FRANCIS BEDFORD (1815-94)
West Front of the Mosque of Omar [Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem]
1 Apr 1862RCIN 2700919
The Islamic shrine was constructed on a site traditionally identified with Solomon’s Temple, which was later replaced with the Second Temple only to be destroyed by the Romans. The Dome of the Rock was constructed between AD 688 and 691. The ‘rock’ is believed to be the place from where the prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven in his Night Journey. Other traditions identify the rock as the place where Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac.
Acquired by the Prince of Wales, 1862