[bert]

to be current, we have Wikipedia...... The Dome of the Rock (Arabic: قبة الصخرة‎, translit.: Qubbat al-Sakhrah, Hebrew: כיפת הסלע‎, translit.: Kippat ha-Sela) is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was initially completed in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik during the Second Fitna. The Dome of the Rock is now one of the oldest works of Islamic architecture.[2] It has been called "Jerusalem's most recognizable landmark,"[3] and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with two nearby Temple Mount structures, the Western Wall, and the "Resurrection Rotunda" in the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre.[4] Its architecture and mosaics were patterned after nearby Byzantine churches and palaces.[5] The octagonal plan of the structure may also have been influenced by the Byzantine Church of the Seat of Mary (also known as Kathisma in Greek and al-Qadismu in Arabic) built between 451 and 458 on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.[6] The site's significance stems in part from religious traditions regarding the rock, known as the Foundation Stone, at its heart, which bears great significance for Jews and Muslims. It is recognized by all three Abrahamic religions as the site of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac.

[ml/nj]

to be current, we have Wikipedia..

I'm not sure what you mean by that remark. The 1979 EB is generally a much more accurate source for historical information than things written today, as it was published before Political Correctness and revisionist history set in. So for example it speaks of TWO cities holy to Islam, Mecca and Medina, not three as the revisionist Muslims and their Amen Corner pretend there to have been.

BTW, I would note that the Dome having been built for Pilgrims indicates that it wasn't built for the local population.

ML/NJ