The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount the “Noble Sanctuary” and the third holiest Shrine of Islam- is associated with the mystical night journey and ascension of the Prophet Mohammed with many biblical figures (Abraham, Jacob, Jesus, David, and Solomon amongst others) accepted as Prophets by Islam and with the Last Judgement. The shape of the sanctuary was determined by Herod the Great for the Jewish Temple and destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. The most important buildings in the enclosure are the Dome of the Rock in the centre and the Aqsa Mosque to the left.

As in the Great Mosque of Kaitouan, there are terraces above the prayer hall; two domes surmount the slightly raised centre aisle. The arches of the portico in front of the prayer halls are less massive, and must therefore date from a later phase of rebuilding. The parapets have battlements as wall as loopholes.

In the Tunisian part of the Sahel region, architects did not make use of ancient columns, although they were very available, but built, masonry pillars instead. The Mosque has stone vaulting instead of wooden ceilings. The massive masonry pillars do not produce the light, spacious effect that were distinctive of the prayer halls of the Kairouan and Tunis.

View up the lateral nave in the prayer hall of the Great Mosque of Tlemcen, founded 1082. The foundation of the mosque dates back to a Yusuf ibn Tashfin and was completed a few years later by his son and successor Ali ibn Yusuf. The stereoscopic alignment of the horseshoe arches gives the narrow prayer hall an impression of depth and breadth, an effect typical not only of 12th-century Almoravid mosques but one which is still popular in the architecture of the Maghreb today.

The construction of the ribbed dome rests on a series of multiple arches, which can be seen at the foot of the dome base. The three-way arches in the corners conceal squinches, which lead up from the rectangular ground plan of the area before the mihrab to the polygonal base of the dome. The squinches are crowned with little stalactite vaults, their first recorded use in the Maghreb. The slender ribs, which begin from the side over the triple arches, intersect many times, creating a large rnany-pointed star at the apex of the dome.

The Great Mosque of Mecca. Saudi Arabia. During the pilgrimage to Mecca, which all Muslims are required to make, the faithful perform the tawaf, circling the Kaaba seven times. Tradition says that when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) arrived in Mecca his enemies spread a rumor that the Muslims were weakened by fever. The Prophet therefore told his supporters to run around the Kaaba for the first three times, to show how strong they were, and the custom is a part of the pilgrimage to this day. At the end of their pilgrimage, the faithful then perform another farewell tawaf of the Kaaba. The Qur'an states; "It is the duty of all men towards God to come to the House a pilgrim, if he is able to make his way there." (sura 3,97) The Kaaba is a gray stone building 11 metres in height, is the main shrine of Islam. Only Muslims are permitted to enter it. The term Kaaba (Arabic: 'cube') describes the shape of the building. It is covered with a black veil of silk and cotton, which is replaced by draperies of white fabric during the pilgrimage season. The Kaaba contains the sacred Black Stone which, according to tradition, was brought down to earth by the Angel Gabriel. Even in pre-lslamic times, the Kaaba in Mecca was an important shrine.

The most Imposing building In Aleppo is the medieval Citadel, which rises high above the city. This natural, flat-topped mound was used in pre-lslamic times as a settlement and place of worship. The Ayyubid ruler al-Malik al-Zahir Ghazi (1186-1216) strengthened it into one of the best fortified military bases in Syria. He had a deep moat dug round the mound and filled with water, and built an Imposing new entrance, which was flanked by two massive rectangular towers and could only be reached over a multiple-arch bridge. The Citadel was heavily renovated during the Mamluk period. The most significant addition was a sumptuous ceremonial hall, which the Mamluk governor Jakam min lwad had built above the Ayyubid gate in 1406/07.

Cairo, 1502. This Mausoleum abuts directly onto the early Mamluk palace in which the emir lived, and was built to match the monumental proportions of this building, which is now completely in ruins. The axes of the mausoleum rotate between the main -facade which is aligned with the street, whereas the inner hall is oriented towards Mecca and followed by the side facade. Through this rotation of axes, the building presents itsetf in an intersting series of steps. The arabesque dome dominates the small mosque and madrassa which Hairback later built together with the minaret.

1284/85. This complex consists of a madrassa and mausoleum, and once included a hospital. It was built very quickly -in just 13 months - due partly to the use of slaves captured during military campaigns, and partly to the availability of building materials salvaged from the demolished Fatamid palaces.

1284/85. In Qalawun's Mausoleum the usual square plan of Cairene mausoleums was adapted to create an octagon formed of four colossal columns and four piers that rise higher than the outer walls, supporting a circle of windows and, above them, the dome. One of the outstanding achievements of early Islamic architecture, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (691/92), provided the model for this exceptional double construction. The interior decoration is also remarkable, in particular the colourful marble incrustation of the dado and the rich stucco work in the arches of the octagon and the windows.

1356-62. This complex is about a 150 metres long and 70 metres wide with walls rising to a height of 38 metres. It is oriented with Mecca, combines the mosque and madrassa in its central four-iwan complex, and is said to have been larger than any previous building in Cairo.

Prayer Niche in the main iwan of the Sultan Hasan Mosque, the typical Mamluk period marble cover the Qibla wall of the main iwan in its full height. Panels were cut from ancient columns and set in stone frames, most of them white marble, some bearing fine floral relief. The engaged columns of the prayer niche with their foliate capitals were looted from crusader buildings in Syria.

Mausoleum of Qalawun, 1284-85. Coloured marble incrustations were used for the first time in the dado of this mausoleum. This subsequently became an estabIished part of the repertoire of Mamluk architectural ornamentation. This lavishIy designed prayer niche is embellished with pillars and three layers of small arches.

1415-20. This recessed portal, which rises above the facade of the building with its frame, is additionally marked out by it's contrasting black-and-white layers of stone and rich decorative masonry- the muqarnas vault, floral reliefs on the vaulted zone and the stone intarsia elements around the door.

1472-74. This high Mamluk minaret springs from a square base.The lower tier is octagonal while the upper tiers are round and culminate in a finial. The structure follows a common pattern and the ornamentation added by the stonemasons is uniquein every detail