Temples & religious sites
Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is the gold-domed shrine that dominates the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City. Built by the Umayyads in the 7th century, it is one of the earliest surviving examples of Islamic architecture and remains a working religious site rather than a museum piece. Most visitors come to see the building's exterior tilework and dome from the Temple Mount esplanade; entry to the shrine's interior is generally restricted to Muslim worshippers.
Getting there
The Temple Mount is reached on foot through the Old City, via one of the designated gates leading up from the plaza near the Western Wall. Access for non-Muslim visitors is through a single controlled entrance, and security screening is required. If you are staying elsewhere in Jerusalem, plan for a walk or short taxi ride to the Old City gates, followed by another walk through narrow streets to reach the Temple Mount entrance itself.
How much time to allow
Seeing the exterior of the Dome of the Rock and walking the open esplanade around it typically takes 30–60 minutes, longer if you combine it with a fuller walk around the Temple Mount grounds.
When to go
Access hours for non-Muslim visitors are limited and can change without notice, including closures during Muslim prayer times and holidays, so it is worth checking locally before heading up. The site and the surrounding Old City lanes get busy, particularly around midday and during religious holidays, so an early visit tends to be calmer.
Combine with
The Dome of the Rock sits within the wider Temple Mount complex, so a visit naturally takes in the same ground as the Temple Mount itself and the area known in Jewish tradition as Moriah, just 0.1km away. The Western Wall, 0.2km away at the base of the Mount, is a natural next stop and one of the few points where the site can be viewed from below.
Updated September 8, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
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