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How did Byzantine mosaic techniques influence the mosaics of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem?
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mosaic
Mosaic floor fragment from a synagogue or church, cut stone with mortar from Israel, late 5th–6th century ce; in the Jewish Museum, New York City.
The mosaics of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, completed around 690 CE, were executed by specialists commissioned from the Byzantine Empire. These artisans brought with them the sophisticated technical traditions developed in Byzantine workshops, which significantly influenced the shrine's ornamentation.12
Key technical influences include:
- Tesserae Tilting: Byzantine mosaicists employed a specialized technique of setting gold and silver tesserae at sharp, oblique angles to maximize light reflection toward the viewer. This method, used to create a "miraculous aura of light" in Byzantine churches, was directly applied in the Dome of the Rock, particularly in unlit areas to enhance brilliance.12
- Material and Style: The mosaics utilize techniques similar to those found in Byzantine public buildings, including the use of gold backgrounds.13
- Adaptation of Themes: While the technical execution is distinctly Byzantine, the iconographic program was adapted to reflect Islamic principles. The artists excluded human and animal figures—common in Byzantine religious art—in favor of Arabic script and vegetal patterns, as well as symbols such as jewels and crowns.34
This collaboration demonstrates how Byzantine technical mastery was utilized to serve the aesthetic and ideological requirements of the early Umayyad dynasty.134