Tariq Khalaf, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Umayyad Mosque
Al-Jami' al-Umawi (الجامع الأموي) in Arabic
Also known as: Great Mosque of Damascus, Jami' Bani Umayyah al-Kabir
Religions: Islam, Christianity | Place Type: Mosque | Region: Middle East
Overview
The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, is one of the oldest, largest, and most important mosques in the world. Built between 705 and 715 CE by Caliph al-Walid I, it stands on a site that has been used for worship for over 3,000 years. The mosque houses a shrine believed to contain the head of John the Baptist, making it a pilgrimage site for both Muslims and Christians.
Present
The mosque is administered by Syria's Ministry of Religious Endowments (Awqaf). Despite the Syrian Civil War (2011-present), which caused damage to other historic sites, the Umayyad Mosque largely remained protected and continued to function.
The mosque remains an active place of worship, hosting thousands of worshippers for Friday prayers and filling during Ramadan. Tourists and pilgrims of all faiths are welcome to visit outside of prayer times.
Adjacent to the mosque is the mausoleum of Saladin (Salah ad-Din), the Kurdish-Muslim leader who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187.
Religious Significance
Islam
The Umayyad Mosque holds deep significance for Muslims. According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Isa (Jesus) will descend from heaven at the southeastern minaret (called the Minaret of Jesus) on the Day of Judgment. The mosque also contains shrines commemorating Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, whose martyrdom is central to Shia Islam.
The site was chosen by Caliph al-Walid I to demonstrate the permanence and grandeur of the Umayyad Caliphate. It served as a model for congregational mosque architecture throughout the Islamic world, influencing mosques from Spain to Egypt and Turkey.
Christianity
The shrine of John the Baptist (called Yahya ibn Zakariyya in Islam) draws Christian pilgrims. John the Baptist is revered in Christianity as the prophet who baptized Jesus Christ. A church dedicated to John the Baptist stood on this site before the mosque was built, and tradition holds that his head was buried here. In 2001, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to pray inside a mosque when he visited this shrine.
History & Structure
This site has been sacred for millennia. The Arameans built a temple to Hadad, their storm god, here around 1000 BCE. The Romans later constructed a massive Temple of Jupiter, whose outer walls still form the mosque's boundaries. Emperor Theodosius I transformed it into a cathedral dedicated to John the Baptist in the 4th century CE.
After the Muslim conquest of Damascus in 634 CE, Muslims and Christians shared the site for about 70 years. In 705 CE, Caliph al-Walid I acquired the cathedral and demolished it to build the mosque, compensating Christians with other properties. Construction took ten years and employed thousands of craftsmen from across the empire.
Key architectural features include:
The Courtyard: A vast marble-paved space surrounded by arched porticoes, featuring the Dome of the Treasury (Qubbat al-Khazna), which once stored the caliphate's riches.
The Prayer Hall: Contains three parallel aisles and a central nave leading to the mihrab (prayer niche). The hall can accommodate thousands of worshippers.
Mosaics: Gold-background mosaics depicting landscapes cover portions of the walls as examples of early Islamic art.
Three Minarets: Each from different periods - the Minaret of the Bride (Umayyad era), the Minaret of Jesus (southeast), and the Qaytbay Minaret (15th century).
The mosque suffered fires in 1069 and 1893 but has been repeatedly restored.