When was the Dome of the Rock built and what meanings was the structure meant to convey to viewers at the time of its construction? These are questions that have preoccupied historians of Islamic art and architecture, and numerous interpretations of the Dome of the Rock have been proposed. This book returns to one of the most important pieces of evidence: the mosaic inscriptions running around the two faces of the octagonal arcade. Detailed examination of the physical characteristics, morphology and content of these inscriptions provides new evidence concerning: the chronology of the planning, construction, and decoration of the building; the iconography of the Dome of the Rock; the evolution of Arabic epigraphy in the early Islamic period; and the public expression of religious concepts under the Umayyad caliphs.