City Spotlight
Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock (Qubbatus Saqqara or Masjid Sakhara) is actually part of Masjid al-Aqsa compound. This structure was built by Caliph Abd al-Malik from 685 to 692 CE and houses the sacred rock or cave from which it is believed the Prophet Muhammed (ﷺ) ascended to heaven (Mi’raj) after the night journey to Jerusalem (Isra’). Some scholars believe that the angel Israfeel (عليه السلام) will blow the soor (trumpet) from this place to herald the Day of Judgement. When the Dome of the Rock was originally built, there was a surplus of 100,000 gold dinars left from the budget. Caliph Abd al-Malik decided to have these dinars melted down and turned into plates to cover the dome. Almost 400 years later, the dome was severely damaged by an earthquake and the plates were replaced by blackened lead. In 1994 King Hussein donated the money to have it replaced with the gold plated metal we see today. The dome is topped by a full moon decoration which is aligned so that if you could look through it, you would be looking straight towards Makkah.
