The Dome of the Rock is made of marble and richly decorated with tile, mosaics, gilded wood, and painted stucco. The builders and artisans came from many different regions and incorporated their individual techniques and styles into the final design. The dome is made of gold and stretches 20 meters in diameter.
The Dome of the Rock gets its name from the massive rock located at its center, upon which, according to Islamic history, the prophet Muhammad stood before he ascended to heaven. This rock is equally important in the Judaic tradition, which considers it the symbolic foundation upon which the world was built and the place of the Binding of Isaac.
The Dome of the Rock is not a mosque, but is often given that name because the holy site is located in the atrium at Masjid al-Aqsa (al-Aqsa mosque).
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