DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10357#0078
JERUSALEM.
55
Crusades, will bear no other interpretation." Some of these arcades were at one time formed
into semicircular niches with semi-domical heads, and the upper parts at least were richly
ornamented with mosaics in coloured and gilt glass. The presence of mosaics outside the
Kubbet es Sakhra is a fact of much interest in the history of the building, because it has
been often doubted, in spite of the formal affirmation of the ancient descriptions. From
John of Wtirzburg to Mejr ed Din, all writers agree in saying that the Dome of the Rock
was adorned with mosaics inside and outside. The last trace of this system of decoration
disappeared from the outside when the faience was applied in the sixteenth century.
Mons. Ganneau considers the mosaics to be " the work of the Arabs, perhaps that of
Saladin." On the other hand, Mr. Fergusson, from whose valuable works our description
of the mosque is chiefly compiled, believes the mosaics to be late Roman or Byzantine, and
thinks it not improbable that they may be part of the original design of the building, assuming
it to have been erected in the fourth century. The external walls above the basement are
entirely covered with tiles, which produce a very fine effect. Verses of the Koran, beautifully
written in. interwoven character, in blue and white, run round the parapet wall, and beneath
are elaborately executed designs in various colours. The tiles are nine and a half inches
square and firmly embedded in mortar. Three periods of workmanship can be traced : the
tiles of the earliest period are far superior to the others in elegance of design and quality of
workmanship ; those of the second are also good ; but the tiles of the third period are in bad
taste and of inferior quality. They have been chiefly used in recent repairs.
The aisle screen is perhaps the most interesting part of the building, and it is that upon
which the architectural armaments with .reference to the aee of the Dome of the Rock are
chiefly founded. The bases of the columns are cased with slabs of marble, but they were
uncovered during the repairs, and it was then found that, though classical in form, they differed
in outline and height. This, however, is not an unusual occurrence in early Christian
churches, for the builders made free use of columns, capitals, and bases taken from pagan
temples. The shafts of the columns do not rest immediately on their bases, but on sheets of
lead from three-quarters of an inch to one and a half inches thick. The capitals are of the
Corinthian order, and they illustrate " one of the very first attempts to convert the hollow bowl
of the Corinthian capital into a fuller form, to bear an arch or a longer entablature." The
entablature, although of wood, would have looked crushingly heavy if maintaining its classical
depth, across pillars spaced eight diameters apart. The architrave is consequently omitted
and represented only by a square block of stone over each pillar, supporting the frieze
and cornice, of fairly classical design ; and over this comes a bold discharging arch, which
again supports a cornice, originally apparently classical, but now hidden in more modern
details of stone. The stone blocks are cased with marble slabs, which seem at one
time to have been covered with bronze plates. The wood entablature is painted in bright
colours, to bring out the details of the beautiful frieze and cornice, and its soffit and part
of its side are covered with bronze repousse work of a very elaborate and beautiful class.
55
Crusades, will bear no other interpretation." Some of these arcades were at one time formed
into semicircular niches with semi-domical heads, and the upper parts at least were richly
ornamented with mosaics in coloured and gilt glass. The presence of mosaics outside the
Kubbet es Sakhra is a fact of much interest in the history of the building, because it has
been often doubted, in spite of the formal affirmation of the ancient descriptions. From
John of Wtirzburg to Mejr ed Din, all writers agree in saying that the Dome of the Rock
was adorned with mosaics inside and outside. The last trace of this system of decoration
disappeared from the outside when the faience was applied in the sixteenth century.
Mons. Ganneau considers the mosaics to be " the work of the Arabs, perhaps that of
Saladin." On the other hand, Mr. Fergusson, from whose valuable works our description
of the mosque is chiefly compiled, believes the mosaics to be late Roman or Byzantine, and
thinks it not improbable that they may be part of the original design of the building, assuming
it to have been erected in the fourth century. The external walls above the basement are
entirely covered with tiles, which produce a very fine effect. Verses of the Koran, beautifully
written in. interwoven character, in blue and white, run round the parapet wall, and beneath
are elaborately executed designs in various colours. The tiles are nine and a half inches
square and firmly embedded in mortar. Three periods of workmanship can be traced : the
tiles of the earliest period are far superior to the others in elegance of design and quality of
workmanship ; those of the second are also good ; but the tiles of the third period are in bad
taste and of inferior quality. They have been chiefly used in recent repairs.
The aisle screen is perhaps the most interesting part of the building, and it is that upon
which the architectural armaments with .reference to the aee of the Dome of the Rock are
chiefly founded. The bases of the columns are cased with slabs of marble, but they were
uncovered during the repairs, and it was then found that, though classical in form, they differed
in outline and height. This, however, is not an unusual occurrence in early Christian
churches, for the builders made free use of columns, capitals, and bases taken from pagan
temples. The shafts of the columns do not rest immediately on their bases, but on sheets of
lead from three-quarters of an inch to one and a half inches thick. The capitals are of the
Corinthian order, and they illustrate " one of the very first attempts to convert the hollow bowl
of the Corinthian capital into a fuller form, to bear an arch or a longer entablature." The
entablature, although of wood, would have looked crushingly heavy if maintaining its classical
depth, across pillars spaced eight diameters apart. The architrave is consequently omitted
and represented only by a square block of stone over each pillar, supporting the frieze
and cornice, of fairly classical design ; and over this comes a bold discharging arch, which
again supports a cornice, originally apparently classical, but now hidden in more modern
details of stone. The stone blocks are cased with marble slabs, which seem at one
time to have been covered with bronze plates. The wood entablature is painted in bright
colours, to bring out the details of the beautiful frieze and cornice, and its soffit and part
of its side are covered with bronze repousse work of a very elaborate and beautiful class.