Dome on the Rock

View of the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock or Al-Masjid Qubbat al-Sakhra from the towers of the Jerusalem Citadel. In the background you can see the Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene near the Garden of Gethsemane and above - the slopes of the Mount of Olives. This mountain dominates the Old City, however, in the pre-artillery era, the builders of ancient Jerusalem were not particularly concerned about this; they were more interested in the close inaccessibility of the fortress and water sources in the immediate vicinity in order to withstand a long siege.