When people think of Jerusalem, they think of a city of gold, a city of white limestone with the Dome of the Rock peeking out from the sea of houses and monuments. It is a place of worship, architectural prowess, and political tension. The most important religious place in the city is covered with the Dome of the Rock, an impressive building made to honor Islam and the Umayyad era, a testament to the ages. The Dome of the Rock was built on a place that both Jews and Muslims view as one of the, if not the, most holy places on earth. The reasoning behind this place being holy is quite similar for these two religions, however, it branches out when it comes to Islamic, and even some Christian beliefs.

 In Judaism, the Dome of the Rock sits near the spot where Adam, the first man, was created out of clay and given life by God. It is also where Solomon’s Temple, the most holy temple in all of jewish history, was built. Inside the most inner chamber, this rock was where the Ark of the Covenant was house, and it is said that it had a direct way to communicate with God’s essence. This inner chamber could only open on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, and only the high priests could enter. The place where the temple sat began to be known as the temple mount. After the Jewish people attempted to rebel against the Babylonian’s rule of the Holy Land, or Israel, and lost, the Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s temple. However, a second temple was built by Herod in a later era, and once again, the temple was the most holy place in the world for the Jewish people. Then, the Romans attacked the Jewish people, and when they won, they pillaged and destroyed the second temple.

In Islam, this idea of Solomon’s temple is one of the main reasons that this temple mount is important as well. King David and his son King Solomon were the most revered kings in their history and mythology. It is said that King Solomon could control demons and jinn, that he held command over the winds, and other mythical things. The rock is also considered to be the second place that was created in the universe. One of the most important reasons that this temple mount is considered holy is that Mohammed, accompanied by the angel Gabriel, was lifted to heaven near, if not on, the rock that lies in the center of the building. 

In Christianity, this spot is not considered as important as the other two religions, but it is still where the two temples were built. It was still where Adam was made. It was also where Jesus became outraged at the Romans using the second temple, Herod’s Temple, as a marketplace. However in the Umayyad era, the Christians and the Muslims were at odds with each other. When the Dome of the Rock was built, the Christians began to shame the area. Now, Christians still come to Jerusalem, but the temple mount is hardly considered to be an important monument in their belief system. 

The Dome of the Rock is a wonderful piece of architecture. There are mosaics all around the inside and the outside. It is lavishly decorated on the inside with jewels and stained glass windows that can be dated back to the 690’s. The lower half of the outer walls are lined with carved tiles, a feature that was the result of one of its many renovations. The dome itself was originally made of copper, and is now covered with a layer of gold foil. There are several pieces and works of art inside of the building that date back to the Umayyad period, and archaeologists are finding tiles from mosaics that were originally commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent. The mosaics that line the inside form shapes reminiscent of plants and vines, which make their way up the pillars and walls, sprouting fruits made with gems and gold, sometimes different fruits from the same plant. There are lines from the Quran, the holy bible of Islam, which line the tops of the walls which declare that there is only one God, and that Mohammed was his messenger, the most important part of the Islamic belief system. 

There is a lot of politics surrounding the Dome of the Rock today. The Israeli government owns the outside of the monument while the Palestinian authorities have control over the inside. This tends to exacerbate the political tensions between Muslims and Jews. There is currently restricted access, and a lot of people are not permitted to enter, including Jews. Some Jews even call for the destruction of the Dome of the Rock in order to build the mythical Third Temple on the temple mount. However, there is one important aspect about this building. It was actually built to look like Solomon’s temple. Despite all of the modern hatred between the two religions, this monument is not only a testament to Muslim beliefs, but is also one that mirrors Jewish beliefs. In fact, the Dome of the Rock could even be considered as the third temple. Hopefully one day, the Jews and the Muslims will both be able to look at this amazing work of art with pride, but until that day, the Dome of the Rock will remain a point of contention between the two religions.

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