The Omayad Mosque

This great mosque stands at the heart of the old city at the end of souk al-Hamidiyeh. It was built by the Omayad Caliph al-Walid ibn Abdul Malek in 705 A.D. when Damascus was the capital of the Arab Islamic state.

It was constructed on the site of what has always been a place of worship: first, a temple for Hadad, the Aramean god of the ancient Syrians three thousand years ago; then, a pagan temple (the temple of Jupiter the Damascene) during the Roman era. It was later turned into a church dedicated to St.John the Baptist when Christianity spread in the fourth century. Following the Islamic conquest in 635, Muslims and Christians agreed to perform their rituals side by side.

The mosque reflects to the grandeur of the Arab state and a remarkable Islamic Art.The mosque panels and the tomb of St. John the Baptist in the prayer hall are the two distinguished items, The mosque is a must to see.

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