Dome of the Rock

Thinking through Alfred Gell (1945-1997)’s “Art and Agency” & “The Technology of Enchantment”

A Monumental Agent of Revelation

According to Alfred Gell’s anthropological theory, the Dome of the Rock is not merely a commemorative building—it is an agentive being that exerts spiritual, political, and aesthetic force. Gell’s “Art and Agency” postulates that art objects serve as secondary agents acting on behalf of primary agents (e.g., humans, deities, ideologies). The Dome of the Rock, however, complicates this model: it becomes not just an intermediary, but an active index of divine presence—particularly of al-Isra wal-Miʿraj, the Prophet Muhammad’s night journey and ascension.

Indexing the Miraculous through Geometry

Gell emphasizes that the indexical function of art is not representational but causally entangled with what it signifies. In this sense, the Dome is not “about” divine ascension—it enacts it through proportion, symmetry, and optical awe. The octagonal structure is geometrically encoded with Qur'anic numerology and cosmic symbolism, making it not an illustration but a ritual instrument. Its golden dome and concentric form mimic the celestial spheres and implicitly direct the user’s gaze upward, initiating a non-verbal ascent of the soul.

The central rock (es-Sakhra) over which the dome is built is not merely encased—it is dramatized through spatial choreography, creating a sacred void that vibrates with presence. Gell’s idea of “distributed personhood” is evident here: the architecture, the relic, the inscriptions, and the worshipper are all woven into a collective act of sanctification.

Technology of Enchantment: Calligraphy and Cosmic Inscription

Where Gothic cathedrals use stained glass to enchant, the Dome of the Rock deploys epigraphic geometry. The Kufic inscriptions of the Qur’an on its inner walls are not decorative—they are performative speech acts, broadcasting divine revelation as architectural vibration. For Gell, this is enchantment not through illusion but through the intentional opacity of technique—in this case, the incomprehensible perfection of celestial design, intended to mesmerize, stabilize belief, and sacralize reality.

Iconic Power and Political Agency

The Dome is not merely a theological index; it is also a political agent. Built during the Umayyad caliphate, it asserts Islamic continuity with Judaic and Christian traditions while also superseding them. The location—on the Temple Mount, or al-Ḥaram ash-Sharīf—was deliberate, placing Islam at the center of Abrahamic cosmic geography. Gell would interpret this as an example of art as social control: not propaganda, but enchantment so profound it restructures reality for generations.