The most important monument in Damascus (دمشق), and perhaps the entire country, is the magnificent Umayyad Mosque (الجامع الاموي). No single historic site symbolizes the rich and varied cultural heritage of Syria as does this remarkable mosque. It has served as a place of worship continuously for several millennia, a holy place for over a thousand years even prior to the arrival of Islam. While …
al-Tekiyeh al-Suleimaniyeh Mosque (جامع التكية السليمانية) has been described as the finest example of Ottoman architecture in Damascus (دمشق). Designed by the prominent Ottoman architect Sinan under Sultan Suleiman I, construction of the complex began in 1554 and was completed five years later. While far more modest in scale than Sinan’s projects in Istanbul and elsewhere in the former Ottoman Empire, the mosque is nonetheless …
The old city of Damascus (دمشق) was once surrounded by extensive fortifications that included walls, towers, and gates in addition to the more imposing Damascus Citadel (قلعة دمشق). Much of these defenses survive intact, often concealed within markets and incorporated into residential buildings. While the city’s fortifications were originally constructed during the Roman period, what remains today largely dates to Seljuq and Ayyubid era reconstructions. …
Bab al-Saghir Cemetery (مقبرة الباب الصغير), located south of the old city, is the most noteworthy of the many historic cemeteries in Damascus (دمشق). This cemetery has been in use since the beginning of the Umayyad period, and several tombs are attributed to prominent figures in the early history of Islam. The attribution of these tombs is largely by popular tradition, often unsupported by any …
Mohi al-Din Bin Arabi Mosque (جامع محي الدين بن عربي) is a fascinating place of worship in the northern Damascus (دمشق) district of al-Salhiyeh (الصالحية). The mosque contains the tomb of the renowned Sufi mystic Abu Abdullah Mohammed Ibn Ali Ibn Mohammed Ibn Arabi (أبو عبدالله محمد ابن علي ابن محمد ابن عربي), who lived from 1165-1240. Ibn Arabi was born in Andalusia and gradually …
al-Hanabaleh Mosque (جامع الحنابلة), in the northern district of al-Salhiyeh (الصالحية), is the oldest surviving mosque in Damascus (دمشق) after the Umayyad Mosque (الجامع الاموي). It was the first monument to be constructed in Damascus (دمشق) during the Ayyubid period, built between 1202 and 1213 for the followers of the Hanbali school of Islam. The rather austere exterior of the mosque hides an attractive courtyard …
al-Sinaniyeh Mosque (جامع السنانية) was constructed in 1590-1591 under Sinan Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Damascus (دمشق) from 1589 to 1593, and is one of several interesting mosques just to the southwest of the old city walls. Beyond being the governor of Damascus (دمشق), Sinan Pasha also served as governor of Cairo (Egypt) and was grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire five times between 1580 …
The modest but attractive al-Darwishiyeh Mosque (جامع الدرويشية) is located just beyond the western edge of the old city of Damascus (دمشق). It was constructed between 1572 and 1575 by the Ottoman governor of Damascus (دمشق), Darwish Pasha, who held the position from 1571 to 1571. His tomb is in a small octagonal domed building on the southern side of the complex, joined to the …
Murad Basha Mosque (جامع مراد باشا) is one of the more interesting mosques located beyond the walls of the old city of Damascus (دمشق). The mosque was erected by and named after Murad Pasha, who served as the Ottoman governor of Damascus between 1568-1569. This area of the city, southwest of the old city, saw significant development during the Ottoman period as a stopover point …
al-Fathiyeh Mosque (جامع الفتحية) is a beautiful Ottoman-era mosque in the charming old city neighborhood of al-Qaimariyeh (القيمرية), popular for its coffee shops and restaurants. The mosque was constructed in 1743 under Fathi Bin Mohammed Bin Mohammed Bin Mahmoud al-Hanafi al-Qalaqansi (فتحي بن محمد بن محمد بن محمود الحنفي القلاقنسي), an Ottoman treasury official. The building follows the traditional Ottoman architectural plan. An arcaded portico …
