Umayyad Mosque

A focal point of Damascus city life, the Umayyad Mosque is considered among the most important muslim places of worship and one of its greatest architectural sights. Its surpassed in significance only by Al Haram in Mecca, Al Nabawi in Medina and Al Aqsa in Jerusalem. Adding to the significance of Damascus in Islam's religious life is the fact that the city has served as a starting point for the Hajji (annual pilgrimage of muslims to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam. As a result, muslims from many different countries and religious fractions visit the city and Mosque. It was amazing to see so many people coming together united in their belief in Islam, but very different in terms of dress and custom.

The Umayyad Mosque is a symbol for the complex cultural and religious past of the city and Middle East as a whole. After the Arab conquest of Damascus, the mosque was built on top of a Christian basilica dedicated to John the Baptist (there is a shrine holding his remains inside the mosque). The Christian churn in tun had been built on top of the roman temple honoring Zeus. There is also the tomb of Saladin, the Arabic hero who expelled the Christian Crusaders from the Middle east after their conquest of Jerusalem. With Islam being far from a single religious confession the Umayyad Mosque is a symbol of one of the earliest and most profound forks for Islam faith, the split into Shias and Sunnis. As the second of the four islamic caliphates, the Umayyad dynasty established the largest muslim state in history and Arab and were responsible for establishing the Sunni after sizing power from prior successors to Mohammed. Oh yes, they also build the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus as the center of their empire.