The shape of the holy
Subtitle: early Islamic Jerusalem
By: Oleg Grabar ; with contributions by Mohammad al-Asad, Abeer Audeh, Saïd Nuseibeh.
Contributors: Al-Asad, Mohammad.; Audeh, Abeer.; Nuseibeh, Said.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Princeton, N.J
Language: eng
Number of pages: 232
Subjects: Qubbat al-Ṣakhrah (Mosque : Jerusalem); Jerusalem -- History; Temple Mount (Jerusalem); Jerusalem -- Antiquities
Description: From the time of Herod through the Crusades, Jerusalem had officially "changed its religion" several times, with Jews, Christians, and Muslims inscribing the story of their faiths on the urban landscape. In this handsomely illustrated book, noted Islamist Oleg Grabar offers a rare account of the great role played by early Islam in defining the "look" of Jerusalem that remained largely intact until the twentieth century.

From about 640 to 1100, Muslims transformed Christian Jerusalem, mainly the area now known as the Haram al-Sharif, both physically and ideologically to embody their new faith. Grabar examines this process, showing how it led to great architectural achievements, including The Dome of the Rock, still perhaps the most vivid image to impress any visitor to Jerusalem.

Offering a major photographic record of The Dome's mosaics in color together with its interiors, this book shows in rich detail how Islam articulated itself architecturally, touching on historical and legendary memories and on themes of both religious harmony and Islamic triumph.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 219-225) and index.