Umayyad Mosque of Damascus
Visit the Great Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, one of the oldest and most magnificent mosques in the world, built in 706 CE on the site of a Roman temple and Byzantine cathedral, whose golden Byzantine mosaics are among the finest ever created.
- 1
Mosque Entrance
Enter the Umayyad Mosque through the main gate where the transformation of this site from Roman temple to Christian church to Islamic mosque encapsulates the religious history of Damascus, the entry into one of Islam earliest and greatest places of worship.
- 2
Golden Mosaics
See the extraordinary Byzantine mosaics on the western portico of the mosque, the 8th century golden panorama depicting paradise with rivers and trees and golden cities, among the finest Byzantine mosaics in existence and unique in depicting the world without human figures.
- 3
Shrine of John the Baptist
Visit the shrine said to contain the head of John the Baptist in the prayer hall, the site venerated by both Muslims and Christians in this mosque that has always had a special relationship with the Christian tradition on whose foundations it was built.
- 4
Prayer Hall
Enter the vast prayer hall of the Umayyad Mosque where the columns of the earlier Byzantine basilica were incorporated, the three-aisled hall where the faithful pray beneath the wooden ceiling of one of the finest early Islamic buildings in the world.
- 5
Minaret of the Bride
See the Minaret of the Bride, the oldest standing minaret in the Islamic world, the 8th century tower from which the call to prayer was first heard in Damascus, its square form the origin of the distinctive Syrian minaret design.
- 6
Courtyard at Sunset
Sit in the magnificent marble courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque at sunset when the golden light transforms the mosaic decorations, the ablution fountain reflects the arcaded porticoes, and the ancient space fulfills its original purpose as a place of contemplation.