Mescid-i Aksâ ve Kubbetü’s-Sahra’nın İç Mekân Tezyinatının Çevresel ve Dönemsel Faktörler Bağlamında İslâm Sanatına Yansımaları
Reflections of the Interior Ornamentation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock on Islamic Art in the Context of Environmental and Periodical Factors

Summary/Abstract: As two of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are significant monuments that bear the artistic traces of various civilizations, including the Umayyads, Abbâsîds, Fâtımîds, Ayyûbids, Mamluks, Seljuks, and Ottomans. Naturally, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are not merely places of religious worship; they are architectural masterpieces that display the artistic and cultural heritage of Islamic civilizations and serve as sources of pride in contrast to other cultures and civilizations. In Islamic art, decoration has played a central role in enhancing both the spiritual and aesthetic value of architectural structures. Due to restrictions on figurative representations, artists and architects developed a rich decorative language based on stylization and symbolism. Within this context, geometric patterns, vegetal and rûmî motifs, as well as curvilinear designs, came to the fore. When calligraphy is also considered among these decorative elements, inscriptions served not only a visual function but also reflected sacredness through religious and philosophical meanings. The Umayyad period marked a formative stage in the development of Islamic architecture and art. The encounters with new cultures as a result of military conquests led to a noticeable influence from the architecture and decorative arts of the era’s major empires Rome, Byzantium, and the Sâsânîans. However, this influence was not one of direct imitation; instead, the Umayyads reinterpreted and applied the decorative elements of these civilizations within their own cultural framework. The objective of the research is to analyze the emergence and development of the ornamentation elements located in the interior spaces of the AlAqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. To this end, the designs, motifs, and patterns adorning the interior spaces were examined in detail on-site and through visual materials. The symbolic meanings of the motifs, points of cultural interaction, and the materials and techniques used were evaluated through historical and descriptive analysis. The decorative characteristics and unity of style, along with the close similarities, between the Umayyad Mosque built by the Umayyads in their capital, Damascus, and the Great Mosque of Córdoba built in Andalusia, have been used as examples to contribute to the evaluations. The emergence of a decorative style originating in the Palestinian geography and extending as far as Andalusia, and the tracing of its traces extending to the present day, is an important point in the cultural context.

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