Dome of the Rock

바위의 돔

The Dome of the Rock is an eight-sided Islamic shrine in the Old City of Jerusalem. It stands in the middle of a large raised platform that Muslims call the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, and Jews and Christians call the Temple Mount. Its golden dome rises above the skyline and can be seen from every road into the city, which is why it is often called Jerusalem's most recognizable landmark.

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At a glance

Country: Palestinian Territories
Location: Old City of Jerusalem
Built: 691
Height: 35 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Dome of the Rock?

Dome of the Rock is in Old City of Jerusalem, Palestinian Territories.

When was Dome of the Rock built?

Dome of the Rock was built in 691.

How tall is Dome of the Rock?

Dome of the Rock is about 35 m tall.

An octagonal Islamic shrine on the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif, famed for its golden dome and blue tilework.

The shrine was finished in 691–692 on the orders of Abd al-Malik, a caliph, or ruler, of the early Islamic Umayyad dynasty. That makes it the oldest surviving major building of Islamic architecture. Its walls carry the earliest known inscriptions about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. It was built over a large sacred rock, and it is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The rock in the middle

Inside the shrine is a large bare stone known as the Foundation Stone, or Noble Rock. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven began from this rock. In Jewish and Christian tradition, the rock is linked to the place where Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, and the shrine is believed to stand where the ancient Jewish Temple stood until the Romans destroyed it in AD 70. Because of this shared history, the site is deeply important to people of three religions.

How it was built and decorated

The plan of the building and its first mosaics followed the style of nearby Byzantine churches and palaces. A dome about 20 metres across sits on a round drum, and an eight-sided hall with rows of pillars wraps around it. The original dome collapsed in 1015 and was rebuilt in 1022–23. In the 1500s, the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent had worn-out mosaics on the outside replaced with bright tiles, mostly blue and white.

The golden dome

The dome has not always shone like gold. Before 1959 it was covered with dark, blackened lead. Between 1959 and 1964, the government of Jordan carried out a big restoration, replacing many old tiles that heavy rain had loosened, and the lead was swapped for gold-coloured metal plates made of an aluminium-bronze alloy. In 1993 the dome was covered again, this time with real gold. King Hussein of Jordan paid for it by selling one of his houses in London, and about 80 kilograms of gold were needed. The shrine is still looked after by a religious trust run from Amman, Jordan.

Fun facts

Finished around 691, it is the oldest surviving major work of Islamic architecture.
Its dome is about 20 metres wide and a little over 20 metres tall, almost the same size as the dome of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Re-covering the dome in 1993 took about 80 kilograms of gold.
An inscription inside the shrine gives the year it was completed, AD 692 in today's calendar.
Its Islamic inscriptions started a tradition: later Islamic buildings very often include writing that mentions the Prophet Muhammad.