Construction of Umayyad Mosque

The Umayyad Mosque, or Great Mosque of Damascus, was built by the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I on the site of a Roman temple of Jupiter that had later become a Christian basilica dedicated to John the Baptist. Byzantine and local craftsmen decorated the walls with large gold mosaics showing gardens and buildings, and its prayer hall and courtyard became a model for later mosques. A shrine inside is believed to contain the head of John the Baptist, who is revered in Islam as the prophet Yahya. Damaged by fires and invasions over the centuries and restored many times, the mosque stands in the heart of the Old City of Damascus, itself a World Heritage Site.

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