How did the building of the Dome of the Rock affect the religious meaning of the Temple Mount?

The construction of the Dome of the Rock in the late 7th century significantly transformed the religious landscape of the Temple Mount, a site already deeply sacred to Judaism as the location of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem.12

By erecting this monumental shrine, the Umayyad caliph ‘Abd al-Malik established the plaza—known to Muslims as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf ("The Noble Sanctuary")—as a central site of Islamic significance. The structure’s design and inscriptions served to position Islam as the successor to the Abrahamic tradition, emphasizing the unity of God and challenging Christian doctrines.1

While the site’s primary Islamic significance is now linked to the Prophet Muhammad’s Mi‘rāj (ascent to heaven), the Dome also reinforced the area's status as a focal point for pilgrimage. Over time, the site’s identity became layered; it remained a place of Jewish lament and prayer at the Western Wall, while simultaneously becoming a cornerstone of Islamic religious life and identity in Jerusalem.123