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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
The description from which I propose to quote is that of the Spanish Arab, Ibn Jubair, who visited Damascus in 1184. The part of his description most interesting for our purpose is that which refers to the central dome. Mukaddasi speaks of one dome only, but Ibn Jubair, 200 years later, descants on the immense height of the great dome which broods over the void." He describes also how that it consisted of an external and internal dome, and rested on a drum. From this it may be assumed that Al Wâlid's dome succumbed in the fire of 1069. The following is the description given by Ibn Jubair of that which succeeded it, probably built between 1069 and 1082:
[JULY, 1915
"A central nave is below it (viz., the transept) going from the Mihrab to the court; and over this nave (as seen from the interior) are three domes-namely, the dome which is close to the mosque wall towards the court (dome over space A in plan), the dome which is over and adjacent to the Mihrab 'dome over space C in plan), and the dome which is below (forming the inner of lower cupola of) the Kubbat-ar-Rasâs (the dome of lead) rising between the other two."
He describes his visit to the interior of the latter:
"Verily the entrance to the same, and into the interior where is the inner dome-like a sphere within a larger sphere43 is from the mosque. We went up by a ladder in the western colonnade that goes round the court, and walked over the flat roof. The roof is covered with large sheets of lead, the length of each sheet being four spans and the width three. After passing over the flat roof we came to the Dome, and mounted into it by a ladder set there; and doing so it almost happened that we had all been seized with dizziness. We went into the round gangway (this was round the outside of the lead dome), which is of lead, and its width is but six spans, so that we could not stand there, fearing to fall over. Then we hastened on to the entrance into the interior of the dome, passing through one of the grated windows which opened in the lead-work; and before us was a wondrous sight. We passed on over the planking of great wood beams. which go all round the inner and smaller dome, which is inside the outer Leaden Dome, as aforesaid, and there are here two arched windows, through which you look down into the Mosque below. From here the men who are down in the Mosque look as though they were small children. This dome is round like a sphere, and its structure is made of planks strengthened with tout ribs of wood, bound with bands of iron. The ribs. curve over the dome aud meet at the summit in a round circle of wood. The inner dome, which is that soen from the interior of the Mosque, is inlaid with wooden panels. They are all gilt in the most beautiful manner, and ornamented with colour and carving. The Great Leaden Dome covers this inner dome that has just been described. It also is strengthened by wooden ribs bound with iron bands. The number of these ribs is forty-eight, and between each rib is a space of four spans. The ribs converge above, and unite in a centre-piece of wood. The Great Double Dome rests on a circular base... One of the wonders of the place is that we saw no spiders in the framework of the domes, and they say there are none here at all.44"
43 It would almost follow from this that the larger one must have been bulbous, since they both sprang from the same drum.
44 G. le Strange, Palestine under the Moslems, pp. 255-7.
