Comparison Essay on Architectural History of a Building
Introduction
The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat as‐Sakhrah) is a religious edifice structure built in the7th century that is located in Jerusalem. It was built by Caliph Abd al‐Malik, the Umayyad. This edifice is not a mosque, but may be described as a Muslim shrine. Like the Mecca Ka'ba, the Dome of the Rock is built on a sacred stone. It is widely believed to be the place from which Muhammad the prophet ascended into heaven in the process of his night journey into heaven. The sacred stone over which this edifice is built was long considered sacred even before Islam as a religion emerged. The Jews believed and still believe that the Dome of the Rock is the place where Abraham prepared the sacrifice of his son Isaac. Other historical texts, however, indicate that Abd al‐Malik's building was built for more delicate and complex reasons than religious ones. From an architectural perspective, the building provides numerous subjects for analysis. For example, it features diaphragm arches, vaults, and ribbed cross ceilings, that make it similar to ancient Roman and Syrian architecture. It bears architectural features that are not common for Islamic religious structures. The Dome of the Rock may be analyzedregarding six principle categories. These categories can provide a better understanding of this building and its context as well as its purpose and significance at the time in which it was built. These categories also help to distinguish the building from buildings that are similar to it in era, context and style. A comparative analysis of “The Dome of the Rock” regarding firmness/ structure, commodity/ function, delight/ form, cultural context, physical context, and the historical context shows that it is a monument more suited for pilgrimages and differs from mosques.
Firmness/ Structure
The Dome of the Rock differs from mosques in its firmness and structure. Unlike mosques that feature Islamic architecture, it features a successful eclectic mix of Partho-Sassanian traditions with Late Roman ones. The structural composition of the Dome of the Rock is significantly improved by the use of diaphragm arches, vaults, and ribbed cross ceilings (see figure 1). These features and other structural characteristics of the building make it a monument rather than a mosque. In comparison with Islamic architecture, this building is unique.It also has similarities to late tradition architecture from Syria. It is comparable to the Bosra Cathedral in southern Syria. Its diaphragm arches comprise of a self-standing arch that is located transversally in the room. This arch helps to reduce the room ceiling span considerably. This reduction helps in supporting the weight of the roof. Barrel vaults are used on the arch as well as the perimeter walls. The use of diaphragm arches and lintelled ceilings was borrowed from early Parthian and Mesopotamian styles. The ribbed cross ceilings serve the same purpose as the diaphragm arches- to support the areas of the roof that are not supported directly by pillars.The use of brick barrel vaults that do not have centering are also used. They comprise of rings of bricks that are laid vertically but leaning to one side (see the leaning bricks on the arches in figure 1). This approach of brick-laying improves stability in vaults and arches, but not on pillars or walls. Quick-setting gypsum mortar was used to join the bricks together. Regarding building technique, the Dome of the Rock employs the classical design of a circular dome placed over a square base. This design has roots in the philosophies of Plato and Pythagoras, who viewed the circle as a symbol of perfection- with no beginning or end, the heavens and the eternal. The square reflected the earth because it has four cardinal points of a compass.
Figure 1: Interior of the Dome of the Rock (Source: http://sacredsites.com/middle_east/israel/dome_of_the_rock.html)
Commodity/ Function
With regards to function, the Dome of the Rock differs slightly from mosques. It was built largely for religious reasons but its construction was also arguably done for political reasons. Also, unlike the ordinary mosques, this shrine has a rock that is considered sacred. A close analysis of historical accounts shows that Dome of the Rock is different from mosques (which are built solely for religious reasons) in many regards. The city of Jerusalem has strong Christian as well as Jewish traditions. According to religious texts are known as the “Fada'ilal-Bayt-al-Muqaddas,” Mount Moriah, where the Dome is located, was a sacred place that God designated specifically for the construction of His Holy House. The texts further indicate that God entrusted the job of creating this house to Solomon. From these religious accounts, it is clear that the Rock itself is considered as the second location on earth that God created. Islamic texts claim that The Dome of the Rock was built in commemoration of the Ascension of Muhammad to heaven after his night journey ending in Jerusalem. Other historical texts indicate that Abd al‐Malik's purpose for the building was more subtle and complex than mere religious reason. He wanted to build a beautiful Islamic building that could compete with the grand churches of Christendom. He wanted it to make a statement to Jews and Christians regarding a new faith of Islam that was “superior.” The building is decorated with jewel and crown motifs from the Sassanid and Byzantine Empires that have quote inscriptions from the Quran that make references to Jesus and Mohammed as envoys from God. Oleg Grabar, an expert in Islamic monument and religious buildings, explores these allusions further in his book. Although the building could have been constructed because of political reasons, it is obvious that it has religious significance to Christians and Jews, but most importantly to Muslims. This building differs from mosques because despite being similarly-shaped, it has significance to more than one religion. It has significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Delight/ form
The third aspect of the Dome of the Rock that sets it apart from Islamic mosques is its delight/ form. This quality explains how the building looks like in shape, applied ornaments, decorative aspects or exterior expression. The special attention to detail and dedication of advanced architectural design in this shrine transcends that of the ordinary mosque (note the decorated exterior of the Dome (figure 2). The dome as an extraordinary visual impact that is largely attributable to the mathematical rhythm of all of its proportions. All of the building’s critical dimensions are linked to its center circle surrounding the sacred rock (see figure 1). Each of the walls is exactly 67 feet long. This length is also the length of the diameter a well as its height from the drum’s base. The dome is mounted on an octagon-shaped arcade that has 24 piers as well as columns. An exposed section of the sacred rock situated beneath the dome is protected by a railing. There is a stairway leading to a natural cave under the sacred rock. The building’s outer walls are octagonal in shape. Each of the 8 sides is 18 meters wide and 11 meters high. These same dimension principles were applied to the Byzantine churches of Syria, Italy, and Palestine with the same grand visual effect. The dome of the building also creates a great visual spectacle because it is covered in gold leaf, donated by the late Jordanian King Hussein. Pamela Berger, author of “The Crescent on the Temple” bases her entire book on the features of the Dome on the Rock, particularly the moon shaped crescent at the top of it. The dome bears a full moon decoration that evokes thoughts of the crescent moon used as the symbol of Islam.On top of the dome, there is an inscription of a Quran verse that commemorates Suleiman the Magnificent, who spearheaded the process of restoring the Dome of the Rock to its former glory. The exterior of the shrine is covered in beautiful multicolored Turkish tiles that Suleiman added in 1545 as part of a restoration project. The tiles were added by master potters hired by Suleiman. The lower half of the building’s exterior is made up of white marble. The white marble represents an attempt at improving the form, rather than function of the building. Overall, however, it represents a good mix of form and function.
Cultural Context
The fourth aspect of the Dome of the Rock is its cultural context. After a short period of being under Persian reign, Jerusalem was captured in the year 638 CE, only six years after Muhammad’s death. It was built by Caliph Umar who was a Muslim. After occupying the city, Umar performed cleansing on the Temple Mount. The construction of this building was commissioned by Abd al-Malik, the Marwanid caliph between 685 CE and 705 CE. He was a political leader. The caliph commissioned the construction for religious and political reasons. He wanted Islam to be regarded as highly as the other dominant religions. The construction process was completed with the involvement of a local paid labor force as well as materials. The architects employed a stone and cloisonné technique.
Physical Context
Analyzing the physical context of the building comprises the element of how well the building fits its physical environment. In its environment, the Dome of the Rock is visually more dominant than the neighboring mosques, particularly the al-Aqsa mosque. It is located at the site called Temple Mount. Muslims refer to this area as Al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf. This area is considered highly sacred and has other religious structures such as the al-Aqsa mosque, considered the third holiest place for Muslims. The site also comprises of about forty other historic structures and monuments. Regarding significance, the Dome of the Rock stands out because it is considered the holiest place in that area and the second holiest place for Muslims. The Dome of the Rock also stands out physically from the rest of the structures in the area. Its golden dome contrasts with the dull backdrop of buildings, making it “pop” even when looked at from a long way off. Various accounts provide a vivid description of the golden dome during sunrise and sunset. Even the al-Aqsa mosque, arguable a grand monument as well pales in comparison to the Dome of the Rock. The building stands alone and does not share any walls with nearby buildings (see figure 2 below). The building does not blend in with the rest of the buildings but dominates them from physical as well as religious standpoints.
Figure 2: The Dome of the Rock is a stand-alone-building (source: http://sacredsites.com/middle_east/israel/dome_of_the_rock.html)
Figure 3: al-Aqsa Mosque. (Note the dull-colored dome) (Source: http://www.worldtribune.com/most-jordanian-students-have-never-heard-of-al-aqsa-holy-mosque-in-jerusalem/)
Historical Context
A study of the historical context of the Dome of the Rock reveals that the shrine was built long before the Islam religion emerged. From this perspective, it is evident that the shrine differs from mosques in terms of age. The earliest traces of human civilization in Jerusalem date back to the Early Bronze Age nearly 3000 BC and the Chalcolithic age. Excavation evidence shows that a town once existed on the southern side of Mount Moriah was known as Temple Mount. Mt. Moriah had already emerged as a highly sacred area even before the building of the Dome of the Rock. However, when the shrine was built, no other mosque had been built anywhere in the world. The Dome of the Rock has been modified severally since it construction. One of the most significant face lifts was commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman in the 16th century. This restoration involved replacing exterior mosaics using ceramic tiles. Later in the 20th century, the damaged exterior and interior ornaments were either repaired of fully replaced. The dome was also covered in gold leaf. The dome initially comprised of pure gold. However, during subsequent restorations, it was covered in aluminum and copper, before being covered in gold leaf in the 1545 restoration.
Conclusion
The Dome of the Rock, also known as Qubbat as‐Sakhrah amongst Muslims, is a religious edifice structure built in the 7th century in Jerusalem. It was built by Caliph Abd al‐Malik, the Umayyad. This edifice is not a mosque, but may be described as a Muslim shrine. It differs from mosques in its original and current purpose as well as the architecture used to construct it. The Dome of the Rock may be analyzed using six different aspects of architecture. These include firmness/ structure, commodity/ function, delight/ form, cultural context, physical context, and historical context. These aspects underline the building’s uniqueness and contrast to the Islamic architecture of mosques. Regarding structure, the building features diaphragm arches, vaults, and ribbed cross ceilings. These architectural features highlight its roots in Roman architecture as well as Syrian styles. The shrine has a circular dome placed over a square base, underlining the philosophical doctrines of Plato and Pythagoras. The shrine was built for political as well as religious reasons. It served to announce the emergence of Islam as a dominant religion. In this regard, it differs from mosques, which are built purely for religious reasons. The structure is also embellished with marble, gold leaf, and a mathematical rhythm that is evident in the appealing dimensions. The building stands out from its physical environment not only because of its golden dome but also because of its size. The golden dome contrasts sharply with the dull buildings surrounding it. Visually, it transcends mosques. Historically, the building rests on one of the most sacred regions in the world. The earliest traces of human civilization in Jerusalem date back to the Early Bronze Age nearly 3000 BC and the Chalcolithic age. Excavation evidence shows that a town once existed on the southern side of Mount Moriah was known as Temple Mount. Mt. Moriah had already emerged as a highly sacred area even before the building of the Dome of the Rock. The shrine was built before any mosque ever existed. Overall, the Dome of the Rock is a significant monument that continues to lend itself to architectural analysis. Its analysis reveals that it is not an Islamic mosque, but a shrine or monument with political roots as well as religious purposes.
Bibliography
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Grabar, Oleg. The Formation of Islamic Art. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1973.
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