Oleg Grabar was Professor Emeritus of Islamic Art and Architecture at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey.
This is a little gem. The Dome of the Rock, a Muslim shrine in
Jerusalem, might serve as an emblem of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. In this book Oleg Grabar, a Princeton University expert
on Islamic art, considers the building first and foremost as an
artistic masterpiece...Grabar points to some major themes with
which the Dome has been associated: commemoration of the Creation
and the expectation of the Creator's return to Earth, the travels
and Ascension to heaven of the Prophet Muhammad, the triumph over
Christians and Jews in the holy city of Jerusalem, and the
anticipation of Paradise...Grabar outlines a case for considering
the Dome of the Rock as a valuable part of the global artistic
heritage of all humanity, aside from its sacred functions. It forms
part of the third most holy site in Islam, after Mecca and Medina,
and entry is barred to non-Muslims. But this learned virtual tour
of the Dome of the Rock is accessible to all of us.
*Courier Mail*
In this slender and synthetic volume, the old master has returned
once again to his first love, trying to distill a century or more
of scholarship into an entertaining and readable...book. It is
aimed not at his usual scholarly audience, but at the few
hardy--and all armchair--travelers to Jerusalem who wish to learn
more about its most prominent building...Oleg Grabar shows not only
how long and deep is Islam's association with Judaism and
Christianity, but also how Islam and its great contributions to
world civilization have evolved and changed over time.
*Times Literary Supplement*
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