Compare and Contrast St. Sernin to Dome of the Rock
Edgar Hermosillo
Emmanuel Moreno
Architecture History 1301
17 November 2012
Compare and Contrast
My compare and contrast will be on the Basilica of St. Sernin in Toulouse and one of the most famous Islamic sites, the Dome of the Rock. I will be comparing what similarities and what differences these two great buildings have to one another.
Let’s start with the differences, since these two buildings will probably have a lot. With the Basilica of St. Sernin we find that the floor plan is made to resemble a cross, where the Dome of the Rock has an octagon shaped outer wall. The entrance of the Basilica of St. Sernin has two arched entrances which are sunken in where in the Dome of the Rock the entrances are popped out with 2 columns holding them up. One of the biggest differences these buildings have is on the inside; the Basilica of St. Sernin is obviously a place of worship and has double sided isles. The Dome of the Rock has a huge rock on the inside which is directly under the dome of the building. Another notable difference is that the Basilica of St. Sernin has an octagonal brick tower rising 65 meters over the apse and the Dome of the Rock, well obviously has a domed roof, which is made of aluminum covered with gold leafing donated by the late King Hussein of Jordan. The dome was originally made of gold then of copper, but due to the intense Jerusalem winters they settled on gold leafed aluminum. The great Dome of the Rock was not intended to be a place of worship (a mosque) but a shrine for pilgrims. According to muslin tradition, the Dome of the Rock was built to commemorate Muhammad's ascension into heaven after his night journey to Jerusalem, or for Christians this is the place where Abraham was to sacrifice his son to God to prove his loyalty. The Basilica of St. Sernin was on the other hand made to be a place of worship; this church was actually built to accommodate the crowds stopping to pray at the tomb in with the rise of the
Emmanuel Moreno
Architecture History 1301
17 November 2012
Compare and Contrast
My compare and contrast will be on the Basilica of St. Sernin in Toulouse and one of the most famous Islamic sites, the Dome of the Rock. I will be comparing what similarities and what differences these two great buildings have to one another.
Let’s start with the differences, since these two buildings will probably have a lot. With the Basilica of St. Sernin we find that the floor plan is made to resemble a cross, where the Dome of the Rock has an octagon shaped outer wall. The entrance of the Basilica of St. Sernin has two arched entrances which are sunken in where in the Dome of the Rock the entrances are popped out with 2 columns holding them up. One of the biggest differences these buildings have is on the inside; the Basilica of St. Sernin is obviously a place of worship and has double sided isles. The Dome of the Rock has a huge rock on the inside which is directly under the dome of the building. Another notable difference is that the Basilica of St. Sernin has an octagonal brick tower rising 65 meters over the apse and the Dome of the Rock, well obviously has a domed roof, which is made of aluminum covered with gold leafing donated by the late King Hussein of Jordan. The dome was originally made of gold then of copper, but due to the intense Jerusalem winters they settled on gold leafed aluminum. The great Dome of the Rock was not intended to be a place of worship (a mosque) but a shrine for pilgrims. According to muslin tradition, the Dome of the Rock was built to commemorate Muhammad's ascension into heaven after his night journey to Jerusalem, or for Christians this is the place where Abraham was to sacrifice his son to God to prove his loyalty. The Basilica of St. Sernin was on the other hand made to be a place of worship; this church was actually built to accommodate the crowds stopping to pray at the tomb in with the rise of the