran is divided into
work on 1h e building. by King Soloman and the second 114 chapters, covering many topics. One of the
by King Herod.
core episodes recounts the Night Journey of the
Prophet Mohammed. In this, he is carried from
Mecca to Jerusalem and from there makes the
Miraj, the ascent through the heavens to God's
Mosaics presence, returning to Mecca in the morning.
Green and gold mosaics The story is illustrated with geometric tiling and
create a scintillating verses on the exterior of the drum of the Dome
effect on thew ails
below the dome. ofthe Rock.
Outer corridor HARAM ASH-SHARIF
The Temple Mount, or Haram ash-Sharif, is
located in the southeastern part of the Old
City of Jerusalem. It is a major I slam ic religious
sanctuary and home to a number of important
buildings, including the Dome of the Rock.
Traditionally the site of Solomon's Temple, it later
housed the Second Temple, enlarged by Herod
the Great and destroyed by the Romans. Left in
ruins for more than half a century, the Haram
ash-Sharif became an Islamic shrine in 691with
the construction of the Dome of the Rock.
THE DOME OF THE CHAIN AND
A TileWork
The multicolored tiles that THE GOLDEN GATE
adorn the exterior are faithful Just east of the Dome of the Rock stands the
copies of Persian tiles that small Dome of the Chain, set at the approximate
Suleyman the Magnificent center of the Haram ash-Sharif. The reasons
added in 1545 to replace 1he
damaged ori gina I mosaics. given for its construction are varied. According
to one theory, it sits at the site of the Holy of
Holies (the most sacred and inaccessible place in
~--- Stained-glass window
Herod's Temple), which is thought of in Jewish
tradition as the omphalos, the navel of the
~~?'t--!1:.--.:J.-___ ~ The Rock universe. The Dome of the Chain is a simple
The Rock is variously believed to be structure with a domed roof supported by
where Abraham was asked to sacrifice
Isaac, where Mohammed left the Earth 17 columns. It is famous for its marvelous
on his Night Journey, and the site of 1he 13th-century interior tiling, which surpasses even
Holy of Holies of Herod's Temple. that of the Dome of the Rock.lts name derives
from the legend that a chain once hung from
the roof and whoever told a lie while holding it
Outer Wall would be struck dead by lightning. Farther east
Each wall is 67 ft (20 4 m) long.
This exactly matches the dome's is the Golden Gate, one of the original Herodian
diameter and its height from the city gates. Jews believe the Messiah will enter
base of the drum. Jerusalem through this gate.
