Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine on the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif) in Jerusalem, completed in 691-692 CE by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik. It is an octagonal building crowned by a prominent gilded dome and one of the earliest major monuments of Islamic architecture.

The structure encloses the Foundation Stone, a rock venerated in Islamic tradition as the point of the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey and ascent, and also regarded as sacred in Jewish tradition. The shrine’s exterior and interior feature mosaics, marble and inscriptions and it forms the visual centrepiece of the Temple Mount precinct, which also includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The building was erected in the late 7th century and has undergone multiple restorations and decorative changes by successive Muslim and other authorities over the centuries. It sits on the elevated Temple Mount within Jerusalem’s Old City, close to the Western Wall and the city’s other major holy sites.

• Date and significance: Constructed in 691-692 CE, it is one of the oldest surviving Islamic monuments and a landmark feature of the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif complex.
• Visiting restrictions: Non-Muslim visitors may access the Temple Mount at limited times but are traditionally not permitted to pray on the platform; visiting rules are set by local authorities.

What to See #

• Foundation Stone: The exposed rock at the building's centre, revered in Islamic tradition as the place of the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and significant in Jewish tradition as the Foundation Stone.
• Haram al-Sharif: The elevated Haram al-Sharif platform of which the shrine is the dominant and most visually prominent structure, adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.