Dome of the Rock: A shared origin of three faiths

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Dome of the Rock: A shared origin of three faiths

Published: 30 Jun. 2025, 00:05 Updated: 30 Jun. 2025, 13:57

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Kim Bong-ryeol

The author is an architect and professor emeritus at Korea National University of Arts.

Jerusalem’s Temple Mount is one of the most spiritually charged locations in the world. Revered by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — collectively known as the Abrahamic religions — it is the site where foundational narratives of each faith intersect. All three trace their spiritual lineage to Abraham, and it is believed that it was on this flat, rocky hill where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

For Jews, the site once housed Solomon’s Temple, where the Ark of the Covenant was enshrined. Muslims believe it was from this rock that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven during the Mi'raj, his night journey.

After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE, they constructed a pagan temple on the ruins. Following the Islamic conquest of Jerusalem, Abd al-Malik, the Umayyad caliph, built a shrine in 692 to protect and commemorate the sacred rock. That structure, known today as the Dome of the Rock, stands as the oldest surviving Islamic building and one of Jerusalem’s most iconic landmarks.

A panoramic view of the Dome of the Rock. [KIM BONG-RYEOL]

The shrine’s architectural layout consists of a central rock encased in a cylindrical drum, covered by a 20-meter-wide, 35-meter-high dome. Surrounding this core is an octagonal ambulatory. One of the walls of this eight-sided arcade measures 18 meters wide and 11 meters high, mirroring the proportions of the central drum and dome. The design likely drew inspiration from Byzantine church architecture, particularly the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built in the fourth century.

The structure’s lower exterior walls are clad in marble in keeping with Roman traditions. In contrast, the upper sections are adorned with intricate blue-toned mosaics added during the Ottoman period in the 16th century. These decorations reflect Islamic aesthetics. While the architectural form is rooted in Christian tradition, the ornamental elements express Islamic artistry. In 1993, the dome — once covered in lead — was gilded with 80 kilograms of gold funded by King Hussein of Jordan.

Inside, the shrine glows with gold Qur'anic calligraphy and green vegetal motifs rendered in mosaic. Light filters in softly through windows in the upper drum, illuminating the high dome ceiling meant to evoke the heavens. The atmosphere suggests a celestial peace radiating over the rock below.

In a city long divided by faith and politics, the Dome of the Rock stands as a reminder of shared origins. May Shalom, Pax and Salam — peace in Hebrew, Latin and Arabic — prevail for all.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.