The idea of Jerusalem was fundamental to the earliest formulation of Islam, being part of the Abrahamic faith begun in the Hijaz during the early seventh century. The Muslim conquests of Byzantine territory brought this Arab population to the Holy City (al-Quds) and the Temple Mount (the Haram al-Sharif) and to the building of a mosque and shrine. Economic and administrative elements define the foundation of an Islamic city, rendering Jerusalem the first and most important Islamic city after Madinah.

Evidence for the structure of this urban development has long been available in the writings of the Arab geographers, particularly Jerusalem’s own al-Muqaddasi. More recent archaeological data enhance our understanding of this foundation and, in addition, suggest a model for the Arabian city as part of their new religion. The hypotheses expressed in this model derive from studies of foundations in the Umayyad period, such as the so-called “desert castles.” The example of Jerusalem contributes yet another element to the model—the balat as an institution in the early Islamic city.

The evidence for Jerusalem in the early Islamic period, whether or not the accepted model for the Arabian city, indicates that the Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock epitomized the larger conception of the Islamic city. The city was exceptional in its importance for Islam and was subjected to a new experimental development. This religious community strove for a structural setting that would express the vibrancy of this new faith and its ability to create relationships with past and contemporary religious communities in the Holy Land.