The Dome of the Rock is a 7th century building located in the walled Old City of Jerusalem in the center of the Temple Mount. It is the first domed shrine to be built and is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It is the oldest Islamic building to have survived intact in its original form. The building is not only sacred but is also recognised for its beauty. It is gorgeously decorated both inside and outside (Grabar, 2006).
The realm of Islam had spread widely with the Islamic conquest of the Palestine, Syria and Jerusalem in the third decade of the 7th Century (Bentley and Zeigler, 2003). The newly selected Calph Abd- al- Malik ordered the construction of the monument and the best masons and craftsmen available were brought to design the …show more content…
Rabbat (1969) states that during the Umayyad dynasty mosaics remained a flourishing art form in Islamic culture although tile became the most dominant Islamic form of wall decoration. The mosaics act as symbols of the many victories of Islam. The mosaics in the building do not portray a single human being or animal since portrayal of living beings was discouraged in the Quran. The mosaics follow Byzantine traditions and are only Islamic because they don’t include the representation of men or animals (Grabar, 2006). The inner surfaces of the drums and the arches are decorated with crowns, jewels and breastplates that are symbols of royal power in Byzantium. These suggested that all kingdoms were defeated and now look at Islam. The symbols of power are fixed in and enclosed vegetal ornamentation such as flowers and twining vines hung with fruits. The band of Kufic inscription running just below the ceiling in the octagons, works as both a decoration and as a symbol. It is decorative in that it works as a border separating the ceiling from the rest of the wall (Berger,
The realm of Islam had spread widely with the Islamic conquest of the Palestine, Syria and Jerusalem in the third decade of the 7th Century (Bentley and Zeigler, 2003). The newly selected Calph Abd- al- Malik ordered the construction of the monument and the best masons and craftsmen available were brought to design the …show more content…
Rabbat (1969) states that during the Umayyad dynasty mosaics remained a flourishing art form in Islamic culture although tile became the most dominant Islamic form of wall decoration. The mosaics act as symbols of the many victories of Islam. The mosaics in the building do not portray a single human being or animal since portrayal of living beings was discouraged in the Quran. The mosaics follow Byzantine traditions and are only Islamic because they don’t include the representation of men or animals (Grabar, 2006). The inner surfaces of the drums and the arches are decorated with crowns, jewels and breastplates that are symbols of royal power in Byzantium. These suggested that all kingdoms were defeated and now look at Islam. The symbols of power are fixed in and enclosed vegetal ornamentation such as flowers and twining vines hung with fruits. The band of Kufic inscription running just below the ceiling in the octagons, works as both a decoration and as a symbol. It is decorative in that it works as a border separating the ceiling from the rest of the wall (Berger,