September 2023
cover of National Geographic

Author Andrew Lawler and Photographer Ziyah Gafic were given access to Jerusalem’s famed The Dome Of the Rock (aka Temple Mount), and they featured the landmark in the September 2023 issue of National Geographic, according to an official press release from Docsology Films.

The eye-catching The Dome Of The Rock has sparked controversy among religious groups and surrounding residents. Readers of National Geographic can learn more about its rich history and the faith significance.

At the heart of the Dome of the Rock is a limestone outcrop revered by Muslims as the place from which Muhammad ascended on his mystical journey into heaven. One of the world’s largest collections of Islamic mosaics covers some 13,000 square feet of the shrine’s interior. (Photo by Ziyah Gafic)

Andrew Lawler: “The Dome of the Rock sits in the middle of the most complicated geopolitical knot in the world. It took more than a year of negotiations with Jordanian government officials in Amman and Washington, and Muslim clerics in Jerusalem, before National Geographic could even set foot within the premises. Then we received once-in-a-lifetime access to the site, from the cave beneath to the dome above. This article gives a rare glimpse into one of the most contested buildings in history. We hope the story helps readers better understand its unique mix of beauty and spiritual as well as political complexity.”

The sacred rock beneath the dome is a rough, pitted slab of limestone smaller than a volleyball court. Yet its spiritual significance vastly exceeds its size. (Photo by Ziyah Gafic)

Crowning Jerusalem’s sacred mount, the Dome of the Rock is a place of both prayer and protest. Extensive restoration and archaeological research are uncovering fresh clues to the shrine’s origins. (Photo by Ziyah Gafic)

Click Here to read the full press release on BTSCelebs’ Facebook.

For more on this story, visit Natgeo.com

A Special Thanks to Docsology Films, National Geographic and The Walt Disney Company for the info and images.