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Saturday, February 12, 2000: "The Dome of the Rock" (built 688-691 by Abd al Malik, the Ummayad ruler) is positioned over bedrock revered as Mount Moriah where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac, as well as the site of the Jewish temples and of Muhammed's ascension. That it marks the temple site is quite certain.

In order to enter the Dome of the Rock and the nearby Al Aqsa mosque, we had to remove our shoes and refrain from laughing, holding hands or taking pictures. The floors were covered entirely in prayer carpets which my sister noted smelled like dirty socks. (I didn't notice).

Here is a closeup of our group photo. The couple in the background are our guide's daughter and son-in-law who joined us for the day.

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Last Update: May 10, 2004

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