Interior photographs of and in the Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock), Masjid al-Aqsa, Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem.
Carved wood screen from the Ayyubid period (specifically, 1199 C.E.) surrounding the Sacred Rock. The little domed and screened structure at the far corner is the shrine to the Prophet Muhammad containing, it is said, a piece of the Rock bearing the steed Buraq's hoof print. For centuries, women from the region brought their daughters here to circle around the base of this little shrine within a shrine. The practice was thought to increase the likliehood of conception by magical / divine intervention.
Alas, just before I began my photography of the mosaics, a young reputedly overweight bride got stuck on the floor between the supporting columns of this little shrine. It was an extremly embarrassing and painful experience that was not improved by her hysterical mother-in-law. The young woman was extricated with the help of powered cutting tools. The Awqaf's resident engineer vowed to put a stop to such superstitious behavior and had the base blocked from further access.
While I do not believe in the physical efficacy of such traditions, my readings into the nature of faith, magic and placebos leads me to believe that recourse to such an age-old option is invaluable psychologically. It is another sad example of vernacular and colorful traditions in Palestine crumbling in the face of modernity.
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