Dome of the Rock Jerusalem
Dome of the Rock - Jerusalem
Jerusalem's
Dome of the Rock isn't a mosque but literally a dome covering a rock.
After conquering Jerusalem in the 7th century, the 9th Islamic Caliph, Abd
al-Malik built the Dome of the Rock on the
Temple Mount, the high flat area of Jerusalem
where the first and second temples had stood.
Dome of the Rock is made of wood but its facade is actually porcelain, which simply sits on the Dome of the Rock's octagonal marble base. The gold-covered dome is fairly new, as it was covered with lead until 1963, and then with gold-colored aluminum until 1993.
Travel Tip
Non-Muslims cannot enter the Dome of the Rock and can only access the Temple Mount area via the access ramp from the Western Wall Plaza down below. The security check on the access ramp is tight and your bags will be searched for both dangerous and non-Islamic materials. If any of the latter is found, you will have to leave it with the soldiers and make a 1/2 mile loop to the north to pick it up (you cannot exit the Temple Mount area via the same ramp that connects the Temple Mount to the Western Wall Plaza).
Dome of the Rock is made of wood but its facade is actually porcelain, which simply sits on the Dome of the Rock's octagonal marble base. The gold-covered dome is fairly new, as it was covered with lead until 1963, and then with gold-colored aluminum until 1993.
Travel Tip
Non-Muslims cannot enter the Dome of the Rock and can only access the Temple Mount area via the access ramp from the Western Wall Plaza down below. The security check on the access ramp is tight and your bags will be searched for both dangerous and non-Islamic materials. If any of the latter is found, you will have to leave it with the soldiers and make a 1/2 mile loop to the north to pick it up (you cannot exit the Temple Mount area via the same ramp that connects the Temple Mount to the Western Wall Plaza).