Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

The First Islamic Monument Kubbet’üs-Sahra (Dome of the Rock): A New Proposition

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 135 - 147, 01.06.2017

Abstract

Holy places have an important part in people’s lives as areas in which belief in
a way becomes visualized. Jerusalem appears as the holiest common area for
Judaism, Christianity and Islam which are referred to as Abrahamic religions.
In Grabar’s words, the city which has become the symbol of Palestine
nationalism embodies significant places, structures and stories for all three
religions.
For Muslims, the city is important since it is the first kiblah and due to the belief
that the event of Isra referred to in Qur’an/night journey and Ascension (of the
prophet Mohammed) have taken place in Jerusalem. As a result of the effect of
this belief, the structure which was to be named Kubbet’üs-Sahra (Dome of the
Rock) was built in the holiest point of Jerusalem in 692. Researchers who have
analyzed the period and the structure suggest three different views as to why
the structure was built. These can be expressed as follows: 1- It was built in the
memory of Prophet Mohammed’s ascension; 2-Caliph Abd al-Malik got very
excited upon seeing the Church of Ascension when he came to Jerusalem which
was built by the order of Justinian and wished to have a similar structure built
on a rock to prevent Muslims from being affected by the church; 3- The wish to
have a structure built in Jerusalem which could compete with the Ka’bah and
pilgrimage journey. 

The most researched point by the researchers along with why the structure was
built is the origin of the plan of the structure. Noting that it was impossible for
Muslims who did not have an art tradition to have built such a structure, it is
suggested that the source of the plan was obtained from the Roman-Byzantium
repertoire. What is more, the ornamentation technique and compositions are
used to support this view. A new view on the origin argues in the favor of the
legendary mausoleums of the ancient Arab kings which were built in Yemen
area. The lack of a historical document indicates that this issue will be
discussed for a long time to come.
In this abstract titled The first Islamic Monument Kubbet’üs-Sahra (Dome of
the Rock): A New Proposition, current discussions and views on the structure
will briefly be presented and the subject will be dealt in terms of the cultural
environment of the period and Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik. A new evaluation
will be presented on Kubbet’üs-Sahra which can without doubt be defined as
the most controversial structure not only in Islamic art, but also in terms of the
cultural history of the world. 

References

  • Al-Muqaddesi (1906), Ahsan al-Takasim fi Ma’rifatü’l Akalim, (Ed. M. J de Goeje), Editio Secundo, Leiden Aycan, İ. ve İ. Sarıçam (1993), Emevîler, TDV Yayınları, Ankara. Blair, Shelia S. ve J. M. Bloom (2014), “Dome of the Rock”, Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, (ed.R. C. Martin), Thomson-Gale, New York, 2014, pp..183-185. Bloom, Jonathan M. [1993]. “On the Transmission of Design in Early Islamic Architecture”, Muqarnas, Vol.10, Essay in Honor of Oleg Grabar, Brill, pp.21-28. Buhl, F. (1997), “Kudüs”, MEB İslam Ansiklopedisi, 6, Eskişehir, ss. 952-964. Browne, Edith A. (1912), Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture, London, 1912 Chen, Doron. (1981), “On the Golden Gate in Jerusalem and the Baptistery at Emmaus-Nicopolis”, Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins [1953-], Deutscher Verein zur Erforschung Palästinas, Bd.97, H.2, pp.171-177. Creswell, Keppel Archibald Cameron. (1958), A Short Account of Early Muslim Architecture, A Pelican Book, Great Britain. Ćurčic, Slobodan. (1993), “Late-Antique Palaces: The Meaning of Urban Context”, Ars Orientalis, Vol.23, pp.67-90. Donner, Fred M. [1986], “The Formation of The Islamic State”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol.106, No.2, American Oriental Society, pp. 283-296. Dvornik, Francis. (1990). Konsiller Tarihi. İznik’ten II. Vatikan’a, [Çev. M. Aydın], Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi, Ankara. Gibb, A.R. (1958), “Arab-Byzantine Relations under the Umayyad Caliphate”, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol.12, pp.219+221-233. Goitein, Solomon Dov. (1950), “The Historical Background of the Erection of the Dome of the Rock”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol.70, No.2, American Oriental Society, pp. 104- 108. Goitein, Solomon Dov and Oleg Grabar. (2007), “Jerusalem (al-Kuds)”, Historic Cities of The Islamic World, (Haz. C. E. Bosworth), Brill, Leiden, Boston, pp. 224-255. Goldhill, Simon. (2011), Kudüs Tapınağı. Yahudi, Hıristiyan ve Müslümanlar için kutsal olan bir sitenin olağandışı tarihi, (çev. İ. Şener), Doruk, İstanbul. Grabar, Oleg. (1964), “Islamic Art and Byzantium”, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol.18, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, pp. 67-88. Grabar, Oleg. (1988), İslam Sanatının Oluşumu, (Çev. N. Yavuz), 1. Baskı, Hürriyet Vakfı Yayınları, İstanbul, 1988. Grabar, Oleg. (2006), The Dome of the Rock, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge Gül, M. (2005), “The First Masterpiece of The Islamic Art Kubbat Al-Sakhra and Historical Backround”, Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt 15, Sayı 1, Elazığ 2005,pp. 289- 298. Harman, Ömer Faruk (2002), “Kudüs”, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, XXVI, Ankara, pp.323-327 Hitti, Philip Khûri. (1916), The Origins of the Islamic State. Kitâb Futûh al-Buldân of Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladuri, Columbia Univeristy, New York Humpreys, R.Stephen [1991]. Islamic History. A Framework for Inquiry, Revised Edition, London and New York, 1991. İslam, M.A. and Z. F. Al-Hamad (2007), “The Dome od the Rock: Origin of Its Octagonal Plan”, Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 139, 2, pp.109-128. Johns, J. [2003]. “Archaeology and the History of Early Islam: The First Seventy Years”, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 46/4, 2003: 411-436. Kessler, Christel. (1970), “Abd Al-Malik’s Inscription in the Dome of the Rock: A Reconsideration”, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, No.1, Cambridge University Press, pp. 2-14. Khalek, Nancy (2011), “Jerusalem in Medieval Islamic Tradition”, Religion Compass, 5/10, pp.624- 630. Khoury, Nuha, N.N. (1993), “The Dome of the Rock, The Ka’ba, and Ghumdan: Arab Myths and Umayyad Monuments”, Muqarnas, Vol.10, Essay in Honor of Oleg Grabar, pp.57-65. Lapidus, Ira M. (2002), İslâm Toplumları Tarihi, Cilt I: Hazreti Muhammed’den 19. Yüzyıla, İletişim Yayınları, İstanbul. Le Strange, Guy (1887), “Description of the Noble Sanctuary of Jerusalemin 1470 A.D. by Kemâl (Shams)ad Din as Suyûtî”, The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, New Series, Vol.19, No.2, Cambridge University Press, pp.247-305. Livne-Kafri, Ofer. (2006), “Jerusalem in Early Islam: The Eschatological Aspect”, Arabica, Brill, 53/3, pp. 382-403. Milwright, Marcus (2016), The Dome of the Rock and Its Incriptions”, (ed. R. Hillenbrand), Edinburg Studies in Islamic Art, Edinburg. Mintz, J. (2010), The Umayyad Dome of the Rock A Historical Narrative Through Architecture Najm, Ra’ef (2001), “Islamic Architectural Character of Jerusalem: With Special Description of te alAksa and the Dome of the Rock”, Islamic Studies, Vol.40, No.3/4, Special Issue, Jerusalem, pp.721-734. Petersen, A. (1999), “Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra)”, Dictionary of Islamic Architecture, New York, p.69 Rabbat, Nasser. (1989), “The Meaning of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock”, Muqarnas, 6, pp. 12-21. Rabbat, Nasser. (1993), “The Dome of the Rock Revisited: Some Remarks on al-Wasiti’s Accounts”, Muqarnas, Vol.10, Essays in Honor of Oleg Grabar, Brill, pp. 67-75. Sırma, İ. S. (1991), Hilafetten Saltanata Emeviler Dönemi, Doğan Ofset, İstanbul Schick, Robert. (1998), “Archaeological Sources for the History of Palestine: Palestine in the Early Islamic Period: Luxuriant Legacy”, Near Eastern Archaeology, Vol.61, No.2: 74-108. Shalem, Avinoam (1997), “Jewels and Journeys: The Case of the Medieval Gemstone Called alYatima”, Muqarnas, Vol.14, pp.42-56. Sırma, İ. S. (1991), Hilafetten Saltanata Emeviler Dönemi, Doğan Ofset, İstanbul. Sporty, Lawrence D. (1991), “The Location of the Holy House of Herod’s Temple: Evidence from the Post-Destruction Period”, The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol.54, No.1, American School of Oriental Research, pp. 28-35. Whelan, Estelle (1988), “Forgotten Witness: Evidence for the Early Codification of the Qur’an”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 118, No.1, pp.1-14. Yıldız, H. D. (1988), “Abdülmelik b. Mervan”, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 1, İstanbul, pp. 266-270. Zetterstéen, K. V. (1999), “Abdülmelik", MEB İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 1, Eskişehir, pp. 95-97.
Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 135 - 147, 01.06.2017

Abstract

References

  • Al-Muqaddesi (1906), Ahsan al-Takasim fi Ma’rifatü’l Akalim, (Ed. M. J de Goeje), Editio Secundo, Leiden Aycan, İ. ve İ. Sarıçam (1993), Emevîler, TDV Yayınları, Ankara. Blair, Shelia S. ve J. M. Bloom (2014), “Dome of the Rock”, Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, (ed.R. C. Martin), Thomson-Gale, New York, 2014, pp..183-185. Bloom, Jonathan M. [1993]. “On the Transmission of Design in Early Islamic Architecture”, Muqarnas, Vol.10, Essay in Honor of Oleg Grabar, Brill, pp.21-28. Buhl, F. (1997), “Kudüs”, MEB İslam Ansiklopedisi, 6, Eskişehir, ss. 952-964. Browne, Edith A. (1912), Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture, London, 1912 Chen, Doron. (1981), “On the Golden Gate in Jerusalem and the Baptistery at Emmaus-Nicopolis”, Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins [1953-], Deutscher Verein zur Erforschung Palästinas, Bd.97, H.2, pp.171-177. Creswell, Keppel Archibald Cameron. (1958), A Short Account of Early Muslim Architecture, A Pelican Book, Great Britain. Ćurčic, Slobodan. (1993), “Late-Antique Palaces: The Meaning of Urban Context”, Ars Orientalis, Vol.23, pp.67-90. Donner, Fred M. [1986], “The Formation of The Islamic State”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol.106, No.2, American Oriental Society, pp. 283-296. Dvornik, Francis. (1990). Konsiller Tarihi. İznik’ten II. Vatikan’a, [Çev. M. Aydın], Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi, Ankara. Gibb, A.R. (1958), “Arab-Byzantine Relations under the Umayyad Caliphate”, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol.12, pp.219+221-233. Goitein, Solomon Dov. (1950), “The Historical Background of the Erection of the Dome of the Rock”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol.70, No.2, American Oriental Society, pp. 104- 108. Goitein, Solomon Dov and Oleg Grabar. (2007), “Jerusalem (al-Kuds)”, Historic Cities of The Islamic World, (Haz. C. E. Bosworth), Brill, Leiden, Boston, pp. 224-255. Goldhill, Simon. (2011), Kudüs Tapınağı. Yahudi, Hıristiyan ve Müslümanlar için kutsal olan bir sitenin olağandışı tarihi, (çev. İ. Şener), Doruk, İstanbul. Grabar, Oleg. (1964), “Islamic Art and Byzantium”, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol.18, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, pp. 67-88. Grabar, Oleg. (1988), İslam Sanatının Oluşumu, (Çev. N. Yavuz), 1. Baskı, Hürriyet Vakfı Yayınları, İstanbul, 1988. Grabar, Oleg. (2006), The Dome of the Rock, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge Gül, M. (2005), “The First Masterpiece of The Islamic Art Kubbat Al-Sakhra and Historical Backround”, Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt 15, Sayı 1, Elazığ 2005,pp. 289- 298. Harman, Ömer Faruk (2002), “Kudüs”, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, XXVI, Ankara, pp.323-327 Hitti, Philip Khûri. (1916), The Origins of the Islamic State. Kitâb Futûh al-Buldân of Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladuri, Columbia Univeristy, New York Humpreys, R.Stephen [1991]. Islamic History. A Framework for Inquiry, Revised Edition, London and New York, 1991. İslam, M.A. and Z. F. Al-Hamad (2007), “The Dome od the Rock: Origin of Its Octagonal Plan”, Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 139, 2, pp.109-128. Johns, J. [2003]. “Archaeology and the History of Early Islam: The First Seventy Years”, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 46/4, 2003: 411-436. Kessler, Christel. (1970), “Abd Al-Malik’s Inscription in the Dome of the Rock: A Reconsideration”, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, No.1, Cambridge University Press, pp. 2-14. Khalek, Nancy (2011), “Jerusalem in Medieval Islamic Tradition”, Religion Compass, 5/10, pp.624- 630. Khoury, Nuha, N.N. (1993), “The Dome of the Rock, The Ka’ba, and Ghumdan: Arab Myths and Umayyad Monuments”, Muqarnas, Vol.10, Essay in Honor of Oleg Grabar, pp.57-65. Lapidus, Ira M. (2002), İslâm Toplumları Tarihi, Cilt I: Hazreti Muhammed’den 19. Yüzyıla, İletişim Yayınları, İstanbul. Le Strange, Guy (1887), “Description of the Noble Sanctuary of Jerusalemin 1470 A.D. by Kemâl (Shams)ad Din as Suyûtî”, The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, New Series, Vol.19, No.2, Cambridge University Press, pp.247-305. Livne-Kafri, Ofer. (2006), “Jerusalem in Early Islam: The Eschatological Aspect”, Arabica, Brill, 53/3, pp. 382-403. Milwright, Marcus (2016), The Dome of the Rock and Its Incriptions”, (ed. R. Hillenbrand), Edinburg Studies in Islamic Art, Edinburg. Mintz, J. (2010), The Umayyad Dome of the Rock A Historical Narrative Through Architecture Najm, Ra’ef (2001), “Islamic Architectural Character of Jerusalem: With Special Description of te alAksa and the Dome of the Rock”, Islamic Studies, Vol.40, No.3/4, Special Issue, Jerusalem, pp.721-734. Petersen, A. (1999), “Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra)”, Dictionary of Islamic Architecture, New York, p.69 Rabbat, Nasser. (1989), “The Meaning of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock”, Muqarnas, 6, pp. 12-21. Rabbat, Nasser. (1993), “The Dome of the Rock Revisited: Some Remarks on al-Wasiti’s Accounts”, Muqarnas, Vol.10, Essays in Honor of Oleg Grabar, Brill, pp. 67-75. Sırma, İ. S. (1991), Hilafetten Saltanata Emeviler Dönemi, Doğan Ofset, İstanbul Schick, Robert. (1998), “Archaeological Sources for the History of Palestine: Palestine in the Early Islamic Period: Luxuriant Legacy”, Near Eastern Archaeology, Vol.61, No.2: 74-108. Shalem, Avinoam (1997), “Jewels and Journeys: The Case of the Medieval Gemstone Called alYatima”, Muqarnas, Vol.14, pp.42-56. Sırma, İ. S. (1991), Hilafetten Saltanata Emeviler Dönemi, Doğan Ofset, İstanbul. Sporty, Lawrence D. (1991), “The Location of the Holy House of Herod’s Temple: Evidence from the Post-Destruction Period”, The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol.54, No.1, American School of Oriental Research, pp. 28-35. Whelan, Estelle (1988), “Forgotten Witness: Evidence for the Early Codification of the Qur’an”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 118, No.1, pp.1-14. Yıldız, H. D. (1988), “Abdülmelik b. Mervan”, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 1, İstanbul, pp. 266-270. Zetterstéen, K. V. (1999), “Abdülmelik", MEB İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 1, Eskişehir, pp. 95-97.
There are 1 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Erdal Eser

Publication Date June 1, 2017
Submission Date May 24, 2017
Acceptance Date June 25, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2017 Volume: 3 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Eser, E. (2017). The First Islamic Monument Kubbet’üs-Sahra (Dome of the Rock): A New Proposition. PESA Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 3(2), 135-147.

This website was licenced under Creative Commons 4.0 International Licence.