Asia

[Visited: April 2002, July 1974]

The Omayyad mosque can be entered from various points - when entering from the north, you can first visit the small mausoleum of Salah ad-Din, one of the great heroes of Arab history, with a small fountain and lush flowers in its courtyard. Turn one corner from this quiet place and you are asked to take off your shoes and take them with you upon entering the courtyard of the Omayyad mosque.
Built in the 8th century, on the site of temples and a cathedral, the Omayyad mosque still today is considered to be one of the most outstanding mosques in the world. As soon as you step through the enormous gate, the courtyard opens up to you and its impressive sight falls upon you. Every minaret is unique, is a sight of its own. In the courtyard, you can find three different domes.
One of the main attractions of the mosque are its mosaics which are everywhere, in a delicately outstanding beauty. As soon as you come inside the prayer hall, you notice that the floor is completely covered by carpets which is especially pleasant when walking here with bare feet. Inside the hall you can find the shrine of a prophet, and in another part of the complex, there is a shrine holding Al-Hussein's head.

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Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Omayyad Mosque (Syria). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Omayyad Mosque.
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