Temple Mount or Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is a large, ancient elevated platform in the Old City of Jerusalem with a complicated (and sometimes antagonistic) religious significance. Archaeologically, its shape was taken from the construction of the First and Second Jewish Temples. The Temple Mount, otherwise known as the Dome of the Rock is located at its centre today which is an ornate Islamic shrine built in 691. It is Islam's third holiest site because it marks the Prophet Mohammed heavenward ascent and the spot of Abraham's offering of Ishmael. It is also considered as the holiest site in Judaism because it covers the Foundation Stone. Being part of the Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock is adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the city of Jerusalem. The Temple Mount has been seen as a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
