Templum Domini

The Templum Domini, Latin for "the Temple of God", was the name given by the Crusaders to the Dome of the Rock, which they transformed into a Christian church during the existence of their First Kingdom of Jerusalem (1099-1187).^[1]

During the Crusader rule over Jerusalem after the First Crusade, the Dome of the Rock was believed to stand at the site and be a reflection of the original Temple of Solomon. It was given into the care of the Augustinian canons, who turned it into a church.

The adjacent Al-Aqsa Mosque was called by the Crusaders, rather confusingly, "Templum Solomonis", lit. "Solomon's Temple". It first became a royal palace, and after the completion of the purpose-built royal palace near the Jaffa Gate the King of Jerusalem gave it to the Knights Templar, who set up their headquarters inside the mosque for much of the 12th century.

A dome on pillars, symbolising either the Dome of the Rock or the Rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, was featured on the official seals of the Order's Grand Masters (such as Everard des Barres and Renaud de Vichiers), and it became the architectural model for Templar churches across Europe.

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Coordinates: 31°46′41″N 35°14′07″E / 31.7781°N 35.2353°E / 31.7781; 35.2353