Umayyad Mosque
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The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus (Arabic: جامع بني أمية الكبير) or formerly the Basilica of Saint John the Baptist,is located in the old city of Damascus, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world.
After the Arab conquest of Damascus in 634, the mosque was built on the site of a Christian basilica dedicated to John the Baptist [Prophet Yahya (Peace On Him)] since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine I. The mosque holds a shrine which today may still contain the head of John the Baptist [Prophet Yahya (Peace On Him)], honored as a prophet by both Christians and Muslims alike. There are also many important landmarks within the mosque for the Muslims, among them the place where the head of Husayn (ALLAH Bless With Him),The grandson of Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was kept on display by Yazid I. The tomb of Saladin (ALLAH Bless With Him) stands in a small garden adjoining the north wall of the mosque.
After the Arab conquest of Damascus in 634, the mosque was built on the site of a Christian basilica dedicated to John the Baptist [Prophet Yahya (Peace On Him)] since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine I. The mosque holds a shrine which today may still contain the head of John the Baptist [Prophet Yahya (Peace On Him)], honored as a prophet by both Christians and Muslims alike. There are also many important landmarks within the mosque for the Muslims, among them the place where the head of Husayn (ALLAH Bless With Him),The grandson of Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was kept on display by Yazid I. The tomb of Saladin (ALLAH Bless With Him) stands in a small garden adjoining the north wall of the mosque.
History Of Mosque
Pre-Islamic period
Damascus is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and the Umayyad Mosque stands on a site that has been considered sacred ground for at least 3,000 years.
It was 1000 BC at the latest when the Arameans built a temple here for Hadad, the god of storms and lightening. A basalt orthostat dating from this period, depicting a sphinx, has been discovered in the northeast corner of the mosque.
In the early first century AD, the Romans arrived and built a massive temple to Jupiter over the Aramean temple. The Roman temple stood upon a rectangular platform that measured about 385 meters by 305 meters, with square towers at each corner. Parts of the outer walls of the temenos still survive, but virtually nothing remains of the temple itself.
In the late fourth century, the temple area became a Christian sacred site. The Temple of Jupiter was destroyed and a church dedicated to John the Baptist was built in its place. The church was believed to enshrine the head of the Baptist, and the site became an important pilgrimage destination in the Byzantine era.
It was 1000 BC at the latest when the Arameans built a temple here for Hadad, the god of storms and lightening. A basalt orthostat dating from this period, depicting a sphinx, has been discovered in the northeast corner of the mosque.
In the early first century AD, the Romans arrived and built a massive temple to Jupiter over the Aramean temple. The Roman temple stood upon a rectangular platform that measured about 385 meters by 305 meters, with square towers at each corner. Parts of the outer walls of the temenos still survive, but virtually nothing remains of the temple itself.
In the late fourth century, the temple area became a Christian sacred site. The Temple of Jupiter was destroyed and a church dedicated to John the Baptist was built in its place. The church was believed to enshrine the head of the Baptist, and the site became an important pilgrimage destination in the Byzantine era.
Caliphate era
Damascus was captured and besieged by Muslim forces led by Khalid Ibn Al-Walid (ALLAH Bless With Him) in 634. Decades later, the Islamic Caliphate came under the rule of the Umayyad dynasty which chose Damascus to be the administrative capital of the Muslim world. The sixth Umayyad caliph, Al-Walid I, then commissioned the construction of a mosque on the site of the Byzantine cathedral in 706.Prior to this, the cathedral was still in use by the local Christians, but a prayer room (Musalla) for Muslims had been constructed on the southeastern part of the building. Al-Walid, who personally supervised the project, had most of the cathedral including the musalla demolished. The construction of the mosque completely altered the layout of the building. The new house of worship was meant to serve as a large congregational mosque for the citizens of Damascus and as a tribute to the city. Because of Christian protest at the move, Al-Walid ordered the all other confiscated churches in the city to be returned to the Christians as compensation. The mosque was completed in 715 by the Caliph, Sulayman Ibn Abd Al-Malik, shortly after the death of Al-Walid that same year.
According to 10th-century Persian historian Ibn Al-Faqih, somewhere between 600,000 and 1,000,000 dinars were spent on the project. Coptic craftsmen as well as Persian, Indian, Greek and Moroccan laborers provided the bulk of the work force which consisted of 12,000 people.Ibn Al-Faqih also relays the story that during the construction of the mosque, workers found a cave-chapel which had a box containing the head of St. John the Baptist, or Yahya Ibn Zakariya in Islam. Upon learning of that and examining it, Al-Walid I ordered the head buried under a specific pillar in the mosque that was later inlaid with marble.
Following the uprising that ended Umayyad rule in 750, the Abbasid dynasty came to power and moved the capital of the Caliphate to Baghdad. Apart from the attention given for strategic and commercial purposes, the Abbasids had no interest in Damascus. As such, the Umayyad Mosque reportedly suffered under their rule, with little recorded building activity between the 8th and 10th centuries.However, the Abbasids did consider the mosque to be a major symbol of Islam's triumph and thus, it was spared the systematic eradication of the Umayyad legacy in the city.The Abbasid governor of Damascus, Al-Fadl Ibn Salih Ibn Ali, built the Dome of the Clock in the eastern section of the mosque in 780.Nine years later, he initiated the construction of the Dome of the Treasury (Qubbat Al-Khazna) with the purpose of housing the mosque's funds.The 9th-century Arab geographer, Al-Muqaddasi, credited the Abbasids for building the northern minaret (Madhanat Al-Arous; "Minaret of the Bride") of the mosque in 831 during the reign of the Caliph Al-Mamun.This was accompanied by Al-Mamun's removal and replacement of Umayyad inscriptions in the mosque.
By the early 10th-century, a monumental clock had been installed by the entrance in the western part of the southern wall of the mosque (Bab Al-Ziyada.) This clock seems to have stopped functioning by the middle of the 12th century.Abbasid rule over Syria began crumbling during the mid-10th-century, and for the decades that followed it subsequently came under the control of autonomous kingdoms who were only nominally under Abbasid authority.
The Fatimids of Egypt,conquered Damascus in 970, but few recorded improvements of the mosque were undertaken by the new rulers. In 1069, large sections of the mosque, particularly the northern wall, were destroyed in a fire as a result of an uprising by the city's residents against the Fatimid's Berber army who were garrisoned there.
According to 10th-century Persian historian Ibn Al-Faqih, somewhere between 600,000 and 1,000,000 dinars were spent on the project. Coptic craftsmen as well as Persian, Indian, Greek and Moroccan laborers provided the bulk of the work force which consisted of 12,000 people.Ibn Al-Faqih also relays the story that during the construction of the mosque, workers found a cave-chapel which had a box containing the head of St. John the Baptist, or Yahya Ibn Zakariya in Islam. Upon learning of that and examining it, Al-Walid I ordered the head buried under a specific pillar in the mosque that was later inlaid with marble.
Following the uprising that ended Umayyad rule in 750, the Abbasid dynasty came to power and moved the capital of the Caliphate to Baghdad. Apart from the attention given for strategic and commercial purposes, the Abbasids had no interest in Damascus. As such, the Umayyad Mosque reportedly suffered under their rule, with little recorded building activity between the 8th and 10th centuries.However, the Abbasids did consider the mosque to be a major symbol of Islam's triumph and thus, it was spared the systematic eradication of the Umayyad legacy in the city.The Abbasid governor of Damascus, Al-Fadl Ibn Salih Ibn Ali, built the Dome of the Clock in the eastern section of the mosque in 780.Nine years later, he initiated the construction of the Dome of the Treasury (Qubbat Al-Khazna) with the purpose of housing the mosque's funds.The 9th-century Arab geographer, Al-Muqaddasi, credited the Abbasids for building the northern minaret (Madhanat Al-Arous; "Minaret of the Bride") of the mosque in 831 during the reign of the Caliph Al-Mamun.This was accompanied by Al-Mamun's removal and replacement of Umayyad inscriptions in the mosque.
By the early 10th-century, a monumental clock had been installed by the entrance in the western part of the southern wall of the mosque (Bab Al-Ziyada.) This clock seems to have stopped functioning by the middle of the 12th century.Abbasid rule over Syria began crumbling during the mid-10th-century, and for the decades that followed it subsequently came under the control of autonomous kingdoms who were only nominally under Abbasid authority.
The Fatimids of Egypt,conquered Damascus in 970, but few recorded improvements of the mosque were undertaken by the new rulers. In 1069, large sections of the mosque, particularly the northern wall, were destroyed in a fire as a result of an uprising by the city's residents against the Fatimid's Berber army who were garrisoned there.
Seljuk and Ayyubid era
The Seljuk Turks gained control of the city in 1078 and restored the nominal rule of the Abbasid Caliphate. The Seljuk king Tutush initiated the repair of damage caused by the 1069 fire.In 1082, his vizier, Abu Nasr Ahmad Ibn Fadl had the central dome restored in a more spectacular form,the two piers supporting it were reinforced and the original Umayyad mosaics of the northern inner facade were renewed. The northern riwaq ("Portico") was rebuilt in 1089.The Seljuk prince of Damascus, Toghtekin, repaired the northern wall in 1110 and two inscribed panels located above its doorways were dedicated to him.In 1113, the Seljuk Atabeg of Mosul, Sharaf Al-Din Mawdud, was assassinated in the Umayyad Mosque.As the conflict between Damascus and the Crusaders intensified in the mid-1100s, the mosque was used as a principle rallying point calling on Muslims to defend the city and return Jerusalem to Muslim hands. Prominent imams, including Ibn Asakir, preached Jihad and when the Crusaders advanced towards Damascus in 1148, the city's residents heeded their calls; the Crusader army withdrew as a result of their resistance.
During the reign of Nur Ad-Din Zangi which began in 1154, a second monumental clock, the Jayrun Water Clock was built on his personal orders.It was constructed outside the eastern entrance to the mosque (Bab Jayrun) by architect Muhammad Al-Saati and was rebuilt by Al-Saati following a fire in 1167 and was eventually repaired by his son, Ridwan, in the early 13th-century. It may have survived into the 14th century.Arab geographer, Al-Idrisi, visited the mosque in 1154.
Damascus witnessed the establishment of several religious institutions under the Ayyubids, but the Umayyad Mosque retained his place as the center of religious life in the city. Muslim traveller Ibn Jubayr described the mosque as containing many different zawaya for religious and Quranic studies. In 1173, the northern wall of the mosque was damaged again by fire and was rebuilt by the Ayyubid Sultan Saladin, along with the Minaret of the Bride,which had been destroyed in the 1069 fire.During the internal feuds between later Ayyubid princes, the city was dealt a great deal of damage, and the mosque's eastern minaret known as the "Minaret of Jesus" was destroyed at the hands of As-Salih Ayyub while besieging As-Salih Ismail in 1245.The minaret was later rebuilt with little decoration.Saladin, along with many of his successors, were buried around the Umayyad Mosque.
During the reign of Nur Ad-Din Zangi which began in 1154, a second monumental clock, the Jayrun Water Clock was built on his personal orders.It was constructed outside the eastern entrance to the mosque (Bab Jayrun) by architect Muhammad Al-Saati and was rebuilt by Al-Saati following a fire in 1167 and was eventually repaired by his son, Ridwan, in the early 13th-century. It may have survived into the 14th century.Arab geographer, Al-Idrisi, visited the mosque in 1154.
Damascus witnessed the establishment of several religious institutions under the Ayyubids, but the Umayyad Mosque retained his place as the center of religious life in the city. Muslim traveller Ibn Jubayr described the mosque as containing many different zawaya for religious and Quranic studies. In 1173, the northern wall of the mosque was damaged again by fire and was rebuilt by the Ayyubid Sultan Saladin, along with the Minaret of the Bride,which had been destroyed in the 1069 fire.During the internal feuds between later Ayyubid princes, the city was dealt a great deal of damage, and the mosque's eastern minaret known as the "Minaret of Jesus" was destroyed at the hands of As-Salih Ayyub while besieging As-Salih Ismail in 1245.The minaret was later rebuilt with little decoration.Saladin, along with many of his successors, were buried around the Umayyad Mosque.
Mamluk rule
The Mongols under the leadership of Kitbuqa, in alliance with Crusader forces, captured Damascus from the Ayyubids in 1260. Bohemond VI of Antioch, a leading general in the invasion, ordered Catholic Mass to be performed in the Umayyad Mosque.The Mamluks led by Qutuz and Baibars soon wrested control of the city the same year. In 1270, Baibars, by now the Mamluk sultan, ordered extensive restorations in the mosque, particularly its marble, mosaics and gildings. According to Baibars biographer, Ibn Shaddad, the restorations cost the sultan a sum of 20,000 dinars. Among the largest mosaic fragments restored was a 34.5 by 7.3 metres (113 by 24 ft) segment in the western portico called the "Barada panel".The mosaics that decorated the mosque were a specific target of the restoration project and the art form became a major influence in Mamluk architecture in Syria and Egypt.
In 1285, the Muslim scholar Ibn Taymiyya started teaching Qur'an exegesis in the mosque and when the Il-Khan Mongols under Ghazan invaded the city in 1300, Ibn Taymiyya preached jihad, urging the citizens of Damascus to resist their occupation. The Mamluks under Qalawun drove out the Mongols later that year.When Qalawun's forces entered the city, the Mongols attempted to store several catapults in the Umayyad Mosque because the Mamluks had started fires around the citadel to prevent Mongol access to it. The attempt failed as the Mamluks proceeded to burn the catapults before they were placed in the mosque.
The Mamluk governor of Damascus, Tankiz, carried out restoration work in the mosque in 1326-28. He reassembled the mosaics on the Qibla wall and replaced all the marble tiles in the prayer hall. Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad also undertook major restoration work for the mosque in 1328. He demolished and completely rebuilt the unstable Qibla wall and moved the Bab Al-Ziyadah gate to the east.Much of the that work was damaged during a fire that burned the mosque in 1339.Arab astronomer Ibn Al-Shatir worked as the chief Muwaqqit ("Religious timekeeper") and the chief muezzin at the Umayyad Mosque from 1332 until his death in 1376.He erected a large sundial on the mosque's northern minaret in 1371.The Minaret of Jesus was burnt down in a fire in 1392.
The Mongols under Timurlane sacked Damascus in 1400. Timurlane ordered the burning of the city on March 17, and the fire ravaged the Umayyad Mosque. The eastern minaret was reduced to rubble, and the central dome collapsed.A southwestern minaret was added to the mosque in 1488 during the reign of Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay.
In 1285, the Muslim scholar Ibn Taymiyya started teaching Qur'an exegesis in the mosque and when the Il-Khan Mongols under Ghazan invaded the city in 1300, Ibn Taymiyya preached jihad, urging the citizens of Damascus to resist their occupation. The Mamluks under Qalawun drove out the Mongols later that year.When Qalawun's forces entered the city, the Mongols attempted to store several catapults in the Umayyad Mosque because the Mamluks had started fires around the citadel to prevent Mongol access to it. The attempt failed as the Mamluks proceeded to burn the catapults before they were placed in the mosque.
The Mamluk governor of Damascus, Tankiz, carried out restoration work in the mosque in 1326-28. He reassembled the mosaics on the Qibla wall and replaced all the marble tiles in the prayer hall. Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad also undertook major restoration work for the mosque in 1328. He demolished and completely rebuilt the unstable Qibla wall and moved the Bab Al-Ziyadah gate to the east.Much of the that work was damaged during a fire that burned the mosque in 1339.Arab astronomer Ibn Al-Shatir worked as the chief Muwaqqit ("Religious timekeeper") and the chief muezzin at the Umayyad Mosque from 1332 until his death in 1376.He erected a large sundial on the mosque's northern minaret in 1371.The Minaret of Jesus was burnt down in a fire in 1392.
The Mongols under Timurlane sacked Damascus in 1400. Timurlane ordered the burning of the city on March 17, and the fire ravaged the Umayyad Mosque. The eastern minaret was reduced to rubble, and the central dome collapsed.A southwestern minaret was added to the mosque in 1488 during the reign of Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay.
Ottoman era
The Ottomans under Selim I conquered Damascus from the Mamluks in 1516. The first Friday prayer in the Umayyad Mosque was attended by Selim I and it was performed in his name.The Ottomans used an endowment system (Waqf) for religious sites as a means to link the local population with the central authority. The Waqf of the Umayyad Mosque was the largest in the city, employing 596 people. Supervisory and clerical positions were reserved for Ottoman officials while religious offices were held mostly by members of the local ulema. Although the Awqaf (Plural form of "Waqf") were taxed, the Waqf of the Umayyad Mosque was not.In 1518, the Ottoman governor of Damascus and supervisor of the mosque's Waqf, Janbirdi Al-Ghazali, had the mosque repaired and redecorated as part of his architectural reconstruction program for the city.
Prominent Sufi scholar, Abd Al-Ghani Al-Nabulsi, taught regularly at the Umayyad Mosque starting in 1661.The mosque's extensive mosaic, and its marble panelling were once again ravaged by fire in 1893, and had to be restored.The fire also destroyed the inner fabric of the prayer hall and caused the collapse of the mosque's central dome. A laborer engaging in repair work accidentally started the fire when he was smoking his nargila (Water pipe). The Ottomans fully restored the mosque, but largely maintained the original structure.
Prominent Sufi scholar, Abd Al-Ghani Al-Nabulsi, taught regularly at the Umayyad Mosque starting in 1661.The mosque's extensive mosaic, and its marble panelling were once again ravaged by fire in 1893, and had to be restored.The fire also destroyed the inner fabric of the prayer hall and caused the collapse of the mosque's central dome. A laborer engaging in repair work accidentally started the fire when he was smoking his nargila (Water pipe). The Ottomans fully restored the mosque, but largely maintained the original structure.
Modern era
The Umayyad Mosque underwent major restorations in 1929 during French Mandate rule over Syria and in 1954 and 1963 under the Syrian Republic.In the 1980s and in the early 1990s, Syrian president Hafez Al-Assad ordered a wide-scale renovation of the mosque.The measures and concepts of Al-Assad's restoration project was heavily criticized by UNESCO. The general approach in Syria, however, was that the mosque was more of a symbolic monument rather than a historical one and thus, its renovation could only enhance the mosque's symbolism.In 2001 Pope John Paul II visited the mosque, primarily to visit the relics of John the Baptist. It was the first time a pope paid a visit to a mosque.
Minarets
The Minaret of Jesus is the mosque's tallest minaret
Within the Umayyad Mosque complex are three minarets.
The Minaret of the Bride (Madhanat Al-Arous) was the first one built and is located on the mosque's northern wall. The exact year of the minaret's original construction is unknown.The bottom part of the minaret most likely dates back to the Abbasid era in the 9th-century.While it is possible that the Umayyads built it, there is no indication that a minaret on the northern wall was a part of Caliph Al-Walid's initial concept. Geographer Al-Muqaddasi visited the minaret in 985 when Damascus was under Abbasid control and described it as "Recently built." The upper segment was constructed in 1174.This minaret is used by the muezzin for the call to prayer (Adhan) and there is a spiral staircase of 160 stone steps that lead to the muezzin's calling position.The Minaret of the Bride is divided into two sections; the main tower and the spire which are separated by a lead roof. The oldest part of the minaret, or the main tower, is square in shape, has four galleries,and consists of two different forms of masonry; the base consists of large blocks, while the upper section is built of dressed stone. There are two light openings near the top of the main tower, before the roof, with horseshoe arches and cubical capitals enclosed in a single arch. A smaller arched corbel is located below these openings.According to local legend, the minaret is named after the daughter of the merchant who provided the lead for the minaret's roof who was married to Syria's ruler at the time. Attached to the Minaret of the Bride is the 18th-century replica of the 14th-century sundial built by Ibn Al-Shatir.
The Minaret of Jesus (Madhanat Issa), located on the eastern corner of the mosque complex, is around 77 meters (253 ft) in height and the tallest of the three minarets.Some sources claim it was originally built by the Abbasids in the 9th-century,while other sources attribute the original structure to the Umayyads. The main body of the current minaret was built by the Ayyubids in 1247, but the upper section was constructed by the Ottomans.The main body of the minaret is square-shaped and the spire is octagonal. It tapers to a point and is surmounted by a crescent (As are the other two minarets.) Two covered galleries are situated in the main body and two open galleries are located on the spire.Islamic belief holds that Jesus will descend from heaven before the Day of Judgement to confront the Antichrist. According to tradition, he will reach earth via the Minaret of Jesus, hence its name.Ibn Kathir, a a prominent 14th-century Muslim scholar, backed this notion.
The Western Minaret (Madhanat Al-Gharbiye) also known as the "Minaret of Qaitbay" was built by Mamluk sultan Qaitbay in 1488 and is named after him.The Western Minaret displays strong Islamic-era Egyptian architectural influence typical of the Mamluk period.The minaret is octagonal in shape and is built in receding sections with three galleries.It is generally believed that both the Minaret of Jesus and the Western Minaret were built on the foundation of Ancient Roman towers (temenos), but some scholars find this to be questionable because of the absence of corner towers in other former Roman temples.
The Minaret of the Bride (Madhanat Al-Arous) was the first one built and is located on the mosque's northern wall. The exact year of the minaret's original construction is unknown.The bottom part of the minaret most likely dates back to the Abbasid era in the 9th-century.While it is possible that the Umayyads built it, there is no indication that a minaret on the northern wall was a part of Caliph Al-Walid's initial concept. Geographer Al-Muqaddasi visited the minaret in 985 when Damascus was under Abbasid control and described it as "Recently built." The upper segment was constructed in 1174.This minaret is used by the muezzin for the call to prayer (Adhan) and there is a spiral staircase of 160 stone steps that lead to the muezzin's calling position.The Minaret of the Bride is divided into two sections; the main tower and the spire which are separated by a lead roof. The oldest part of the minaret, or the main tower, is square in shape, has four galleries,and consists of two different forms of masonry; the base consists of large blocks, while the upper section is built of dressed stone. There are two light openings near the top of the main tower, before the roof, with horseshoe arches and cubical capitals enclosed in a single arch. A smaller arched corbel is located below these openings.According to local legend, the minaret is named after the daughter of the merchant who provided the lead for the minaret's roof who was married to Syria's ruler at the time. Attached to the Minaret of the Bride is the 18th-century replica of the 14th-century sundial built by Ibn Al-Shatir.
The Minaret of Jesus (Madhanat Issa), located on the eastern corner of the mosque complex, is around 77 meters (253 ft) in height and the tallest of the three minarets.Some sources claim it was originally built by the Abbasids in the 9th-century,while other sources attribute the original structure to the Umayyads. The main body of the current minaret was built by the Ayyubids in 1247, but the upper section was constructed by the Ottomans.The main body of the minaret is square-shaped and the spire is octagonal. It tapers to a point and is surmounted by a crescent (As are the other two minarets.) Two covered galleries are situated in the main body and two open galleries are located on the spire.Islamic belief holds that Jesus will descend from heaven before the Day of Judgement to confront the Antichrist. According to tradition, he will reach earth via the Minaret of Jesus, hence its name.Ibn Kathir, a a prominent 14th-century Muslim scholar, backed this notion.
The Western Minaret (Madhanat Al-Gharbiye) also known as the "Minaret of Qaitbay" was built by Mamluk sultan Qaitbay in 1488 and is named after him.The Western Minaret displays strong Islamic-era Egyptian architectural influence typical of the Mamluk period.The minaret is octagonal in shape and is built in receding sections with three galleries.It is generally believed that both the Minaret of Jesus and the Western Minaret were built on the foundation of Ancient Roman towers (temenos), but some scholars find this to be questionable because of the absence of corner towers in other former Roman temples.
Dome
The largest dome of the mosque is known as the "Dome of the Eagle" (Qubbat An-Nisr) and located atop the center of the prayer hall. The original wooden dome was replaced by one built of stone following the 1893 fire. It receives its name because it is thought to resemble an eagle, with the dome itself being the eagle's head while the eastern and western flanks of the prayer hall representing the wings.With a height of 36 meters (118 ft), the dome rests on an octagonal substructure with two arched windows on each of its sides. It is supported by the central interior arcade and has openings along its parameter.
Architecture & Design
Overall covering an area of 3.76 acres. The ground plan of the Umayyad Mosque is rectangle in shape and measures 97 meters (318 ft) by 156 meters (512 ft). A large courtyard occupies the northern part of the mosque complex, while the haram ("Sanctuary") covers the southern part. The courtyard is enclosed by four exterior walls. The level of the stone pavement had become uneven over time due to several repairs throughout the mosque's history, but recent work on the courtyard has restored it to its consistent Umayyad-era levels. Arcades (Riwaq) surround the courtyard supported by alternating stone columns and piers. There is one pier in between every two columns. Because the northern part of the courtyard had been destroyed in an earthquake in 1759, the arcade is not consistent; when the northern wall was rebuilt the columns that were supporting it were not.
Three arcades make up the interior space of the sanctuary. They are parallel to the direction of prayer which is towards Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The arcades are supported by two rows of stone Corinthian columns. Each of the arcades contain two levels. The first level consists of large semi-circular arches, while the second level is made up of double arches. This pattern is the same repeated by the arcades of the courtyard. The three interior arcades intersect in the center of the sanctuary with a larger, higher arcade that is perpendicular to the Qibla ("Direction of prayer") wall and faces the Mihrab (Niche in the wall which indicates the Qibla) and the Minbar ("Pulpit").The central transept divides the arcades into two halves each with eleven arches. The entire sanctuary measures 136 meters (446 ft) by 37 meters (121 ft) and takes up the southern half of the mosque complex.
Four Mihrabs line the sanctuary's rear wall, the main one being the Great Mihrab which has located roughly at the center of the wall. The Mihrab of the Companions of the Prophet (Named after the Sahaba) is situated in the eastern half. According to ancient Muslim engineer Musa Ibn Shakir, the latter Mihrab was built during the mosque's initial construction and it became the third niche-formed Mihrab in Islam's history.
Three arcades make up the interior space of the sanctuary. They are parallel to the direction of prayer which is towards Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The arcades are supported by two rows of stone Corinthian columns. Each of the arcades contain two levels. The first level consists of large semi-circular arches, while the second level is made up of double arches. This pattern is the same repeated by the arcades of the courtyard. The three interior arcades intersect in the center of the sanctuary with a larger, higher arcade that is perpendicular to the Qibla ("Direction of prayer") wall and faces the Mihrab (Niche in the wall which indicates the Qibla) and the Minbar ("Pulpit").The central transept divides the arcades into two halves each with eleven arches. The entire sanctuary measures 136 meters (446 ft) by 37 meters (121 ft) and takes up the southern half of the mosque complex.
Four Mihrabs line the sanctuary's rear wall, the main one being the Great Mihrab which has located roughly at the center of the wall. The Mihrab of the Companions of the Prophet (Named after the Sahaba) is situated in the eastern half. According to ancient Muslim engineer Musa Ibn Shakir, the latter Mihrab was built during the mosque's initial construction and it became the third niche-formed Mihrab in Islam's history.
Religious significance
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The Umayyad Mosque holds great significance to Muslims, as this was the destination of the ladies and children of the family of Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him), made to walk here from Iraq, following the battle of Karbala.Furthermore it was the place where they were imprisoned for 60 days.The following are structures found within the Mosque that bear great importance:
The place where the head of Husayn was kept on display by Yazid. |
West Side:
South Wing (Main hall)
East Wing:
- The entrance gate (Known as, "Bab As-Saat") The door marks the location where the prisoners of Karbala were made to stand for 72 hours before being brought inside.During this time, Yazid I had the town and his palace decorated for their arrival.
South Wing (Main hall)
- Shrine of John the Baptist (Arabic: Yahya)
- A white pulpit marks the place where Ali Ibn Husayn (ALLAH Bless With Him) addressed the court of Yazid after being brought from Karbala
- Raised floor (In front of the pulpit) marks the location where all the ladies and children [The household of Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him)] were made to stand in the presence of Yazid
- Wooden balcony (Directly opposite the raised floor) marks the location where Yazid sat in the court
East Wing:
- A prayer rug and Mihrab encased in a glass cubicle marks the place where Ali Ibn Husayn (ALLAH Bless With Him) used to pray while imprisoned in the castle after the Battle of Karbala
- A metallic, cuboidal indentation in the wall marks the place where the head of Husayn (ALLAH Bless With Him) [Grandson of Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him)] was kept for display by Yazid
- A metal cage marks the place where all the other heads of those who fell in Karbala were kept within the Mosque