Damascus Gate

The common misperception regarding the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is that it is a Mosque.  It is not in fact a mosque.  There are many theories regarding the purpose of the Dome of the Rock.  The most common is that it was built to memorialize the place where Muhammad ascended into heaven.  The problem with this theory though is that none of the many writings in the building talk about this event at all.  Most of the writing inside the Dome of the Rock talk about the oneness of God.  It seems strange then that this building would have been built, with a huge rock as its central feature, but that no mention would be made inside regarding its purpose.

Another theory is that it was built as a second place of pilgrimage in an attempt by its builder, ‘Abd al-Malik to bring pilgrims to Jerusalem instead of to Mecca.  At the time (around 692), Ibn al-Zubayr was occupying Mecca (Ibn al-Zubayr was later conquered by ‘Abd al-Malik and the Caliphate was restored).

As I mentioned earlier, most of the inscription in the Dome of the Rock have to do with the oneness of God.  This was seen by some as a direct confrontation with Christian belief in the Trinity.  Therefore, the Dome of the Rock, built on the Jewish Temple Mount, in the holiest city for Jews and Christians, could simply be a bold statement to the world proclaiming the powerful presence of Islam.