185. Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem. Islamic, Umayyad. 691-692 CE with multiple renovations. Stone masonry and wooden roof decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics and gilt aluminum and bronze dome.

Form

-Domed wooden octagon -Influenced by centrally planned buildings(Santa Costanza and the Pantheon) -Columns are spoila taken from Roman monuments

Content

--The building houses several sacred sites –The place where Adam was born –The site in which Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac –The place where the Temple of Jerusalem was located -Meant to rival the Christian church of the Holy Specular in Jerusalem -Arabic Calligraphy on the mosaic decoration urges Muslims to embrace Allah as the one God and indicates that the Christian notion of the Trinity is an aspect of polytheism -Oldest surviving Qur’an verse; first use of Qur’an verses in architecture; one of the oldest Muslim buildings.

Function

-A pilgrimage site for the faithful -Not a mosque; its original function has been debated

Context

Additional Information

--Erected by Abd al-Malik, the caliph of the Umayyad Dynasty