Dome of the Rock
Jerusalem

8x10” · Watercolor & Ink on Cotton Rag

This sketch captures the arched stairway and entrance (al‑Mawazin) leading up to the Dome of the Rock’s elevated platform. Completed in 691–692 CE under Caliph ʿAbd al‑Malik, it is recognized as the first large-scale, monumental dome in Islamic architecture, setting a precedent for later mosques and shrines.

The shrine sits atop the sacred Foundation Stone and features an octagonal plan surrounding the central rock. Its golden dome, one of the most iconic in the world, gleams above a band of teal-blue tiles inscribed with Qur’anic calligraphy, combining spiritual significance with architectural beauty. The design reflects a fusion of Byzantine influence and early Islamic style, emphasizing both the religious and political authority of the Umayyads.

Rendering this in watercolor and ink allowed me to capture the vivid colors, geometric precision of the arches, and the layered history of the site. The stairway and arch draw the eye upward, guiding the viewer toward a space that has symbolized Jerusalem’s spiritual and architectural prominence for over thirteen centuries