Adey, Elizabeth June2024-07-312024-07-3119831983https://hdl.handle.net/1828/16891The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (completed 691- 692 A. D.) and the Great Mosque in Damascus (705-715 A. D.) contain the only extant mosaic schemes in the Middle East executed during the Umayyad Caliphate, As such , they are among the earliest examples of Islamic architectural decoration. They remain , however , distinct from later developments in that they lack the geometric patterning and elaborate inscriptions associated with later Islamic monuments. Differences i n context also separate these two buildings from each other. The Dome of the Rock, in form likely modelled on Christian martyria, was built on the site of Solomon's Temple in a city holy to the three scriptured religions -- Judaism , Christianity and Islam. It serves a commemorative function , The Great Mosque of Damascus, by definition a uniquely Islamic architectural form, serves as the main mosque of this trading centre, and Umayyad capital city. Differences in decorative motifs further divide the two schemes. The Dome of the Rock mosaics display an abundance of luxurious acanthus plants, vine scrolls, cornucopias, vases and jewels. In the Great Mosque these elements, if present at all, are relegated to a minor role; palaces, colonnades and a broad river comprise the major elements. Due to the disparity in architectural setting and iconography of the two schemes art-historians have tended to consider each program as a separate entity. The formalist school dealing solely with aesthetic concerns , ascribed a decorative significance to the motifs. Conversely , writers using a sociological and political approach conclude that the mosaics of the Dome of the Rock have a greater import: they were directed primarily at non- Muslims and served to indicate that Islam had superseded the previous scriptured religions as the final and perfect embodiment of God's will. The mosaics of the Great Mosque are interpreted as depicting the material world under the domination of Islam. No element of congruity between the two schemes is suggested by either school . This thesis postulates that an underlying unity of conception links these two decorative programs. It proceeds from an examination of the historical and architectural importance of the Dome of the Rock in chapter one to a catalogue of its decorative motifs and addresses the sources, arrangement and symbolism of the decorative program in chapter two. Chapters three and four deal with the Great Mosque in Da1nascus in a parallel manner, It will be seen that when these mosaic schemes are examined in the light of Quranic paradise imagery, almost every motif from the verdant acanthus plants and scrolls of the fume of the Rock to the towers, palaces and river of the Great Mosque are specific references to paradise verses in the Quran. Each scheme illustrates aspects of the Muslim vision of paradise, together forming a complete visual explication of the paradise awaiting the True Believer.267 pagesAvailable to the World Wide WebThesis