Please enjoy our presentation!

1. Welcome to Syria

2. At the heart of the Umayyad Caliphate and the capitol of Syriaresides the ancient city of Damascus

4. Kelsey Junkin

5. Joseph Marx

7. The Madaba Map below, shows the old city of Jerusalem. The Gate is positioned here: Madaba Mosaic Map from the floor of the Church of Saint George

8. It was not always called the Damascus gate. When it was built in the Second Century, by the Romans, they also erected a victory column in front of the gate. It was first called the Gate of the Column.

9. To date, the column has never been found. But remains of the original Roman gate can be seen today. This is the very same gate that the Crusaders traveled though to get to the Holy City. The front of the Damascus Gate (Modern Photo)

10. From the front, the Gate does not look like much. But to the trained eye, there are several architectural interests that make this gate exceptional.

11. The other gates constructed around the Old City contain several architectural patterns that are found here on the Damascus Gate. The archway : The machicolations in the towers The stairs:

12. Most of the gates around the Old City have similar archways over their doorways: Zion’sGate: entryway to Mt. Zion St. Steven’s Gate or Lion’s Gate (see the Lions above)

13. The machicolations on the towers along side the gate serve as adornment as well as for defensive purposes. Romanesque machicolations on the Damascus Gate A French machicolation example from the Château de Pierrefonds

14. Guards and archers would patrol and monitor the ground below from the slits in the walls of the machicolations. These gaps in the wall were perfect for the guards to look through and throw stones onto the heads of the intruders. These slits in the walls were perfect for shooting arrows.

15. An interesting thing to note are the stairs close to the gate. Here at the Damascus Gate the stairs are heading down towards the gate, as a kind of amphitheater.

16. Below is a link to a 360˚ virtual tour of the front of the Damascus Gate. www.3disrael.com/jerusalem/damascus_gate.cfm Here you can see how the stairs head downwards towards the gate.

17. Whereas at the Jaffa Gate the stairs are coming up towards the gate. The archway and machicolations here are quite similar to the ones on the Damascus Gate

18. The gate is a popular place today for the Arab markets and bazaars.

19. Here is a fun culture note! There is a restaurant in Damascus, named after the gate, that has broken the world record for the largest restaurant in the world! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAqDWeRql0s

20. Umayyad Mosque .

21. - The original temple on the site was constructed by the Romans in homage to Jupiter. - In the late 4th century it became a Christian site, and the Jupiter temple was destroyed. - The church is believed to enshrine the head of John the Baptist, (Prophet Yahia )making it an important pilgrimage site in the Byzantine era. - The site has significance to both Christians and Muslims. Did You know?

22. The minarets date from the time of al-Walid with some reconstruction around 1340 and 1488. The minaret in the southeastern corner is called the Minaret of Jesus, because of a Muslim tradition that this is where Jesus will appear on the Day of Judgment. Must Sees… Sheltered inside the mosque is the small chapel and shrine of John the Baptist (Prophet Yahia to the Muslims) where tradition holds that the head of John is buried. One legend says that when the church was demolished, his head was found underneath, complete with skin and hair.

23. Experience the Site http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen6/f47-damascus.html

24. Mosque Architecture “The Damascus mosque synthesizes elements received from other cultures into a novel architectural unity…” (Gardner, 281)

25. Umayyad ArchitectureGreat Mosque of Damascus

27. Umayyad Architecture: Great Mosque of Damascus Picture Citations Minaret of Jesus www.kacmac.com/cities/damascus/photos/ Looking out at courtyard www.sacredsites.com/.../syria/damascus.html Prayer Hall Gable www.gettyimages.com/detail/89163017/De-Agostini Mosque entrance: hansmast.com/images/damascus/mosque/architect... Inner-prayer hall. www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Mosque Entry to prayer hall. www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Umayyad Window coverings www.patterninislamicart.com/ia/m/syr_0118.jpg Ablutions fountain www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Middle_East/Syr... Treasury www.kacmac.com/cities/damascus/photos/ Minaret of the Bride www.sacred-destinations.com/syria/damascus-um... Prayer inside mosque islaam_introduction.tripod.com/al-islaamPhoto... The Treasury www.zoutenzoetwaterparels.com/travel/Syria-Le... Southwest minaret commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Umayyad_Mosqu...