Evening Prayer at Umayyad Mosque
Damascus, Syria
October 28, 2008
Damascus, Syria
October 28, 2008
Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. It has a fascinating history starting out as an Aramean temple that later became a Temple of Jupiter under the Romans and then a church dedicated to John the Baptist during the Byzantine age. It continued to operate as such even after the Muslim invasion in the 7th Century and for a while Muslims and Christians shared the same place of worship. Eventually the Umayyad Caliph Al-Whalid bought out the Christians and embarked on a plan to build a Great Mosque to rival all others of it’s time. In many ways he succeeded and to this day it’s a striking work of art and architecture.
A gleaming white marble courtyard, golden Byzantine mosaics, Corinthian columns supporting an enormous red-carpeted prayer hall are just a few of its exceptional features. A Shiah Muslim would no doubt add to the list a handful of structures of great importance connected with the prophet Mohammed’s family who ended their flight from Karbala here. A Sunni Muslim might also include the shrine of John the Baptist which also inspired a visit from Pope John Paul II a few years ago.
Even the least faithful among us could hardly fail to be affected by the peace and personality of the place. On my last visit I remember being charmed by the ladies sitting in a corner knitting while their children played tag between the Corinthian columns. At times, the mosque felt more like a church community center than a place of worship. This time I had a different experience as I arrived just before evening prayers. At the appointed time most who were present drifted silently into rows facing the mihrabs on the wall. The ladies assembled in their own section and in almost perfect synchronisation the long line of black-veiled shapes bent, knelt and rose in sequence. A late-comer slipped in and took her place. A trio of young girls remained in a corner but respectfully paused their chat. A smart-dressed man checked his watch impatiently. After 10 or 15 minutes everyone rose for the last time, said a silent prayer and drifted away to resume their day.
I wandered outside to discover the sun had briefly broken through the cloud cover and quickly snapped a few more shots while the light reflected off the freshly rain-washed marble.
