The Dome of the Rock: the historical, political and religious motivations behind its construction.

Abstract

THE DOME OF THE ROCK: THE HISTORICAL, POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS MOTIVATIONS BEHIND ITS CONSTRUCTION Greg Clark April 11 , 2012 This thesis provides a hypothesis as to why the Dome of the Rock was built. I examine various scholarly theories concerning the construction of the first notable work of Islamic architecture, which was built in Jerusalem during the last decade of the ih century CE. I argue that historic events and individuals, beginning in pre-Islamic Arabia and running through the establishment of the Umayyad caliphate at Damascus, acted as catalysts for the building's creation. It is my thesis that the construction of the Dome of the Rock was a potent weapon in the war of propaganda between rival Islamic factions, all of whom recognized the unique architectural heritage of Jerusalem that included both Christian and Jewish structures, foremost among them the site of the destroyed Solomonic Temple where the Dome of the Rock would be built.