Status Updates From The Dome of the Rock

Ibn al-Arabi explains that all the waters of the earth come from under the Rock in Jerusalem. The Rock is unique, he says, in that it is not bound to anything on earth and is held miraculously from above. ― p. 188

Hah! Ibn al-Arabi is a renowned twelfth century Islamic philosopher, but apparently not a reliable observer of the physical world (or just high on hallucinogenic mushrooms when he visited Jerusalem?).

"Another and perhaps more mundane aspect of the Done of the Rock in the Ayyubid period comes to light through an interesting practice developed at that time, the pilgrimage (hajj) by proxy. Wealthy or otherwise busy figures like Saladin sent someone else to accomplish the obligatory trip to Mecca for them, and they eventually received certification that their holy duties were completed;" — p. 176

This is comedy gold

"Muhammad's cousin Hamza left an impression of his shield on the masonry [in the passageway under the Aqsa mosque] as he leaned against the wall—or at least this is Nasir-i Khosro's explanation for the probably Herodian decoration found there, which does indeed include ornamental panels in the shape of shields." — p. 150

LOL religious people talk about characters in their holy books like they are super heros.

"On a triumphal arch in front of its dome, a beautiful mosaic inscription, still preserved, proclaimed the work of the caliph al-Aziz in 1035 and, for the first time in Jerusalem, copied Qur’an 17:1, the verse that mentions the Prophet's journey from Mecca's Masjid al-Haram to the masjid al-aqsa, "the farthest mosque," [...]" ― p. 130

Hm, the al-Aqsa mosque was built 63 years after the death of the prophet.

It is difficult to imagine that al-Ma’mun would have ordered that his name replace that of ‘Abd al-Malik in the central inscription of the Dome of the Rock without having seen the building. But we cannot be sure, because by al-Ma’mun’s time the well-endowed direct road from Iraq to Mecca across the Arabian desert was functioning and allowed travelers to bypass the [...] route through Syria and Palestine. ― p. 127

"Say He is God, alone, God the eternal. He does not beget nor is He begotten and there is no one like Him." — Qur'an 112 (Surah Al-Iklhas)

This text—and others like it—appears multiple times in the inscription on the Dome of the Rock. It squarely attacks the Christian Trinity and the Divinity of Jesus. Very interesting given that the building is from around the 690s in Jerusalem!

Six different kinds of interior surfaces are adorned with mosaics. The first ones are square and rectangular surfaces on piers. In almost all cases a large acanthus bowl gives rise to two thick bands that spread in volutes, often around a central rod. ― p. 82

Fantastic! The acanthus is a *very* common motif in Greco–Roman architecture. I would love to see the inside of this magnificent building.

"The modern Arabic name for the city [of Jerusalem], al-Quds, meaning "the Holy" (from the same root as qadasa, meaning "to be holy"), appeared later in the Middle Ages." ― p. 39

I didn't know that, but I find that interesting. In the Qur'an the city is not referred to directly, but only by the name of its Al-Aqsa mosque and the "holy land" (Al-Ard Al-Maqadda) in general.

So far I am enjoying this humble and matter-of-fact look at one of the most beautiful buildings in the world from someone who has been studying and visiting it for over fifty years.