The Night the Dome of the Rock Was Desecrated by Crusaders

In 1099, when Crusaders stormed Jerusalem, they transformed the Dome of the Rock into a Christian church, renaming it Templum Domini. This episode explores the physical and symbolic desecration of Islam's third holiest site, from the removal of Muslim inscriptions to the installation of a cross atop the golden dome. We trace the building's history under Crusader rule, its use by the Knights Templar, and its eventual return to Muslim worship under Saladin in 1187. Drawing on accounts by Fulcher of Chartres and Ibn al-Athir, we examine how the Dome was stripped of its Islamic identity and later restored. The episode also touches on the broader Crusader appropriation of Jerusalem's sacred spaces, including the conversion of the al-Aqsa Mosque into a royal palace and stable. This is a story of conquest, religious transformation, and the enduring power of a single architectural masterpiece to symbolize competing claims on a holy city.

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