Dome of the Rock
The shrine entombs a stone that is said to be the place where the founder of Islam, prophet Mohammed, ascended into heaven. It was originally a shrine for pilgrims (also known as mashhad) and was created for both religious and political purposes.
The taqdis, or pilgrimage to Jerusalem, is the last place for the main pilgrimage, or hajj, and allow Muslims to celebrate their faith. |
The Dome of the Rock, or Qubbat al-Sakhra in Arabic, is a shrine located in old Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. It was opened in 691 CE and architecture was of Byzantine and Islamic. From tradition, it was said to be built by Caliph Umar I, making it be called the Mosque of Umar but the Dome of Rock was actually built between 689 to 691 by Caliph Abd al-Malik.
The shrine was created for political purposes as well because during the late seventh century, when the shrine was being made, the religion Islam were staged into a large conflict of deciding, between a variety of Muslim groups, who was Mohammad's sole heir.
According to tradition, Muhammad first selected Jerusalem as theqibla, the direction the faithful should face during prayer. Later, the prophet redirected his followers to face the city of Mecca when praying, to symbolize Islam's independence from the other monotheistic religions that had chosen Jerusalem as their most holy city. |