New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-11-17
THE NTosuuc of Omar in Jerusalem.

The Palestine correspondent of the Baltimore sun
furnishes that paper with the following description OF
this world.rcnowncd Mosque, which is built upon the
spot where stood King Solomon Temple
Mount Moriah situated at the southeastern angie
of the city walls. and occupying ohc'elghth Oh thc
city, has always enjoyed peculiar slnGtity IN INC
ewes of the Jews, and is regarded with feelings
Of the deepest vcneraton by the Mahonedais. Here
We learn that Solomon began to build the house OF
the Lord in Jerlsaem,' and which he completed with
unpolaed magniccnce. This splendid structure
was DESTROYED by the Challeans about six hundred
years before Christ. Upon the return OF the jewish
people, after captivity OF seventy years, ny rerihis-
sion of Cyrus, it rebuilt by Joshua and Zerl6,
babel. Herol replaced this structure by one sui
more magnificent and the one which witnessed the
acts of our Saviour. During the final struggles BE-
tween the Jews and the Romans, in the memorable
siege of Jerusalem by Titus, the temple on Her9o
was burned, and after the capture OF the city totally
destroyed At the building Of CELIA, Adrian erected
temple here and dedicated it to the worship OF "a
piter Capitonus. Under Julian, tne apos4te, the
| Jews, by his permission, attempted to rcblld their
temple, but we are told flames bursting from the
earth obliged tile workmen to desIst.
| When the Caliph Omar captured Jerusalem nc
asked Of Sophroni'ls, the latriairh, a place upon
which he might erect mosque, and was shown the
site Of the ancient temple covered with filth i'll scOrn
of the Jews The piols Cahph, de. lighted at the op.
portunity Of erecting one Oh spot 50 sacred ordered
the rock to be cleared and to stimulate his followers
commenced the work himself. The mosque which
now bears his name and known among the Arabs as
the I<ubbet es Sukrah, the dome Of the rock, was
shortly afterwards built, and Is perhaps the most
splendid dedicated to the worship Of the false
prophet, and one which in the eyes Of oil true be
levers ranks only second to those Of Mecca and Me,
dina. When Tancred with the Crusaders took ,cItl-
salem in 1889, the supplantcd the crescent unon
FL Sulrah and it was called Trnplln uonlini Bald
win shortly after gave it to the TemriarS. who from
it assumed that name. 1t remained dedicated to the
worship Of Christ until the city was taken by the
great SaIadin in 1857. The gold cross that silount
cd its lofty dome hurled down and dragged in de-
rson through the Streets and the voice OF the AuZzn
was again heard from the minarct calling the faithful
to prayer within its sacred walls Since then the fol-
lowers OF the prophet have held undsled possession.
Well does it deserve the
praises that have been heapcd upon it, Its singular
" graceful and airy architecture its light and lofty
dome its elegant amp deeply projecting curliice. The
variety and lrancy of the colotS, the otlsotl ana
deIicacy OF the artlesqnc tlacery which covers its
walls, all combine to mpart to it fairy like appear
ance
The binding is in cqllatcral octagon each side
scvcntvive feet in length. The walls are tortylivc
feet in ileighth, and composed Of species OF stone
called the Jerusalem stone this is kind Of brcccl
formed Of various coored particles lntorsc"tcl fy
veins OF coarse marble, the predominant color hcng
light pink. The lower portions are surfaced with en-
clsc tiles of various patterns. whilst the upper
covered with network Of dentatcd sculpture beau
ttully and prosely painted. The roo! covered with
lead, projecting over, forms a wide and undnlatinG
corncc, orname,cd with large Arabic letters painted
t in white upon light blue ground. From the centerot
the root rises lantern with eight sides srn1u1c by
a lofty elongated dome from which springs pnnu-
, Gle crowned by glled crescent. The entire hcighth
5 Of the structure is said to be two hundrg, and itty
e five feet. Forty-six windows, seven each side,
adorned with stained gls~ admit Light into the build
t ing These are OF various ylcs o architecture, the
n Byzantine Arabian, and bastard Gothic. There are
y eight Others in the lantern equally lcautItuL Four
lofty and projecting portals CONFUSED NJ lir! marbles
t. give t,lmittaurc to the interior.
is Upon entering the light stealing 80 iAntV through
lie the Stained gaos OF the windows, renders n at ,t