Jerusalem-The Mosk of the Dome of the Rock from the Governor's House before 1866

This is a photograph of "Jerusalem-The Mosk of the Dome of the Rock from the Governor's House", taken by Francis Bedford in the 19th century. Dominating the skyline is the Dome of the Rock, its iconic dome a powerful symbol. This architectural form, the dome, resonates deeply across cultures and history. We see its echoes in the Pantheon of ancient Rome, a symbol of imperial power and divine order, and later in the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, where it became a symbol of Christian Byzantium, and its association with spirituality and the divine. The dome’s semi-circular form evokes the heavens, a universal symbol of the cosmos. The architecture may change, but the impulse remains constant: to capture the essence of the eternal and reflect humanity’s quest for meaning and connection to something larger than ourselves. It rises from our collective memory, evoking a sense of awe.