AN N EA 10w 2/22/11 Lecture

The Early Islamic Period begins when Caliph Umar takes over Jerusalem in 638 CE, starting the Umayyad Dynasty ruling from Damascus. Caliph Umar makes a written agreement with the Christians that Jews would not be allowed to settle but later changes his mind, leading to the steady increase of Jews in Jerusalem. Jerusalem becomes the third holiest city in the Islamic faith. When Muslims pray, they face the Kaaba in Mecca, where is supposed to be the holiest place and inside the Kaaba is a rock that was from the times of Adam and Eve. There are Five "Pillars" in Islam. The first, Shahada, or "Testimony", in which a person recites the Muslim profession of faith that says there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger. The second is Salat, or "prayer", where one prays five times a day towards Mecca. The third is Zakat, which is almsgiving to the needy. The fourth is Sawm, which is fasting in the month of Ramadan. The last is Hajj, which is making a pilgrimage to Mecca once in one's lifetime.

During the Umayyad Dynasty, many monuments and palaces were built to build up the majesty of Jerusalem. Abd al-Malik builds Dome of the Rock in 691 CE to divert pilgrimage from Mecca to Jerusalem. The Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on the Temple Mount and many Umayyad Palaces were built around the old Temple Mount. These palaces were built over the remains of the Byzantine monumental and residential buildings, were equipped with fresh water and sewage systems, were decorated with carved and molded stucco, and the floors were paved with flagstone and mosaics.

The Dome of the Rock was commissioned in 687 CE and completed 691 CE. The project was financed with taxes from Egypt for seven years, allowing the top of the Dome to be built in solid gold. The Rock is supposed to be the site of the Holy of Holies, a stop on Muhammad's Mi'raj where from the rock he leaps to heaven on the back of al-Buraq, the location of the access to the underworld, and the place of final judgment. The Dome of the Rock has many traditions that are linked with it, making it even more important to the Islamic faith.

Also on the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Chain and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Dome of the Chain is where the final judgment will occur in the "end of days" and it is at the geometric center of the Haram esh-Sharif. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is known as the "The Farthest Mosque" and was built between 705-715 CE by Caliph Walid al-Malik. Prayer in the Al-Aqsa Mosque is supposed to worth 500 elsewhere.