3. History
Great Mosque of
Damascus (Syria), 706-715
Umayyads/2nd Caliphate/
preexisting Roman square
towers/ minarets
4. The interior walls of Great
Mosque of Damascus have stone
mosaics that depict crowns,
fantastic plants, realistic trees, and
even empty towns.
This is thought to represent
Paradise for the faithful Muslim.
Both the Dome of the Rock in
Jerusalem and The Great Mosque
of Damascus used the Syrian cut-
stone technique of building and
popularized the use of the dome.
5. 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
8. Inside
the
Mosque
small shrines
John the Baptist (Prophet Yahia to the Muslims)
Zechariah
the son of Imam Ali (the son in law of Muhammad
"p.b.a.h").
the father of St. John the Baptist or the head of
Hussein
Adjacent to the prayer hall, along the eastern wall
of the courtyard, is the entrance to a finely tiled
shrine chamber.
The place where the head of
Husayn was kept on display by
Yazīd.
9. Left: Main entrance to the prayer
hall of the Great Mosque of
Damascus
Below: Spandrel mosaic from the
Great Mosque of Damascus