Dome of the Rock & Temple Mount of Jerusalem

Temple Mount of Jerusalem is the place of immense importance in Jerusalem. On your trip to Jerusalem this should be the spot that you must visit because otherwise you will miss something of immense historical and religious importance. Temple Mount of Jerusalem is the place where both the First and the Second Jewish Temples were located and it is believed that the Third and the last temple will also be built in this spot. The other two famous religious structures in this area are Dome of the Rock of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Temple Mount of Jerusalem is a large structure with a flat top constructed atop a natural cliff. The sides of the Temple Mount are not visible since they are hidden behind the residential buildings. You can only see the northern part of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount of Jerusalem from the Western Wall Tunnels. Tyropoeon Valley separates the Temple of Mount from the Old City of Jerusalem. You can reach the Temple Mount of Jerusalem via the bridge street, which is actually a street over a bridge; however, the bridge cannot be seen because of the ground level changes.

There are several cisterns that you will find at the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. These are:
Cistern 1 at the northern side of the Temple Mount, Cistern 5 at the southeastern corner, Cistern 8 situated in the north of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Cistern 9 located under the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Cistern 11 situated at the eastern end of Cistern 9 and Cistern 16/17 at the far northern end of the Temple Mount. The other important features are the Golden Gate, Warren’s Gate and King Solomon’s Stables.

Dome of the Rock of Jerusalem is another landmark structure of Jerusalem. Caliph Abd Al Malik, the 9th Caliph built the Dome of the Rock in between 687 and 691. Also known by the name Mosque of Umar, this structure resembles a Byzantine martyrium. It has a gold-plated dome stretching for 20 meters and the body is made of porcelain. You will find the inscriptions of Quran to be engraved on the tiles.

Dome of the Rock of Jerusalem has a rock in the center which is regarded sacred by the Muslims since it is believed to be the place from where Muhammad directly went to heaven.
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is also said to be the rock upon which Jacob slept and dreamt about the angels coming to him. This structure has also the significance of having Ark of the Covenant of the First Temple being placed over it. The other important features of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem are the Moor’s Gate and the Mugrabi or the Maimonides Gate.