Dome of the Rock

 

Perhaps one of the most important religious buildings in the world, the Dome of the Rock is located in Jerusalem. The reason why I said that it can be one of the most important religious buildings in the world is because the three main religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) have a piece of their religion within the building. It was a great achievement for the 7th century, which was shortly after Mohammed returned from the Medina. Christians consider it to be the burial site of Adam. For the Jewish, it is the place where Isaac  almost sacrificed his son and the grounds of the Temple of Solomon. For Muslims, it is the place where Mohammed ascended to Heaven. The dome of the Rock is reminiscent of the dome of San Vitale. Its dome covered in gold leaf, the bottom of the building consisting of different marbles, and the upper section consisting of glazed tiles, similar to the lapis lazuli tiles from the Ishtar Gate. The motifs are geometric and arabesque with writings from the Qur’an.

The Dome of the Rock is a symbol for three of the world’s main religions which I find to be fascinated. I felt that because the Dome plays such an important role in these religions that I had to include it in my collection. I love the detail in the façade and the arabesque feature. I also enjoy its reminiscence to the Ishtar Gate. Lastly, the fact that it’s not completed but still plays an important role astounds me.