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Umayyad Mosque is a must see historical site in Damascus.
This is ground that has been held sacred for at least three
millennia. In the centre of the courtyard, there is an ablution
fountain that is said to mark the midway point between Istanbul
and Mecca. There are many minarets and pavilions on the Umayyad
grounds that are worth a visit as well - the Minaret of
the Bride, the Minaret of Qayt Bey, the Dome
of the Clocks, the Minaret of Jesus and also the
legendary burial site of the head of John the Baptist (from
the famous Salome story). Fans of Arabic calligraphy will
enjoy the Epigraphy Museum, also on the grounds.
History of the Mosque
Dating back to the second millennium BC, Pagans, Christians
and Muslims worshipped at Umayyad, with a mix of various shrines,
churches and muslim sacred areas. In 661 AD under the Umayyad
Dynasty, after Damascus became the capital of the Islamic
Empire, the mosque became a purely Muslim place of worship.
Around 708 AD, Umayyad Caliph Khalild Ibn al-Walid began
the work which would make Umayyad a monument to Islam on a
grand scale - notably the greatest of that time.
Over the years, Umayyad has suffered through sackings, earthquakes,
invasions and fires - always undergoing some sort of major
transformation. The most recent disaster was in 1893 when
a prayer destroyed the prayer hall. A major restoration was
undertaken by the Ottomans, but much of the original beauty
and decoration were lost in that undertaking. Umayyad remains
an extremely unique monument to this day - perhaps because
of all the different influences and modifications over the
centuries.
Visiting Umayyad Mosque Today
Women will be required to go to the "Putting On Special
Clothes Room" to don a monk-like hijab that ties in front,
covers hair, and reaches all the way down to the ankles. This
robe is slightly overkill, as a headscarf would be sufficient
covering for most outfits, but it may be meant for tourists
summertime outfits, when some women may be foolishly wearing
shorts. It's recommended that you do bring a headscarf which
is a much more fashionable option than this baggy robe, and
you must remove your shoes as well.
The mosque is at it's most beautiful around sunset when the
setting sun makes the gold walls shimmer. You'll see that
the mosque is equal parts prayer site, community centre and
playground. People are praying, gossiping, napping, enjoying
the courtyard, having picnics or strolling. Crowds of young
children play everywhere.
Other Things to See and Do
After the mosque, there's nothing like some delicious blood
orange juice. Blood oranges, or ruby oranges as they are
more prudishly called in some countries, are deep red on the
inside, and sweeter than regular oranges - delicious - and
there are many carts that sell this juice outside the mosque.
There are lots of souvenir and handcraft stands immediately
around Umayyad, the wares are higher quality and authentically
Syrian than deeper in the souk. You can find gorgeous damask
tablecloths (where Damascus gets its name) for around US$12,
other woven textiles and all sorts of silver jewelry. There
are coffee pots, furniture, paintings, pottery, clothing and
even an entire Bedouin tent available for sale - to bring
Syria home after your travels.
Deeper into the souk, there are stalls that sell everything
from enormous women's underwear to bridal trousseaus or religious
items. One stall sells decorations to welcome people home
after pilgrimages to Mecca or for the Eid holiday - you can
take home a "Welcomes You To Home After Pilgrimage!"
banner. After wandering around a while - getting lost is highly
recommended - you'll see that the souk is loosely arranged
by type of items. There is a spice souk, a gold souk - with
blindingly shiny displays of gold jewelry, a silver souk,
a rug souk, a metalworking souk, an area that sells water
pipes, an office supply souk, a kitchen gadget souk, a tape
souk, a tacky tourist souk . . . you get the idea.
Why not take home a colourful, large-size picture of Syrian
President Basher Assad? Only 25 SL (about US 50 cents!). Salaam,
ya ba! (Hello, my friend!)
Umayyad Mosque is open daily 9am - 5pm, and for prayers
only on Friday 12:30-2pm.
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