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Temple Mount - Dome of the Rock - Jerusalem Travel Information
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Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel, also known as Mount Moriah, is where the first temple was built by King Solomon, and is where the second temple was built by King Herod, which gave the compound its current structure. Since the seventh century there are two main Muslim structures on the mountain – the El Aktzah mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The Temple Mount is the holiest place for Jews, and is the third holiest place for Muslims (after Mecca and Medina.
The Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount (in Arab: "Qubt el-Sahara") is the most ancient Muslim building in the world. The structure, which is located in the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem, Israel, exists today more or less in its original form.
The Dome of the Rock was built in the year of 691 by the Calif Abd El-Malek. The Dome (much to most people's surprise) is not a Mosque at all. The Mosque, where people pray, is called El-Aktza Mosque, and is also located in the Temple Mount compound. The name "Omar Mosque", in which the dome is sometimes known as, is also a mistake, and the real Omar Mosque is located near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
According to Muslim belief, the Dome of the Rock is where Muhammad ascended to the skies after the "night journey" (el asraa) from Mecca to the Temple Mount. According to the Koran, Muhammad went to sleep in a cave, and from that cave he was taken by the angel Gabriel to meet Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. During this ascent Muhammad saw the Heaven, the Hell and the faith awaiting mortals after death.
According to Muslim Belief, you can today still see Muhammad's footprints in the rock, and that the source of two hairs locked in a cupboard are from the prophet's beard. It is possible to enter the cave at the center of the Dome of the Rock, where you can see an opening in the ceiling, through with Muhammad ascended to the heavens.
We should mention that the place where Muhammad ascended is only mentioned in the Koran as the El-Aktzah mosque (the furthest mosque), and in the Koran there is no mention of Jerusalem (not even in other places in the Koran).
Temple Mount in Jewish Tradition
The Jewish tradition sees the rock inside the Dome of the Rock as the "Foundation Stone" from which the world initiated. This store is also where Abraham almost sacrificed Izack. This location was also the location of the first and second Temples of Jerusalem.
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