Umayyad Mosque

Lore & Background

It was later associated with Zeus during the Hellenistic period, and under Roman rule after 64 CE became the center of the imperial cult of Jupiter. The current walls of the mosque were the inner walls of the Temple of Jupiter, built from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. As the Muslim community grew, Umayyad caliph al-Walid I confiscated the rest of the cathedral for Muslim use, compensating Christians with other properties.

Reader's Guide

The Umayyad Mosque innovated and influenced nascent Islamic architecture by introducing a more organized and monumental design compared to earlier mosques. Its construction, funded by war booty and taxes on Arab troops, employed thousands of laborers and artisans from across the Islamic and Byzantine empires. The mosque was noted for its rich marble paneling and extensive gold mosaics of vegetal motifs, likely the largest in the world at the time. Under Abbasid rule, new structures were added, including the Dome of the Treasury and the Minaret of the Bride, while the Mamluks undertook major restoration and added the Minaret of Qaitbay. The mosque enjoyed great prestige throughout its history and was regarded as a 'wonder of the world' by many medieval Muslim writers. Although altered several times due to fire, war damage, and repairs, it is one of the few mosques to maintain the same form and architectural features of its 8th-century construction, as well as its Umayyad character.

Did You Know?

• The current walls of the mosque were the inner walls of the Temple of Jupiter, built from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD.
• The mosque's construction was funded by war booty and taxes on Arab troops, employing thousands of laborers and artisans from across the Islamic and Byzantine empires.
• The mosque was regarded as a 'wonder of the world' by many medieval Muslim writers.
• It is one of the few mosques to maintain the same form and architectural features of its 8th-century construction.