Umayyad Mosque

Damascus is one of the oldest cities on Earth where people have never stopped living. Right in its centre is the Umayyad Mosque, finished around 715 CE by the caliph al-Walid.

When it was new, its walls were covered with glittering mosaics made of tiny glass and gold pieces showing rivers, palaces and trees — a picture of paradise made from light.

The mosque has three minarets, and one of them is called the Minaret of Isa. Many Muslims believe Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) will descend near it before the Day of Judgement.

The wide marble courtyard is so smooth that on sunny days it shines like a lake. Families sit there in the evening while children run barefoot across the cool stone.

For over 1,300 years scholars have taught in its corners. Even after fires and earthquakes, the people of Damascus rebuilt it every single time, because they could not imagine their city without it.