CHAPTER XII : THE HOLY CONSTRUCTION IN AL-QODS AL-SHAREEF

Since Al-Qods has always been a holy city as far as the three monotheistic religions are concerned, Muslims, Christians, and Jews erected in it many holy places which have been inherited over the generations down to this day.

Sometimes we find that a most ancient holy place still serves the religious function it did when it was first built, for the people who came to proclaim in Al-Qods a relatively more recent religion simply considered that an ancient sacred place built by their predecessors still was a holy place. This has been the case with many peoples in many countries and, based on such examples, some historians have argued that ancient holy places are perpetual in that these have always served their function as such.

The following are some of the most important holy places in Al-Qods :

I. Muslim holy places

The most important Muslim holy place in Al-Qods is Qubbat As-Sakhra (the Dome of the Rock), founded by the Umayyad Caliph Abdulmâlik bin Marwân in 72. A.H./791 A.D.

Some claim that the Caliph built it because he wanted to both safeguard the Sacred Rock and perpetuate the name of the Third Holiest Place in Islam with reference to the Hadith Saying by Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) : "There are only three places of pilgrimage : the Mosque of Al-Harâm (Makkah), the Mosque bearing my name (i.e. the Mosque of the Messenger in Medina), and the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ (Al-Qods)." Others claim that he wanted to build a monument that would both perpetuate his own name and match up with the other monuments in Syria. (408)

408. Badr Muhammad 'Abbâs, The Dome of the Rock in Proceedings of the Second Congress on the Monuments of the Arab World (Baghdad, 1957), (publications of the Arab League, 1958), p. 313.

The Dome of the Rock is of very sturdy construction. Each of the four arches that constitute the four entrances faces towards a cardinal point. A wooden dome is built over the Sacred Rock. The outside of the cupola is covered with lead strips and the inside is covered with gilded designs that are beautifully carved. The cupola, measured from base to top, is 20.44 metres high. The dome, measured from the ground up, is about 35 metres, excluding the crescent which surmounts it and which is 4.5 metres high. The cupola sits on a circular base which is ornamented with mosaic and whose inner walls are harmoniously decorated with carved floral designs of soft shades of blue. In the middle of the drum, there is a marble frieze with gilded elaborate carvings. The frieze crowns a supporting wall with sixteen panes each consisting of stained glass framed with porcelain blocks.

The circular base of the cupola is supported by four large marble-covered pillars. Between any two pillars stand three multi-coloured marble columns which support four archways made of black and white marble. (409)  The size of the Sacred Rock is 13 m x 18 m, and it is about one and a half metres high. Inside the Rock is a square-shaped cavern with stairs leading into it. This cavern has an area of about eighteen square metres and contains a flat mihrâb (a recess for praying) which is made of marble and whose top cover has an opening in it which has been cut about one metre long. (410) Between the circular building of the Dome and the external octagonal part, there is a middle octagonal space consisting of eight marble-covered pillars and sixteen columns of multi-coloured marble, arranged in such a way that every pair of columns alternates with every single pillar. Atop these pillars and columns, there are vaults decorated with floral patterns in mosaic coloured in gold and azure blue. The arches are linked to each other with wood beams covered with chiselled bronze. (411)

The middle octagon stands between the middle portico and the outer portico, which are both covered with a wooden cupola which, in its turn, is covered with lead strips on the outer side and with carved wood on the inner side.

409. Badr Muhammad 'Abbâs, Ibid., p. 314.

Cf. The Bulletin of the Commission in Charge of the Restoration of the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ (Amman, 1964), n° 4, pp. 16-17.

Cf. Imâm Rashâd, Al-Qods in the Medieval Era, p. 171.

410. The Bulletin of the Commission in Charge of the Maintenance and Restoration of the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ, n° 4, pp. 16-17

411. Idem., p. 17.

Concerning the decoration of the Dome, see Safwân At-Tall's The Construction and Decoration of the Dome of the Rock in Al-Qods in Proceedings of the Third International Congress on the History of Bilâd Al-Shâm (Amman, 1983); pp. 27-140.

The lower part of the outer octagon's façades is covered with marble slabs while their upper part is covered with porcelain which dates back to the Ottoman era and which initially used to be covered with mosaic. Each of these façades has seven vertical rows, of which five have oblong stained glass panes similar to those in the wall which supports the Dome. Each of these windows has a design and a pattern of stained glass which are particular to it. (412)

The Dome of the Rock has been kept intact and has withstood the injury of time owing to the great care taken of it by all the governors of Al-Qods throughout the ages. Probably the most important restoration of this monument was undertaken in the reign of the Abbassid Caliph Al-Mâmûn in 216 A.H. In the course of the restoration work, a blunder was committed, for the building of this mosque was now ascribed to Caliph Abdulmâlik bin Marwân, while the construction year, which dates back to the Umeyyad era, was kept as it was.

Hence, from the reign of Al-Mâmûn onward, one could read on the inscription at the entrance of the Dome of the Rock the following commemoration : "This Dome was erected in the year seventy-two (of the Hegira) by the servant of Allah, Al-Imâm Al-Mâmûn, Commander of the Faithful, may Allah be pleased with him."

In 407 A.H., an earthquake hit the city and some parts of the large cupola fell off. Restoration work was undertaken by order of Ibn Al-Hâkim bi Amrillah Ad-Dhâhir li I'zâzi dîn Allah (413 A.H.) and under the supervision of 'Alî bin Ahmad, whose name is carved on the wood pillars which support the Dome. (413)

Pilgrim priests at that time took pleasure in tearing off the Rock pieces which they took to their home country and traded for gold. To put an end to such petty vandalism, the Crusaders decided to cover the Rock with marble slabs. (414)

When Sultan Salâhuddîn Al-Ayyûbî liberated Al-Qods, he had all the Christian symbols (e.g. the statues, the altar, the icons) cleared off the Sacred Rock. He also had the marble covering the Rock removed. He then had all the 412. The Bulletin of the Commission in Charge of the Maintenance and Restoration of the

Mosque of Al-Aqsâ, n° 4, p. 18.

Cf. also Hussein Mu'nis's work The Mosques in the World of Knowledge series (Kuwait : 1981), pp. 177-180. Ahmad Kâssim Joumu'a's excellent paper, Architectural and Artistic Elements of the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ, read at the First International Colloquium on Palestine Monuments, and published in Palestinian History and Monuments, Vol. 1, pp. 49-78.

Rayhâwî Abdulkader's article in Palestinian History and Monuments, Vol. 1, pp. 79-100. 413. Badr Muhammad 'Abbâs, Ibid., p. 315.

Al-'Aref, A History of Al-Qods, p. 289.

414. Al-'Aref, Ibid., pp. 289-290.

walls of the Mosque covered with marble slabs and had the inside of the cupola embellished with sumptuous engravings. (415) This was recorded on the inscription frieze of the inner Dome, where one could read the following :

"In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful. The Late Learned and Righteous Sultan Salâhuddîn bin Ayyûb ordered that this Sacred Dome be renovated and regilded over the months of the year five hundred and eighty six" (of the Hegira). (416)

All the Ayyubid successors of Salâhuddîn took good care of the Dome of the Rock (the Mosque of the Rock), for each of them had swept it clean and washed its floor with rosewater. (417) The Mameluke sultans did the same, for Sultan An-Nâssir Muhammad bin Qalâwûn had the Dome regilded and had this event commemorated by means of an inscription which bore the following :

"By order of our Sire, Allah's adoring shadow, who carried out both Allah's traditions and commands, Sultan Muhammad, son of the Late Victorious Martyr Qalawûn, this Sacred Dome was renovated and regilded in the year seven hundred and eighteen." (A.H.) (418)

All the other sultans, particularly Ad-Dhâhir Barqûq, Al-Ashraf Barsbay, Ad-Dhâhir Jaqmaq, and Al-Ashraf Qaytbay, followed in the footsteps of their predecessors in attending to the maintenance, embellishment, or extension of the Mosque of the Dome. (419) In the Ottoman era, specifically in 945 A.H., Suleiman Al-Qânûnî had the mosaic removed off the façades supporting the Dome and replaced with porcelain.

In 1291 A.H., Sultan Abdul'aziz undertook some maintenance work whose traces can still be seen today. In 1292 A.H., Sultan Abdulhamîd renewed the porcelain layer to protect the upper part of the structure which supports the Dome and on  which is engraved the Quranic Surat of Yâ Sîn. The porcelain used in this layer seems to be of a better quality and applied with skill and refinement. (420) Under the British Mandate, the Supreme Islamic Council took care of the Dome of the Rock by undertaking some maintenance work in 1938 A.D.While

415. Al-'Aref, Ibid., p. 290.

416. Badr Muhammad 'Abbâs, Ibid., p. 316.

417. Al-'Aref, Ibid., p. 290.

418. Badr Muhammad Abbâs, Ibid., p. 316.

419. Al-'Aref, Ibid., p. 290.

420. Badr Muhammad 'Abbas,Ibid., p. 316.

the initial construction of this monument was not altered, it needed to be fully mended all over. (421) After 1947 A.D., Al-Qods came under the administrative supervision of the Jordanian Arab Rule and the Dome of the Rock came under the supervision of "the Commission for the Maintenance and Restoration of the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ and the Dome of the Rock" under the presidence of His Honour the Chief Justice of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. For the restoration of the Dome, the Commission called upon Egyptian experts who handed in their report in 1953. The mending and restoration work lasted from that year until 1964, on which year the Islamic world celebrated the accomplishment of this work which gave the architecture and decoration of the Dome of the Rock an impressive face lift. (422)

Many Arab and non-Arab travellers and historians strove hard to describe the Dome of the Rock (the Mosque of the Rock) because of the great importance it has in the history of the Islamic religion. Ibn Battûta described it as "a monument of most wonderful, refined, and wondrous form. It is the embodiment of a felicitous marriage of every kind of beauty … Within and without, the richness of its ornamentation and the excellence of its workmanship are beyond description. Most of its features are gilded in such a way that it sparkles like a diamond and flashes like lightning. The eye of its contemplator will be dazzled by its beauty and his tongue will fall short of rendering what his eye can see." (423) Ibn Fadlillah Al-Ma'marî, the author of Massâlik Al-Absâr fî Mamâlîk  Al-Amsâr, wrote in 743 A.H. upon his visit to Al-Qods Al-Shareef that the Dome of the Rock was covered with white marble and floral design. (424)

Al-Hanbalî describes the Dome of the Rock as "decorated with mosaic both within and without." (425) Many others have described the Dome of the Rock and it would be impossible to quote them in the limited space of this chapter, apart from the fact that the point about the importance of this monument is hopefully made by now. Suffice it, then, to quote a few more authors -contemporary ones.

A Swiss author by the name of Burkhart in a paper on the Dome of the Rock stated that "The achievement of a monument of this standard of perfection and artistic mastery by an Islamic Empire less than a century old is an exceptional phenomenon in the history of civilizations." (426)

421. Al-'Aref, Ibid., p. 291.

422. Ar-Rayhâoîi Abdulqâdir, Pales tinian History and Monuments, p. 98.

423. Imâm Rashâd, Al-Qods in the Medieval Era, p. 171.

424. Badr Muhammad 'Abbas, Ibid., p. 317.

425. Al-Hanbalî, Al-Ounsou Al-Jalîl, Vol. 2, p. 331.

426. Ar-Rayhâoui Abdulqâdir, Ibid., p. 92.

Creswell writes that "The Dome of the Sacred Rock is very important in the history of Islamic architecture. Its structure, splendour, beauty, and harmony have dazzled every scholar and researcher who tried to study it." (427)

As Hartman sees it, "the Dome of the Rock is the very model of symmetry and harmony." Last but not least, Hayter Lewis writes that "the Dome of the Rock is the most beautiful construction in the world and it is the most beautiful ancient monument." (428)

After Al-Qods was occupied by the Israeli forces, the Islamic Holy Places, including the Dome of the Sacred Rock, became the targets of repeated attacks seeking to destroy them. Such attacks are still attempted today. To counter their effect, the Commission for the Maintenance and Restoration of the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ and the Dome of the Rock is taking various steps, including the raising of funds throughout the Islamic world for the purpose of restoring and thus preserving the Islamic Holy Places in Al-Qods Al-Shareef.

The second most important Islamic Holy Place in Al-Qods is the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ, which is located south of the Dome of the Rock. Its area is about 4,400 square metres, the building being 80 metres long and 55 metres wide.

This mosque has supports amounting to 53 marble columns and 49 square-shaped pillars. Its construction was launched by Caliph Abdulmâlik bin Marwân in 693 A.D., but it was not finished until 705 A.D. in the reign of Al-Walîd bin Abdulmâlik. This mosque was built on part of the site of the Mosque of Omar, which stood on the east side. (429)

The designation "The Mosque of Al-Aqsa" used to refer to the whole of the Holy Precinct (Al-Haram Al-Shareef) and the various holy places within it, including the Sacred Rock. Today, however, this designation refers only to the Grand Mosque located south of the Esplanade of Al-Haram. (430) In the year 130 A.H. / 737 A.D., this religious monument was severely damaged as a result of an earthquake. However, probably in 140 or 141 A.H. / 427. Bulletin of the Commission for the Maintenance and Restoration …, (1964), p. 8.

428. Najm Râ'if, The Treasures of Al-Qods, p. 28.

429. Najm Râ'if, Ibid., p. 28

Mou'nis Hussein, The Mosques, p. 186.

430. Palestine Encyclopedia (1984), p. 203.

Most historians ascribe the building of the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ to Umayyad Caliph Abdulmâlik bin Marwân; among these, one may mention Al-Bashâra Al-Maqdissî, Shihâbuddîn Ahmad Al-Maqdissî, and Mujîruddîn Al-Hanbalî, who say that this mosque was built in 72 A.H. / 691 A.D. But other historians, like Ibn-Bitrîq, Ibn Al-Athîr, and Ibn At-Taqtaqî ascribe the building of the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ to Caliph Al-Walîd bin Abdlmâlik (86-96 A.H. / 705-714 A.D.).

758-759 A.D., Caliph Al-Mansûr had it rebuilt. It so happened that it got severely damaged once more and was abandoned until Abbassid Caliph Al-Mahdî had it rebuilt in 158 A.H. / 774 A.D. or 163 A.H. / 780 A.D. Again, in 425 A.H. / 1033 A.D., this mosque was totally destroyed by a third earthquake; and Fatimid Caliph Ad-Dhâhir li I'zâz Dîn-Allâh has it rebuilt, this time reducing it in size. This building and its Fatimid architectural style is still extant today, as are the seven doors on the north side of the Mosque. (431)

It should be pointed out that, when Al-Qods was under the occupation of the Crusaders, part of the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ was converted into a church as well as an accommodation area for the Templars and storage space for their arms. However, when Salâhuddîn conquered Al-Qods, he had this mosque put back into its proper use after its dome had been covered with mosaic of the highest quality and after a wooden minbar (sermon chair) with ivory inlays had been brought all the way from Halab and set in this mosque as a symbol of the glory of Islam. (432) In 614 A.H. / 1217 A.D, King Al-Mu'addham 'خssa built an extension to this mosque consisting of a gallery whose seven arcades open onto the seven doors of the Mosque. The Mamelukes and, later on, the Ottomans all contributed their own share of restoration of extension as far as the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ is concerned. However, this mosque's original architectural style as an Ayyubid masterpiece has been preserved throughout the ages.

Extensive restoration work had been undertaken to consolidate the cupola and the rest of the building, and further work was executed in the 1357-1363 A.H. / 1938-1943 A.D. period to restore the east gallery and the middle gallery under the aegis of the Supreme Islamic Council. Further restoration is in progress under the supervision of the Commission for the Maintenance and the Restoration of the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ and the Mosque of the Rock. (433)

As it is today, the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ has generally kept its initial structure and decorations although it was restored a number of times and despite the fact that a large part of it had been built all over in the Mameluke and the Ottoman eras. The architecture of this mosque makes it a masterpiece whose delicate balance between simplicity and restrained grandeur is rarely achieved 431. Palestine Encyclopedia (1984), Vol. 1, p. 203. Mou'nis Hussein, Ibid., p. 187. According to Mou'nis, the Mosque was destroyed by an earthquake in 210 A.H. and rebuilt by Abdullah bin Tâhir.

432. Cf. Sa'd Kawâkibî's article in Studies in the History and Monuments of Palestine (University of Halab, 1984), p. 91-101.

433. Palestine Encyclopedia.

in the architecture of other mosques. Much of its grandeur is instilled by the immensity of the prayer hall, so much so that its architect must have felt that the simplicity of a wooden ceiling was quite enough to enhance the effect. (434) On August 28, 1969, the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ was barbarously attacked and profaned by the Israelis, who also set fire to it. However, the Commission for the Restoration of Al-Qods, the population of the city, and Arabs and Muslims worldwide have all promptly reacted; hence they made it possible to contain the situation and to restore the burned part of the mosque. (435)

In sum, the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ is a holy place for Muslims worldwide. The early Muslims faced towards it as they recited their daily prayers; hence the common reference to this Mosque as "the First Qibla". Moreover, to all Muslims, it is the Third Holiest Place after Makkah and Al-Madîna for, as implied in the reference by Muslims to this Mosque as "the Mosque of Al-Isrâ' and Al-Mi'râj", it was from this place that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ascended to Heaven on his burâq or winged horse. Accordingly, this Mosque has played such an important role throughout history in the spiritual, social, cultural, and political life in Palestine and the Arab and Muslim world.

Al-Haram Al-Shareef (the Holy Esplanade) contains both the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque of Al-Aqsâ in addition to various memorial monuments such as the domes, the fountains, and the galeries. Various minarets were erected and positioned so as to overlook Al-Haram Al-Shareef; some of these are the Minaret of Bâb Al-Asbât, the Minaret of Bâb As-Silsila, and the Minaret of Bâb Al-Ghawânima. Likewise, various gates were set and designed to lead to Al-Haram Al-Shareef; some of these are Bâb Hitta, Bâb Al-'Utm, Bâb Al-Qattânîn, Bâb An-Nâdhir, Bâb Al-Ghawânima, Bâb Al-Mathara, Bâb As-Silsila, Bâb Al-Maghâriba, and Bâb Al-Asbât.

II. Christian Holy Places

Christians started building churches and other holy places in the fourth century A.D., when Constantine in A.D. 325 had three churches built in Palestine, the most important of them being the Resurrection Church. This construction contains a churchyard, the Remembrance Church, as well as another church. The second church built by Constantine was the Eleona Sanctuary on the Mount of Olives; and the third was in Bethlehem.

434. Mou'nis Hussein, Ibid., p. 188.

435. Najm Al-Ra'if, Ibid., p. 28.

Al-'Aref, A History of Al-Haram Al-Qodsî.

The most important of the fifth-century A.D. churches is the St. John Church, which still stands in the centre of the city. There are also other holy places bearing the name of the Christ, or that of Mary the Virgin, or names of the Christian saints. Among the holy places built in this early era is St. Stephen Church, which draws a great deal of Christian pilgrims. This church is located north of Bâb Dimashq (the Gate of Damascus). (436)

436. Encyclopedia Britannica (1970), Vol. 12, p. 1009. I.