Umayyad Mosque

About this place

The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, stands in the Old City of Damascus and is among the largest and oldest mosques in the world. It is considered the oldest mosque still in use in its original form, and medieval Muslim writers counted it a wonder of the world. Its design had a major influence on the mosques built after it. The site has been used for worship since the Iron Age, later holding a Roman temple of Jupiter and then the Church of Saint John. Caliph al-Walid I built the mosque in the early 8th century. It has since faced fires, damage and many repairs, yet it has kept its plan and Umayyad character, with a courtyard, arcades and a covered prayer hall. You enter a broad marble courtyard ringed by arcades and traces of golden mosaic, with the Dome of the Treasury raised on columns. The prayer hall has long rows of columns and a shrine that tradition says holds the head of John the Baptist. This is a place of worship first of all, so keep quiet and avoid prayer times if you are only visiting. It is about 300 m in a straight line from Al-Hamidiyah Souq and about 200 m from Azm Palace, so it is easy to reach on foot. Dress modestly, and women are usually given a robe at the door. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Syria, and British consular help is not available there, so check official guidance before making any plans.