grew in size, the Umayyad Caliph, al-Walid, took over the whole building and, in exchange, built for the Christians four churches.  He then commenced to construct the mosque which became the first monumental expression of Muslim devotion.  A huge number of craftsmen, including Greeks, Indians, Persians and Syrian Christians spent years embellishing the first sumptuous mosque in Islam.

                It took ten years and eleven million gold dinars to build what was to become the token of Muslim political supremacy and moral prestige.  The artisans who decorated the mosque thought of Damascus as the Garden of Eden and, hence, implanted by way of murals, inlaid with gold, precious stones and coloured glass, motifs duplicating the best elements in nature and man-made structures.  These duplicated real and imaginary rivers, bridges and splendid palaces emerging from a forest of green trees against a background of gold.  Added to the glittering mosaics, the multicolored marble marquetry and gold plating combined to give the  mosque a magnificent sense of colour design.

                In the subsequent centuries, the style of al-Walid's creation was reproduced by architects of mosques throughout the Muslim lands, especially in North Africa and Arab Spain.  Its square minaret, which is believed to have been copied from earlier Christian churches, became the trademark of the Muslim houses of worship.  Even today, this type of minaret is still to be found throughout North and West Africa.

                Some historians believe that al-Walid's  minaret was later adopted by the European Christian churches and became the square church steeple one sees in western lands.  In the eastern Muslim world, after the demise of the Umayyad Dynasty, the structure and style of the mosques changed, especially during the Ottoman period.  However, Damascus's Umayyad Mosque continued to retain much of its maiden character, including one of the square minarets, and original shape.

                In 1069 A. D., much of the mosque was destroyed by fire and in 1260 it was sacked by the Mongols.  Again in the early 15th century, Tamerlane, the scourge of Asia, burnt the whole of the inside, and finely in 1893, in the Ottoman era, it was almost entirely consumed by fire.  After each destruction, it was rebuilt following the original plans as closely as possible.

                Stepping into the enormous courtyard from the bustle and clamour of the surrounding souks is like walking unexpectedly into another world.  Inside, it is an oasis of coolness, calmness and silence.  In its great marble spaces, people feel they have left their worries and stresses at the doorway.  The overwhelming sense of serenity in its spacious tranquillity is a moving experience, not found in many other religious structures.

                At one end, near the main entrance, is the courtyard's gem, a small domed building supported by tiny slender Corinthian columns and with  pictorial-mosaic decorated walls.  This tiny structure, considered as one of the finest examples of Muslim art, was once the Umayyad treasury where the nation's public funds were kept.

                On three sides of the courtyard, known in Arabic as the sahn, are arcades which consist of columns and piers topped by horseshoe or Roman arches.  Parts of these are inlaid with colourful mosaics - the remains from a time when all these covered walks were gilded.  The fourth side runs along the front of the prayer hall, parts of which are inlaid with marble panels topped with beautiful murals - a fantastic glazed mosaic of Arabesque, much of it newly renovated.

                The prayer hall, 135 m (443 ft) by 37 m (121 ft), which is the throbbing heart of the mosque, has an impressive dome and towers above the courtyard.  It is a pillared chamber consisting of three aisles with two-tiered rows of arches resting on Corinthian columns, standing on pedestals.  On one side, there are three exquisitely tiled mihrabs (niches) and a superb mimbar (pulpit); and near the opposite side the Mausoleum of John the Baptist - known to the Muslims as the Prophet Yahya. 

                The domed shrine contains the head of this Saint and is the focal point of the whole mosque.  Considered a masterpiece of Islamic art, it is venerated by both Christians and Muslims and has been the object of pilgrims since the earliest days of Islam.

                The prayer hall, mihrabs, mimbar, arches, columns and the vast carpeted floor with the worshippers kneeling in prayer, blend harmoniously together and create an ocean of calmness.  The emotional. impact created by the soothing surroundings produces an atmosphere conducive to communicating with the spiritual power.

                The mosque, open to every sect in the Muslim community, is utilized for worship and as a resting or meeting place.  Non-Muslims can visit at any time the whole or any part of the mosque, except the prayer hall on Fridays, during the hours of devotion.  On entering, visitors pay an admission fee, then everyone takes off their shoes and the women are given cloaks, after which all can roam the mosque at will.

                There is no doubt that to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, a visit to this first Great Mosque in Islam is a never-to-be-forgotten experience.  Incorporating within its renovated walls a world of beauty, peace and gentleness, it remains a jewel in the world of Islamic architecture.  It conveys, like it has to millions of visitors throughout the centuries, the true majestic quality of Islam and its message.

                                                                                                                                                Habeeb Salloum