29. Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, c. 687-692 (Israel)

Often incorrectly called a mosque, this very early Muslim shrine was erected by the rulers of the Umayyad Caliphate atop the rock from which Mohammed is said to have ascended to heaven. Its location is in fact one of the most fiercely disputed pieces of territory in the world, for it sits atop the rocky bluff, Mount Moriah, where Abraham is said to have offered his son Isaac to God, and where the great Jewish temple was erected by Solomon and later rebuilt by Herod, only to be destroyed by the Romans. The centralised form of the Dome of the Rock was inspired by early Christian churches, perhaps the rotunda of the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Its octagonal plan, generated by geometrical means, is covered by a double-shelled wooden dome set on a tall drum. The interior, with its rich mosaic decoration, has a double ambulatory to allow easy circulation for pilgrims. The shrine was re-covered in multicoloured tiles in the 17th century, and its resplendent gold leaf-covered dome stands as a familiar landmark in the troubled cityscape of Jerusalem.