Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock Mosque is considered one of the masterpieces of Islamic art and one of the oldest existing Islamic monuments. It was commissioned by the fifth Umayyad Caliph, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, in 691 AD (72 AH). The Dome of the Rock was established as a shrine to protect the rock and the cave beneath it, from which the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, ascended to heaven.
The building consists of a dome above an external octagonal structure and an internal one, with a central circle supporting the dome. There are four axial doors in the outer octagon of the building. Each side of the octagon has seven windows, with two at either end of each side being closed. The inner octagon comprises arches based on supports and columns that support the roof located between the outer octagon and the dome. The central circle consists of columns and supports that carry the dome. All the arches above the middle octagon and the central circle are decorated with mosaics, while the outer octagon is covered with tiles, which replaced the mosaics during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
The Dome of the Rock has received unparalleled attention throughout its history, as evidenced by the memorial inscriptions that chronicle the renovation and restoration work on it through the Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, Ottoman, and contemporary periods.