Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/520

504 SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE. Part III. The mosque which Abel el-Malek erected still remains tolerably unaltered to the present time.^ The plan (Woodcut No. 956) will show that it is not unlike a Christian basilica of seven aisles, and of considerable dimensions, being 184 ft. wide by 272 in length over all, thus covering about 50,UU0 sq. ft., or as much as many oi our cathe- drals. It has a porch, which is a later addition, but has not the usual square court in front, Avhich was an almost invariable accomi)a- niment of Christian basilicas of that date, and still more so of mosques; indeed, these latter took their form from the gradual reduction of the depth of the church-portion of the arrangement, and the increase of the court, which eventually became the mosque itself. "The interior is supported," says an Arab historian,^ "by 45 columns, 3.3 of which are of marble and 12 of common stone," — many of them no doubt taken from more ancient buildings, — "be- sides which there are 40 piers of common stone." Arculfus,3 a Christian monk, who saw it shortly after its erection, describes it with perfect accuracy as a square building, capable of containing about 3000 persons, and mentions the curious peculiarity of the pillars being connected by beams, showing that the construction was then the same as we see now, as is shown in the woodcut (No. 957), which is a view taken across the southern end of the building. The pier-arches are pointed throughout, but above this is a range of openings with circular heads. This building, with its adjuncts, remained the only place of prayer belonging to the Mahomedans for three centuries after its erection. During the Crusades it was occupied by the knights, who took the name of Templars from residing in a building which was known to occupy the site of the Temple ^ of the Jews. On the recovery of the city it again became the principal mosque, and remains so to this day. As an architectural object the Aksah is of no great importance. It has no feature of beauty externally excej^t the nortliern porcli, which Avas added in the fourteenth century. The interior is spacious but barn-like, and has no particular elegance, either of arrangement or detail ; but it must also be added that it suffers very considerably from its juxtaposition with the Dome of the Rock, from which it ^ This mosque was first made known to the West hy the labors of Messrs. Catherwood, Arundale, and Bonomi. It has since been pubhslied by M. de Vogiie and others, and has been open to the inspection of travellers for some time past. 2 Mejr ed-Deen. " Fundgruben des Orients," vol. ii. p. 8.3. 8 Adamnanus, Libellus de locu'i Sanc- tis. Mabillon, " Acta Sanct. Ord. Bened." Ssec. III., part II., p. 504 et ■seq. ■* The fact of its never having been doubted till the 19th century that the Aksah stands within the precincts of the .Jewish Temple, is in itself a sufficient proof that no Christian ever had any- thing to do with the building of any part of it.