Dome of the Rock - a dazzling sparkling in the sun sanctuary, as if hovering over Jerusalem. It is worth it on the Temple Mount near the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This place - a bone of contention between Jews and Muslims. It is called the most challenged in the world of real estate.

Almost three thousand years ago, King Solomon built the First Temple there in the Holy of Holies where the Ark was with the stone tablets Moses received from the Lord. In the year 586 BC. e. Babylonians captured Jerusalem, the Jews have stolen into slavery and destroyed the sanctuary. In 368 BC. e. people returning from the Babylonian captivity, began the construction of the Second Temple. Its construction was completed in '20 King Herod the Great, known by the biblical massacre of the innocents. Half a century later the Romans took Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple. Among the ruins remained a powerful artificial platform on which in the VII century, Muslims began to build their places of worship.

At the behest of the fifth caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, in 687-691 years here was built the Dome of the Rock. It is built on the foundation stones, indicating the place, where the Holy of Holies of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. In Jewish tradition, the stone (or more precisely - the rock length of about eighteen and over thirteen meters wide) is considered the cornerstone of the universe. In Islam, as it has a completely different meaning: I think that with this stone made his ascension into heaven (Miraj) Prophet Muhammad.

This event belongs to the year 621. According to the Hadith (tradition), one angel Gabriel appeared to the prophet. Together with Muhammad are riding on a winged beast reasonable al-Burak made a night journey to Jerusalem (1240 km in one direction). From Muhammad ascended to the throne of Allah. After receiving guidance from Allah important, the same night he returned to Mecca. The trip, according Hadith, lasted only a moment - accidentally overturned angel Dzhabrail pitcher did not have time to spill.

Dome of the Rock - a marvelous building, erected by Islamic engineers. In the design, they used measurements of the Christian church of the Holy Sepulchre, almost exactly repeating its dome with a diameter of more than twenty meters. During the time of Suleiman the Magnificent facades of buildings were covered with a remarkable tiled floors. The dome itself in 1965, re-covered aluminum alloy bronze, but in 1993 it was replaced by gold. King Hussein of Jordan has sold one of its buildings in London to buy the necessary 80 kilos of the precious metal.

Interior Dome richly decorated with mosaics, which are inscribed verses of the Koran. Sacred stone surrounded by gilded bars - touch it is strictly prohibited.

During the 1967 Six Day War broke here to fight Israeli troops. Raised the flag over the dome of Israel, Rabbi Goren entered the building with a scroll of the Torah and Shofar (ritual horn, which blew in special cases). However, the area of ​​the Temple Mount was soon transferred to the Islamic Waqf (the use of a particular form of property), it is controlled by Muslims.