Though Dome of
the Rock is a Muslim holy site, the location has served as a place of worship
to Jews, Romans, and thirteenth century Crusaders. Having had several cultures
present at the site allows for multiple interpretations of the religious, geometric,
and cosmological qualities of the building. This abbreviated analysis of Dome of the Rock will include an examination of the octagonal shape of the building, the floor
plan, the spherical dome, and the potential meanings behind each feature. A study of these features shows not only an
exchange between the cultures that resided on the historic esplanade of Temple Mount, but also a
translation of scientific and religious material from several centuries and
societies. The Muslim interpretation of these geometric qualities will primarily be deliberated, but as the features are borrowed from earlier buildings
and ideologies, an analysis from other cultural perspectives is also necessary
to fully comprehend the possible religious and scientific philosophies represented in geometric forms.
Dome of the Rock was created to promote the
triumphant rule of Abd al-Malik, who began construction in 690 CE.[1]
Prior to the architectural accomplishments of Malik, Temple Mount was home to a
structure created by his predecessor, Umar.[2]
The wooden structure of Umar was overshadowed by the Christian building below
Temple Mount, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.[3]
With Islam on the rise, Malik’s empire required a building of grandeur and
beauty that would compete with his rival rulers. Malik’s design incorporated Christian
architectural features which were translated into Islamic symbols upon completion.
The most notable borrowed form is the octagonal shape of the building, comparable
to SS Sergius and Bacchus in Constantinople (526-37 CE) and San Vitale in
Ravenna (526-47 CE).[4] The
Christians' use of the number eight makes reference to several biblical
events. Firstly, the number eight could
make reference to God creating the world. The Bible records in Genesis that the
world was created in seven days, and the eighth day was the first day of
celebrated life.[5]
Genesis 21:4 also alludes to the number eight, stating: ‘When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised
him, as God commanded him’.[6]
Christ’s eternal divinity is also represented in the number eight turned
on its side, creating the symbol for infinity.[7]
Eight-sided Christian baptisteries are also common, perhaps making reference to
the mass flooding of the world where Noah rescued eight people on his Ark.[8]
These Christian
beliefs were likely overlooked by Malik, who preferred the use of geometric
forms in iconoclasm and as a representation of balance. This idea is supported
in Oleg Grabar’s analysis of Dome of the Rock, where he reveals that the
octagonal exterior was used for the creation of a geometrically sound interior.[9]
This geometric perfection was revealed in what was thought to be an
imperfection, the non-symmetric locations of the columns within Dome of the
Rock.[10]
According to Grabar, ‘the sets of columns in the circular arcade are not
symmetrical but are a few centimeters off from what their geometrically correct
location would have been.’[11] The
column placement is reaffirmed when consideration is given to a layout based on
two crossing squares (see image, red lines).[12]
This same scheme is used in the design of the dome (see image, blue lines).[13]
K.A.C. Creswell, an architectural historian, was the first to realize the
geometric implication of the layout.[14]
The crossing of
the two squares is the Seal of Solomon.[15] It
is geometrically sound as the squares are identical, overlapping at a
forty-five degree angle.[16]
The use of squares is as equally accepted as the use of triangles, creating the
six-pointed Seal.[17] The
use of the Seal of Solomon within the layout is representative of the Jewish,
Christian, and Muslim presence at the site.[18]
The use of the Seal in the design encourages the idea of a former palace or
throne having been on the esplanade, but it may also serve an apotropaic
function. The Seal originates from a design on a ring, given to Solomon by God.[19]
The ring was meant to give Solomon the power to defeat the evils of Djinn, wicked
spirits.[20]
Evidence for the existence of this ring is sparse, but the use of the design at
Dome of the Rock may have been in hopes to absorb the same powers the supposed
ring possessed.[21]
The repetitious use of the Seal in the creation of the dome and the layout
signifies the Islamic appreciation for geometric perfection, and emphasizes the
importance of this particular symbol in the Arab community. With the mix of
cultures that have been present at Dome of the Rock it is difficult to pin
point whether the use of the Seal is for geometric aesthetics or in honor of
Solomon. It is perhaps best to assume that both the mythical event and the geometric
pattern were of equal value being that the Seal allowed the wearer to control the elements of the spiritual world, while the
pattern emphasizes balance and the coexisting of opposites much like the Chinese yin & yang.
The use of the star
pattern could also be a Christian symbol of Heaven, making the
building a star fallen from the celestial realm. The dome is representative of
the firmament, the divider between the waters of Heaven and earth. The
firmament is described in Genesis 1:6-8 with God having stated,
‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven.’
The roundness of the firmament was also
considered by Ptolemy, Aristotle, and Copernicus, who used this concept in the
creation of a spherical universe, with the outer most layer containing stars.[22] With this in mind, it could be suggested that the dome of the structure is the biblical firmament and the eight-pointed star represents the stars as placed by the Greek philosophers. If the number eight is once again considered as a reference to infinity, the placement of the geometric star could be understood as the infinite existence of heaven, or 'paradise', which could also be hinted to in the iconoclastic choice of lush foliage mosaics on the interior walls.
Dome of the Rock’s floor plan has more recently been examined in drawings by Alain George of the University of Edinburgh. His geometric
analysis, which was used to compare Dome of the Rock to the third manuscript
page of the Sanaa Qur’an (right), embraces the geometric pattern known as The Breath of the Compassionate (below on the Sanaa Qur'an and the Dome of the Rock floor plan).[23] This
name was given to the pattern by the Great Master Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240), who
used this design to depict the creation of the universe through the unity of
the elements.[24]
The four elements are exemplified in each corner of the crossing squares, the
four circles, and the four legs of the cross created in the center.[25] The
number four is also symbolic of the four seasons, and the four cardinal
directions which are represented in the four entrances of Dome of the Rock. The four seasons are of importance because the
number twelve is also prevalent in the design. Twelve columns circle around the
Rock, perhaps as a representation of the twelve months of the year, a number
designated by the zodiac. Therefore, since the geometric pattern embraces the
concept of the elements, the calendar, and mythical stories of Creation, it is
an idyllic Medieval representation of the cosmos. This pattern is also most
mandala-like having included the use of both circles and squares.
This analysis is a fraction of the story. So what is the meaning behind the geometry at Dome of the Rock? I believe there may be connections to Sumerian and Babylonian cosmology as well, but all theories are speculative as there is no primary documentation that makes a direct reference to sacred geometry within the architectural layout. It is possible that centuries of exchange of religious and scientific ideologies were documented, and perhaps were in the hands of Abd al-Malik at the time of construction, allowing for today's scholars to make cross-cultural analyses of the design. What we are left with is a multitude of theories from varying cultural backgrounds, perhaps making Dome of the Rock a true 'navel of the world' as suggested in medieval T-O cartography.
~Emily
[1] Grabar, Oleg. The Dome of the Rock. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press
of Harvard University Press, 2006,
pg 44.
[2] Henry Luttikhuizen and James Snyder, "Islam and the
Middle East," in Snyder's Medieval Art, by Dorothy Verkerk, 2nd ed. (Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, 2006), pg. 220. Note that the first actual structure was a work of
Umar, and likely an oblong building made of wood.
[3] Ibid.
[4] David Talbot Rice, Islamic Art. (New York: Praeger, 1965), pg. 11.
[5] Hilary Richardson, "Number and Symbol in Early Christian
Art," The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 114 (1984): pg. 28-47.
[6] "Genesis 21:4." In The Holy Bible. Paterson, NJ:
St. Anthony Guild Press, 1952.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Grabar,
74.
[10] Ibid.
[11]Grabar, 75.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Grabar,
76. Creswell’s drawing is taken from Grabar’s book as well. Do note it has been
enhanced with colour in order to display the use of the Seal of Solomon.
[15] Daud Sutton, Islamic Design: A Genius for Geometry (Somerset: Wooden Books, 2007), pg. 8.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Grabar,
36.
[19] J. MoG. Dawkins, "The Seal of Solomon," The
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 2 (October 1944): pg. 147, accessed
July 19, 2012.
[20] Ibid.
[21] The association
of apotropaic qualities is heightened when consideration is given to magic
squares. Geometry specialist, Keith Critchlow notes that the Seal of Solomon
design is a common outcome in 9x9 magic squares, which emphasize the symmetry
between even and odd numbers. Keith Critchlow, Islamic Patterns: An Analytical and
Cosmological Approach (New York: Schocken Books, 1976), pg. 54-55.
[22] Edward Grant, Planets, Stars, and Orbs: The Medieval Cosmos, 1200-1687(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1994), pg. 308.
[23] Alain George, The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy (London: Saqi, 2010), pg. 80. See Sutton,
pg. 8 for The Breath of the Compassionate.
[24] Sutton,
8.
[25]
Also included in George’s design is the versica
piscis, the Christian ‘bladder of the fish,’ which represents the uniting
of two forms. Priya Hemenway, The
Secret Code: The Mysterious Formula That Rules Art, Nature and Science (Köln: Evergreen, 2008), pg. 50.
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