Product Description

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is one of the holiest places on earth to Muslims, Christians and Jews. Occupying a vast area in the Old City, it enshrines the Sacred Rock, the focus of pilgrimage for all three religions. Although built in 692 AD to commemorate the Prophet Muhammad's flight from Mecca to Jerusalem, the mosque is also associated with sacred Christian events and numerous Jewish historical traditions and memories. This work is a visual documentation of the monument with photographs accompanied by a range of essays and historical travellers' tales. The history, art, architecture, and cultural and religious significance of the building is also explored.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1316178 in Books
• Published on: 1996-09-15
• Released on: 1996-09-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 175 pages

Amazon.com Review
One of the most splendid achievements of holy architecture anywhere in the world, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City is sacred to Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike. Its octagonal structure is adorned with carved marble and brilliantly colored ceramic tile, and its golden dome is the highlight of the city's skyline. Sumptuous color photography captures the glory of both exterior and interior--glass windows, lush mosaics, porphyritic columns, and exquisitely detailed carpets. In combination with a bibliography, glossary of Arabic terms, and scholarly introduction exploring the cultural and religious significance of the building, this book presents the most comprehensive and satisfying visual documentation of this magnificent structure ever published.

From Library Journal
A study of Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock, among the holiest of places for Muslims, Christians, and Jews, this beautiful book combines superb photography and clear, scholarly writing. Grabar (Sch. of Historical Studies, Inst. for Advanced Studies, Princeton) describes the dimensions and physical attributes of the building, the beliefs and practices associated with it, and the source of the decorative features. The writing is supported by the excellent photographs of architectural photographer Nuseibeh, who collaborated on The Shape of the Holy (Princeton Univ., 1996) with Grabar. Nuseibeh describes the mosaics of the dome, supplies translations of the inscriptions, and discusses the problems of photographing the area. The volume brings to life one of the most glorious architectural achievements of the Umayyad dynasty and one that is at the center of recent conflicts in the region. This volume deserves to be in every public and academic library.?Martin Chasin, Adult Inst. Bridgeport, Ct.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
It is possible to get bogged down in the commentary that accompanies this presentation of one of Jerusalem's most distinguished buildings. That is too bad. It is possible, also, to be slowed down--indeed, stopped dead in one's browsing tracks--by Nuseibeh's extremely careful photographs of the place. That is not bad at all. The Dome of the Rock commemorates many things, including a central Islamic mystical event, the Night Journey of the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem. On account of this association, it is one of the most visited sites in Islam. With its shining golden outer dome, richly tiled walls, and mosaic-laden interiors upheld by gleaming marble columns, it constitutes a treasury of Islamic sacred decor, which is almost completely nonobjective. Nuseibeh's colorplates afford many closer views of details than could be enjoyed on the site itself, and perhaps better perspectives and panoramas of the shrine and its surroundings, as well. A genuinely stunning art book. Ray Olson

Customer Reviews

wonderful pictures, binding interferes with spreads
On October 30, 1999, I happened to go into the Rizzoli Bookstore in San Francisco and learned there was an exhibit of photographs from this book. The photographs are wonderful.

But as for the book (hardbound), the binding interferes with the enjoyment of the photos. Many of the photos are two-page spreads with the photo crossing the gutter. I could not open the book flat enough to see what was in the gutter.

While this book has sewn signatures, they seem to have been glued onto a hard strip that limits flexibility. BOOKS DO NOT HAVE TO BE BOUND LIKE THIS!!!

The Dome of the Rock
I thought the pictures were great. Not only were they large--some covering two pages of this oversized book, but the pictures showed a representative sample of nearly every surface inside and outside of the Dome of the Rock. This book is overkill if all you want is touristy pictures, but an art historian would love this book.