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Dome of the Rock
This picture is from about a week ago, but I wanted to wait to post it until I knew a little more about the Dome of the Rock, and the al-Aqsa mosque, a ways behind me from where I stood for this photo. This Octagonal monument is older than I thought, being built in A.D. 691 by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. At the time Jerusalem had been turned into the Byzantine city of Aelia Capitolina, but surrendered to Umar ibn al-Hatab, the second Rightly Guided Calif. Because the Jews had been put out of Aelia Capitolina, and the Byzantine Christians worshiped at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Temple Mt. was mostly abandoned and in disrepair when the Muslims gained control. There are several speculations as to why this monument and the accompanying mosque were built, but the one that I think makes most sense and is best supported is as follows.
The Muslims had a policy that if a town resisted their invasion, they would be destroyed, but if a town complied, no one would be harmed. Because Aelia Capitolina surrendered, Umar ibn al-Hatab didn't have the right to destroy anything, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. However, he probably didn't like that it was there for Christians to worship at, so he determined to make a Muslim monument. The Temple Mt. was the logical location, both because of it's availability and its religious background. 
When Abd al-Malik carried out the construction 6 decades latter, it was made strikingly similar to the architecture of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher at the time. Both had a domed octagonal structure centered over a holly spot. The Muslim monument over the "foundation stone," where it was believed that creation began and Abraham bound Isaac, and the church over the supposed tomb where Christ rose. At the time, the church's dome was covered in gold, and so was the mosque's. The church then had an open garden, and then a rectangular basilica. The Dome of the Rock is separated from the rectangular al-Aqsa mosque by  an open space, with patios and gardens, giving the two sites very similar layouts. In addition, the interior of the Dome of the Rock is decorated with a verse of the Quran stating "There is no god but God. He is One...He begetteth not nor was begotten." Also written inside are more stark statements like "God is only One God. Far be it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth" and "Praise be to God, Who hath not taken unto Himself a son, and who hath no partner in Sovereignty..." The writing mentions Jesus as blessed, but makes it quite clear that he lived, died, and will not rise until the end of time, nor was he the son of God. So it seems pretty clear the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque were constructed to compete with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
The church was later destroyed in 1006, and today is not in quite the same layout as it was originally, nor is its dome golden. Just a couple more things about the Dome of the Rock, samples were taken from several beams inside, and it has been determined that they are Lebanese Cedar. The outside used to be decorated with glass mosaics, but these were replaced in the 16th century with the ceramic tiles we see today. The golden dome has also been replaced once, but it has been coated in gold since its original construction.
I have really enjoyed my Islamic Thought and Practice class, it is pretty much all new to me. I'm learning a lot both about Islamic history and their religion, how it developed and spread itself. It seems to borrow a lot from Judaism, Christianity and even pagan religions in the Sinai Peninsula where it originated.
It made me sad to hear all that is written inside the Dome of the Rock, denying Jesus to be Christ. 

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