Fergusson, James: A history of architecture in all countries, from the earliest times to the present day: in five volumes (Band 2) (London, 1893)

518

SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE.

Part III.

Mecca, which was then in the possession o£ a rival, and to carry into
effect what was at one time understood to have been the intention of
IMahomet, namely, to convert the temple o£ Jerusalem into the holy
place of his new religion, instead o£ that of Mecca. These ulterior
purposes were never realised, in consequence of the violent opposition
which the project met with from the Jews.

The mosque which Abd el-Melik erected was, according to Professor
Lewis, 1 pai’tially destroyed by eai’thquakes in the years 748, 755 and
770 a.d., and was rebuilt by E1 Mahdi in 771-781 a.d., with increased

lateral dimensions but diminished in length. Fi’om the description given
by Mukaddasi, 2 the building, thus restored, covered a vex'y much larger
area than the existing mosque, there being as many as seven aisles on
each side of the central aisle. Pi’ofessor Lewis, in the work above quoted,
gives a suggested restoration of the plan, which in the first place
resembles very closely the prayer chambers o£ the typical Mahomedan

View in the Mosque el-Aksah at Jerusalem.

1 ‘ The Holy Places of Jerusalem,’ by
T. Hayter Lewis, F.S.A. Murray, 1889.

2 ‘ Description of Syria,’ by Mukaddasi.

Translated and annotated by George le
Strange for tbe Palestine Pilgrims’
Society. London, 1886.