Rock

1885 · Best.-Nr. 14084 — 1885. Dome of the Rock interior nineteenth century records the exposed Foundation Stone at the center of one of Jerusalem's principal sacred monuments. Completed in 691-692 CE under the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik the Dome of the Rock stands on the Haram al-Sharif or Temple Mount a site central to Islamic and Jewish sacred traditions and also closely connected with Christian biblical history. The photograph preserves the relationship between the Rock itself and the architectural enclosure constructed around it more than a millennium earlier. Albumen print measuring 11" x 8.5" unmounted. The Foundation Stone occupies the foreground while columns arches and the decorated interior rise behind it. The surrounding colonnades are faced with marble in their lower sections with mosaic ornament above allowing the photograph to record both the irregular natural surface of the Rock and the elaborate architectural treatment of its enclosure. Jewish tradition associates the Temple Mount with the First and Second Temples and identifies the Rock with the site of the Holy of Holies; the Second Temple was destroyed by Roman forces under Titus in 70 CE. Islamic tradition connects the Rock with Muhammad's Night Journey and ascent to heaven while traditions associated with Abraham's attempted sacrifice also attach sacred meaning to the site. The Dome of the Rock occupies the Haram al-Sharif alongside the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other religious and educational buildings. Nineteenth century photographs of its interior recorded spaces that were considerably less accessible to many Western travelers than Jerusalem's exterior monuments while the albumen process circulated such views through the expanding photographic market for images of the Holy Land. Very good condition. A detailed nineteenth century interior view centered on the Foundation Stone and the marble and mosaic architectural decoration surrounding it. unknown