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10017006354
 The Library
of the

CLAREMONT
SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

1325 North College Avenue

Claremont, CA 91711-3199
1/800-626-7820
 “ Bublisted?
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| Supreme Bhostem Council

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\ BRILE. GUIDE
10

AL-HARAM AL-SHARIF
JERUSALEM

Hublished
by the
Supreme Moslem Council

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 IMPORTANT NOTICE

Visitors should bear in mind that the whole of the Haram

Area, and not only its edifices, is sacred to Moslems; and that
they will be expected to pay due regard to its sanctity. In par-
ticular , they must abstain from smoking anywhere in the Area,
and from bringing dogs with them.
The visiting-hours are from 7.30 a. m. to 11.30 a.m. daily,
(Fridays excepted) and visitors are particulary requested to leave
punctually at 11.30 so as not to hinder the observance of the
midday - prayer..
Admission may best be gained by the gate known as Bab
al-Silsileh. It would save trouble and delay if visitors were to
make it a point of entering the Haram by that gate.

_N.B. The photographs in this Guide are reproduced by courtesy of the

American Colony.
 —4—
THE HARAM.
et

HISTORICAL SKETCH |

The words al-Haram al-Sharif, which can perhaps best be

rendered by “The August Sanctuary”, denote the whole of the
sacred enclosure which it is the object of this Guide to describe.
Its plan is roughly that of a rectangle whose major axis runs from
north to south; its area is approximately 145,000 square metres.
If you wish to have some idea of its extent and to see it whole
before proceeding to examine it in detail, you would be well-
advised to begin your visit by walking to the north-west corner,
and there, ascending the flight of steps which lead up to the
disused building on the right, you will see the whole area spread.
before you. The view shown on the frontispiece (Fig. 1) was
taken, although at a considerable altitude, from the very spot
where you are standing. ; :
The two principal edifices are the Dome of the Rock, on a
raised platform in the middle, and the mosque of al-Aqsa against
the south wall. Other buildings which we shall consider later lie
dotted about here and there. On the left, along the east wall, the
double portals of the Golden Gate appear. On every side, trees
break the prospect, which lend a peculiar charm to the scene.
The site is one of the oldest in the world. Its sanctity dates from
the earliest (perhaps from pre-historic) times. Its identity with the
site of Solomon’s Temple is beyond dispute. This, too, is the
spot, according to the universal belief, on which “ David. built
there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings’. (1)
But, for the purposes of this Guide, which confines itself to
the Moslem period, the starting-point is the year 637 A. D. In that
year, the Caliph Omar occupied Jerusalem and one of his first
acts was to repair to this site, which had already become sacred
in the eyes of Moslems as the place to which the Prophet was
one night miraculously translated. The site had long since .been
neglected. The Caliph and his four thousand followers found little
more than desolation and rubbish. There were the ruined walls
of the Herodian and Roman periods, the remains of an early
basilica (probably on the present site of al-Aqsa), and the bare
Rock. Yet from this rock had the Prophet, according to the tra-
dition, ascended to heaven on his steed. So the Caliph ordered a
mosque to be erected by its side. His orders were executed, and
the building was seen and described by Bishop Arculf who Visi-
ted Jerusalem about 670 A.D. But no vestige of it remains to- day
save for the name “ Mosque of Omar” which is still, but quite
wrongly, sometimes used for the Dome of the Rock. :
With the reign of’ Abdul-Malek ibn Marwan, the Umayvad
685-705 A. D.), the history of the present buildings hegine eee

Fe Sap ae GMP, ey te a ee

(4) 2 Samuel XXIV, 25.

Fig. 2 — The Fountain (Sabil) of Qait Bay
 ig nan

salem was a holy city, to Moslems as well as to others, and to

the energetic and pious caliph its glorification seemed an obvious
duty. He collected large sums of money, amounting (say the Arab
historians) to “seven times the revenue of Egypt”; and with that
he built the Dome (691 A. D.), and the mosque of al-Aqsa (693
A.D.), both of which, according to medieval Arab travellers and
chroniclers, were of unsurpassed magnificence. But in subsequent
years, the buildings suffered much from earthquake shocks and
underwent various restorations. In the year 407 A.H. (1016 A.D.),
an earthquake shock caused the Dome to collapse, and it was
re-erected six years later by the Caliph Hakem. ie
A new chapter begins with the capture of Jerusalem by the
-Crusaders'in 1099. They occupied the Haram Area and turned
its monuments to difterent uses. The Dome of the Rock was turned
into a church and an altar erected on the Rock itself. The edifice
was regarded by them as the veritable Temple of the Lord
(Templum Domini) from which the Knights Templar whose Order
was formed there take their name. It is interesting to note also
that, as Temple of the Lord and symbol of the Order, it served
as a model for churches which were later erected at various
places in Europe, such as Aix-la-Chapelle, Metz, Laon, and the
Temple Church in London; and that it figures in Raphael’s famous
picture of the “Sposalizio” (Brera, Milan,) and, still more reco-
gnisably, in the picture of “The Maries at the Sepulchre ”, attri-
buted to Hubert van Eyck. The mosque of al-Aqsa, on the other
hand, was transformed into a royal residence known as the Palace
of Solomon; while the vast substructures below the south-east
corner of the Area were used by the Knights as stables.
The end of this chapter came in 1187, when Saladin captured
Jerusalem and drove the Crusaders out. One of his first acts was
to put back the buildings to their former use as places of Moslem
worship, and he caused every vestige of the Templars’ occupation
to be removed. At the same time he carried out important em-
bellishments. In the Dome of the Rock ,*he caused the walls to
be covered with marble, and set up the beautiful inscription —
which may still be seen above the open gallery of the cupola.
He also restored the. stucco incrustation of the inner dome, which
remains to this day.. In the mosque of al- Aqsa, he carried out
restoration and embellishments, of which the chief were the fine
mosaics on the drum of the dome and the beatiful pulpit ad-
joining the prayer-niche.
The Haram Area has remained in Moslem hands ever since.
For although Jerusalem was again occupied by the Crusaders
1229-1244), yet their occupation did not extend to the sacred
enclosure which it had been agreed should remain in Moslem
possession. During the three centuries which followed, various
repairs and additions were made; but the most important resto-
ration was that which was carried out, after the Turkish conquest.
In the reign of Sulaiman the Magnificent (1520-1566). This sultan,
whose works are still to be found all over the Holy City, carried
out a wholesale renovation of the Dome of the Rock. A large part
ef the decoration in glazed tiles upon the exterior of the shrine
and mostof the windows were added during his reign. Since then,
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both buildings have undergone different restoraticns which have

for the most part marred rather than enhanced their beauty-
This is more particularly the case with the tiles on the exterior
of the Dome of tre Rock, which the hand of the restorer has.
here and there sl.ifted or replaced most unhappily; and it is the
present corcern of the authorities of the Haram to try and undo
the damage and restore to these decorative features something
of their. former harmony.

THE DOME OF THE ROCK.

The Dome of the Rock stands on an irregular platform whose

level is some 12 feet above that of the Area. It is approached
from every side by flights of broad steps surmounted at the lan-
ding by graceful arcades (Fig. 3) known as Mawazin, that is to
say ‘scales’, because of the traditional belief that on the Day of
Judgment the scales of good and evil will be suspended there.
Having ascended the steps on the raised platform, you should ,
before entering the edifice, walk around it and examine it from
the outside first. Its plan is that of a regular octagon inscribed
in a circle of 177 ft. diameter. It has four entrances, each of
which faces one of the points of the compass: on the West, the Bab
al-Gharb, or west gate; on the north, the Bab al-Janna, or gate
of Paradise ; on the east, the Bab Daud, or gate of David; and
on the south, the Bab al-Qibla or south gate. This last gate fixes.
the direction in which prayers are to be said, namely the direc-
tion of Mecca. The walls of the building are decorated with marble
facings on the lower courses and with coloured glazed tiles above.
The tiles which form this decoration date for the most part from
the end of the reign of Sulaiman the Magnificent (v. page 6) when
the art of Oriental ceramic decoration was perhaps at its height.
Unfortunately, a great many of the original tiles have fallen off,
and others have at various times been set in their stead without
apparent regard for the harmony either of colour or pattern. Still, -
the effect is striking and, especially in certain lights, beautiful.
The frieze is inscribed with verses from the Koran. Above rests
the Dome, as rebuilt by the Caliph Hakem in 1022, slightly flat-
tened on one side, and surmounted by the Crescent. The edifice
itself is substantially that which was erected by ’Abdul-Malek ibn
Marwan; but the outer decorations that we have just seen are
mostly due to Sulaiman the Magnificent, and to later restorers.
On the east side of the Dome of the Rock, facing the Bab Daud,
or gate of David, stands an elegant little edifice, also surmounted
by a dome, which looks at first sight like a miniature represen-
tation of its larger brother. The roof which supports the Dome
and its drum rests on two concentric rows of columns neither of
which is encased by walls. On the south side is a mthrab, that
is to say the prayer-recess. The edifice is variously known as
Mahkamat Daud, (i. e., Tribunal of David) and Qubbat al-Silsileh
(i. e. Dome of the Chain), from the legendary belief that on its site
was a place of Judgment where verdicts were given by a mira-
culous chain. For as the legend has it, a chain was once suspen-
 i

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ded from heaven over this spot, to which it was the practice in
Solomon’s time to appeal in cases of conflicting evidence. Each
witness was made to grasp the chain in turn: if he succeeded in
holding it, his truthfulness was thereby vindicated, but if it eluded
his grasp, then he was a manifest liar. The edifice is said by some
historians to be contemporaneous with the Dome of the Rock;
but it is an established fact that it has been rebuilt more than
once, albeit with the original columns, which are in the Byzantine
style and were undoubtedly taken from older buildings. ‘Their
number has varied: at the present time there are eleven in the
outer, and six in the inner, rows. (Fig. 4)
We will now enter the Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra)
by the west gate. The metal doors on either side of the entrance _
are worthy of notice; an inscription which was only recently
discovered proves them to have been made and set up during:
the reign of the Mameluke Sultan Qaitbay, towards the end of
the XV th. century. A few steps further, we find ourselves in the
interior of the building. At first sight it is almost too dark to see;
but as the eye gets used to the subdued light, the beauty of the
structure and the splendour of the ornamentation reveal themsel-
ves. In the centre, vertically below the dome, is the Sacred Rock,
an irregular mass of yellowish stone. This is where the Crusaders .
had set up an altar and traces can still be seen of the steps which
once led up to it. The dome rests on an inner system of piers
and columns forming a circle and connected with each other by
a wrought-iron grille, dating from the XIIth. century —a unique
remnant of the Crusaders’ decorations. This inner row is formed
of four rectangular piers, beautifully adorned with marble facings
dating from the XVth. century, and twelve monolithic columns
with Byzantine capitals carrying semicircular arches. Above is the
drum with its rich mosaics, its delicate inscription on bands and
medallions, and 16 windows; while, resting on the drum above
the clerestory windows, is the inner (wooden) cupola, with its
remarkable stucco ornamentation, ordered by Saladin in 1189.
Concentric with the inner system wich we have just des-
cribed is the outer octagonal row of piers and columns supporting
the roof. The piers in this row are eight in number and are of
massive size, covered with XVth. century marble facings; while
the columns, of which there are sixteen, are marble monoliths
taken from some older building, probably Hadrian’s Temple of
Jupiter. The capitals, which are of varying design, belong to the
late Grzeco-Roman or the early Byzantine period. Above each
capital is an abacus on which rests the decorated beam which
runs round the octagon and serves as an “anchor” beam from
pier to pier—an interesting architectural feature, probably of Arab
origin, which is characteristic of the earliest mosques. Between —
each pair of piers are three arches richly adorned with old mo-
Saic dating, except for certain later restorations, from the VIIth. ©
century. Above is a narrow band of blue tiles on which runs an
inscription in gold Cufic letters, which is of great historical im-
portance, for it records the date of the construction of the edifice
and the name of the builder, with a chronological inconsequence
which tells its own tale. The date is given as A. H. 72 and the
 YOO OGL — G oly
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 name as that of the Caliph al-Mamun who reigned in A.H.197-218:
an obvious anachronism, of which the explanation is that the
name of the later Caliph was substituted for that of his predeces-
sor, ‘Abdul-Malek ibn Marwan, the real builder of the Dome of
the Rock, while the original date remained unchanged. :
-The walls of the edifice, which as we have seen form a re-
gular octagon, are covered with marble slabs and pierced With
windows dating, for the most part, from Sulaiman’s restorations.
The slabs are of beautiful marble specially chosen for its smooth-
ness and remarkable veining. The windows are made of plaster,
and their pattern consists of an intricate openwork tracery in
which are inserted bits of coloured’ glass. The effect is one of
great softness and richness of colour, and this is partly due to
the skill with which the tracery is hollowed out of the plaster
and cut away towards the inside in such a way that the openings
- become provided with a kind of cone for the softer diffusion of
the rays of light.
A detailed description of the Dome of the Rock would be
beyond the scope of this Guide. Its principal features have been
mentioned and described in sufficient detail, it is believed, to give
the visitor an adequate summary of its history and some help
towards the appreciation of its magnificence.

THE MOSQUE OF AL-AQSA

Leaving the Dome of the Rock by the west gate, the visitor
will notice, some 50 yards away on the right, a small octagonal
domed edifice of semi-oriental and semi-Gothic appearance. This
is the Qubbat al-Mi’raj or Dome of the Ascension. It was origi-
nally built in commemoration of the Prophet’s miraculous ascen-
sion, and rebuilt in its present form about the year 1200 A.D.,
that is to say some thirteen years after the capture of the Holy
City by Saladin and at a time when Gothic influence in building,
which had been imported by the Crusaders, was still at its height.
The monument is not open to visitors.
Turning towards the south, we cross the platform to the
arcades on its southern side, passing on the way the marble
pulpit of Burhaneddin ( Fig. 3.) which was built by the judge of
that name in the middle of the XVth. century. The pulpit
is
crowned by a dome supported by trefoil arches resting on columns,
and is an interesting as well as a beautiful example of the
work
of that period. Beyond the pulpit are the steps leading down
to
the court of the mosque of al- Aqsa. Immediately in front is
the
fountain of ablutions, and beyond that is the mosque itself.
The porch, which is the most recent part of the building,
was added by the Sultan al-Muw’ azzam , a nephew of Saladin, in
the XIUth. century. An inscription above the
y middle archwa
records the date as 634 A.H. (1236 A. D.). The porch
consists of
a fagade of seven pointed arches , corresponding to
the 7seven
front doors of the mosque, and_ affords yet another
e exampl of
the Crusaders’ influence, although not a very happy
one. _
The interior of the mosque is unfortunately only
partly ac-
225 Ce

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cessible to visitors at the present time, on account of the consi-

derable repairs which have to be carried out to that part of the
building which supports the dome. But visitors are admitted to
the nave and aisles and can gain some idea of the whole. The
nave, formed by two rows of massive columns with capitals , is
the oldest part of the mosque. On either side of it, is an aisle,
both of which date also from the earliest period; the outside
aisles are of more recent costruction. The columns of the nave
were probably taken from Justinian’s basilica; while the capitals,
which are mostly of the aeanthus-leaf and wicker-work patterns,
date from Byzantine times and are probably contemporaneous
- with the construction of the mosque itself. The columns support
a system of pointed arches of which the exact date is not known
for certain. Their pointed form, however, shows plainly that they
belong to a later period than the VIth. century, for in that period
the pointed form had not yet been evolved and the horse-shoe arch,
as we have seen in the interior of the Dome of the Rock, was
still prevalent. The columns are connected by wooden tie-beams,
which as we have seen (page 10) is a device characteristic of early
Arab monuments. Above the arches are two rows of windows;
the lower open on to the inner aisles, the upper are clerestory
windows admitting air and light from the outside. (Fig. 7).
Above the crossing stands the dome resting
on a circular
drum supported by e system of arches and pendentives, which
are themselves borne at the tour corners by groups of pillars and
capitals. The dome, which is of wood protected on the outside
by a covering of lead sheeting, is ornamented with a handsome
stucco incrustation of the same style as that of the dome of the
Qubbat al-‘Sakhra, This decoration may, like its counterpart in
the Sakhra, date from the time of Saladin; but be this as it may,
it was completely renovated, if not actually made in the first
instance, by the Sultan Muhammad ibn Qalaun in the year 728
A. H. (1827 A.D.), as the beautiful inscription on the blue band
around the cupola testifies. The drum and the four arches with
their pendentives are covered with a beautiful mosaic on a gold .
ground dating from the end of the XIIth. century, that is to say
from the restoration carried out by Saladin (v. page 6).
To the west of the crossing runs the broad transept with its
colonnade of pillars taken from older buildings. A few interesting
Byzantine capitals of wicker-work design are worth noticing. The
transept is continued into a vaulted gallery which dates from the
occupation of the Crusaders, and was used as quarters by the
Knights Templar.
The mthrab (or prayer recess) in the south wall, facing the
nave, is ornamented with mosaics and flanked with slender and
elegant marble columns. According to an inscription in mosaic
above the niche, the work is due to Saladin. To the right of the
_ mihrab stands a handsome pulpit made of wood and beautifully
~ ornamented with inlaid ivory and mother-of-pearl. It was made
in Aleppo, as the inscription on it testifies, by the Sultan Nureddin
in the year 1168 A.D., and was brought to Jerusalem by order
of Saladin towards the end of the century. Above the prayer-niche
are windows dating from the XVIth. century.
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 THE SUBSTRUCTURES

Leaving the mosque of al-Aqsa by the front entrance, we

turn to the left and proceed to the south-east corner of the Haram
Area where a staircase leads down in to the vast subterranean
substuctures known as Solomon’s Stables. The first flight of steps
takes us down to the small chamber, now used as a place of
Moslem worship, which was believed in medieval times to have
been associated with Jesus Christ’s infancy. This belief was pre-
valent long before the advent of the Crusaders and was subse-
quently accepted by them. In the angle between the west and
the south walls of the chamber is a littke dome borne upon four
marble columns; and underneath the dome is a small niche lying
horizontally, which was believed in early times to have been the
Cradle of Christ and referred to under that name by several
Arab historians.
In the west wall of the chamber, a door opens into a stair-
case descending to Solomon’s Stables. This is a vast substerranean
chamber, of roughly rectangular shape, of which the chief feature
is the imposing size of the piers. Of these, there are fifteen rows
of varying size and height supporting the vaults on which rests
the roof. Little is known for certain of the early history of the
chamber itself. It dates probably as far back as the construction
of Solomon’s Temple. According to Josephus, it was in existence —
and was used as a place of refuge by the Jews at the time of
the conquest of Jerusalem by Titus in the year 70 A. D. We also
know that this space was used by the Knights Templar as stables,
and the holes to which they tethered their horses can still be
seen in the masonry of the piers. Such evidence as is afforded
by the masonry itself, and more particularly by the contrast
between the lower and the upper courses of the larger piers,
would tend to show that they belong to two distinct periods, and
that the upper parts and the vaults were of Arab construction
superimposed upon ancient foundations.
The substructures supporting the nave of the mosque of
al-Aqsa are not accessible.

The best way out is across the esplanade, past the porch
of the mosque of al-Aqsa, and back to the Bab al-Silsi
leh. An
alternative would be to continue northwards past the
Bab al-
Silsileh to the gate known as Bab al-Qattanin, a handso
me gate
dating from the reign of Sultan Muhammad ibn Qalaun (1336
and typical of XIVth century Arab work. To the south-e A.D.)
ast of
this gate is the Sabil (or drinking-fountain) built about
the year
1460 A. D. by the Mameluke Sultan Qaitbay —
an attractive
building, perfect of its kind, (Fig. 2). <i
THEOLOGY LIBRARY
CLAREMONT, GALI