Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1913 — IN THE MOSQUE OF OMAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IN THE MOSQUE OF OMAR

T Jerusalem on the summit of Mount Moriah and in the center of the Temple Area stands the Mosque of Omar. It rests on the most sacred spot in all Jerusalem, has for 3,000 years been the special object of attraction, and around it gather many traditions.

Because of its exquisitely beautiful and diversified manner of decoration, symmetry of form and the mystery of the great rock it shelters, this building is among the most beautiful in the -world, and is surely the most interesting. For ages unnumbered this spot has been set aside for worship, and is now reverenced alike by the Jew, Christian and Moslem. No other spot in the world has such a wonderful history. Here of old rose those temples of Solomon and of Herod —visions of snow and gold—emblematic of purity and consecration —here within the Holy of Holies dwelt the visible presence of Almighty God, here Christ walked and talked and did many mighty works. Destroyed by the soldiers of Titus, A. D. 70, after centuries of neglect, this spot was destined to again become the seat of public worship, but this time of the descendants of Ishmael, not of Isaac, and the followers of Mohammed, the founder of Islam. Age after age has passed, change and decay have treaded each on the .heels of the other; but this rock of the ages has stood safely through all the vicissitudes of the Holy City,. apd, now it again showed its wonderful power of attraction; and, as of old, it rested within structures that were the wonders of the world, so now there stands over it one of the finest buildings to be seen at the present day. In Moslem eyes itß sacredness arises from the fact that when Mohammed made his fatuous journey from Mecca to heaven he went first to Jerusalem, and there, in company with the Angel Ghabrial, mounted to the summit of this sacred rock and thence 'to Paradise. If the Visitor doubts the truth, let him see in the rock of the footprint the prophet left as he sprang aloft, and then examine the finger marks made by Ghabrial as he held the rock in mid-air when it endeavored to follow Mohammed! This tradition sanctifies the rock and area in the eyes of the believer, and therefore complete forgiveness of sin and a good position in Paradise await all who visit it. But even greater rewards are in store for any one who build on or endow any part of the sanctuary. This will account for the many buildings in the lnclosure, the cupolas, colonnades and fountains.

The d>me of the chain is the most Interesting of these. First it was built for a treasury, but its founder, Abd-el-Malik, A. D. 691, was so captivated by its beauty that he gave orders that it should serve as a model for the Mosque of Omar. At that time It was known as the Judgment Seat of David. From the center of a rusty chain still bangs. It was formerly of greater length, so Moslem tradition says, hanging so low that one might easily touch it; yet it could only be grasped by those who spoke the truth. It rose to its present height and refused to be any longer the means of settling disputes because of the harsh treatment it received at the hands of a Jew. Thl* Jew owed some money to a Moslem, but refused to pay. claiming he had already done so. In order to prove his claim the creditor dragged the Israelite to judgment, and having grasped the chain swore the money was still unpaid. Then the

Jew seized the chain, having first handed the Moslem his staff, inside which he had placed the money in question, and swore he had paid the debt. To the astonishment of the onlookers the chain then rose to its present height. The principal building, the Mosque of Omar, is highly praised by many great authorities. Professor Lewis says: “It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings in oaHstonf-n ** Mr. Ferguson, speaking as an architect, says: “The one thing I was least jfrepared for was the extreme beauty of the interior of the building. I remember perfectly the effect of the Taj Mahal and the other great imperial tombs of Agra and Delhi, and I am tolerably familiar with most of the tombs and tomb-like buildings in other countries. ' But, as far as I know, the Dome of the Rock surpasses them all. There is an elegance of proportion, and an appropriateness of detail which does not exist in any other building I am acquainted with. Its mosaics are complete and beautiful in design, and its painted glass, thougheomparatively modern (sixteenth century), is more beautiful than any in this country. These, combined with the mystery of the great Rock, occupying the whole floor of the sanctuary, make up a whole, as far as I know, unrivaled in the world.” Before entering the building shoes must be removed or covered with slippers. No sound disturbs the solemn stillness which reigns around, even the footfall of the Moslem worshiper is noiseless; no organ peals forth harmonious notes; no white-robed choirs chant the praises of the Almighty and Eternal God, who of old shed forth the brightness of his glory, the greatness of his majesty, and the tender ness of his love on this spot All is still, and the stillness seeins to attach itself to the visitor; as a whisper sounds so loud the voice is used as little as possible, and then soft and low. A dim religious light pervades the building, and a feeling of awe and of reverence steals slowly o’er the astonished and wondering traveler. When the sun glints through the colored windows, of so many varied shapes that no two are alike, and yet all are in perfect harmony, their marvelous beauties amaze the beholder. As the Bunbeamß linger on their beauty they shed their brightness on the mosaics and tiles of the dim interior, the gilded cornices, friezes and capitals. The exquisite beauty of the decorations gradually appears and the more one becomes accustomed to the light, the more one lingers under the Dome, and the greater grows the admiration. The Moslem pilgrim feels not the spell of the beauty of the building. He has come to worship; his thoughts are fixed on the great rock in the middle space, which rises from one foot to five feet above the marble pavement. A hole leads to a cave beneath. "Tills cave is about six feet high and floored with white marble, below which the Moslems think is the Well of Spirits, and in order to prove this the attendant stamps with his foot and a hollow sound Is heard. The floor was only made, so the Moslems say, to prevent gossiping women from speaking to the departed. The rock is believed to be one of the rocks of Paradise; and it stands on a palm tree, beneath which flows one of the streams of Paradise. This rock Is the center of the world, and on the day of resurrection the Angel Israfll will stand upon it to blow the last trumpet. It is also eighteen mlies nearer heaven than any other place in the world, and beneath It is the

source of every drop of sweet water that flows on the face of the earth It is supposed to be suspended miracu lously between heaven and earth. Tht effect upon the spectators was, how ever, so startling that it was fount necessary to place a building around it to conceal the marvel. Before leaving the pilgrim is taken to pray upon a dark-colored pave ment. All agree that it is a stone which originally formed part of the pavement of Paradlße. On this stone were formerly nineteen nails, three and a half of which still remain. The others were taken by the devil in his anxiety to bring about the end of the world, which will eventually come tc pass when all disappear; but he was fortunately caught by the Angel Gha brial, who is their special guardian, and driven away.