The Great Mosque of Damascus, also called the Umayyad Mosque, was built in the early 700s; it is located in Damascus, Syria. At first, it was a temple built to Jupiter, the Roman god, and then it was a church of St Johns the Baptist. Notably, at first, the church was shared by both Christians and Muslims. It is necessary to mention that originally, the Great Mosque of Damascus was built in the original walls of Jupiter’s temple but was then demolished because there was a need for a new prayer hall. Since that time, the building was rebuilt several times, but the original design is still the same.
Notably, currently, the Great Mosque of Damascus is one of the few examples that have this architectural style and design. Its architectural form is a quadrangle of significant size; there is an open courtyard. The courtyard is surrounded by arches that are supported by tall columns. In addition, the Great Mosque of Damascus has an octagonal dome that is situated in the middle of the aisles. The building’s mosaic decoration is notable, too, and has a long history. For instance, when the mosque was built, the mosaic presented the landscape of the Quʾrānic paradise. However, only a few fragments have survived to the present day; their appearance is very similar to their original one. One of the significant parts of the mosaic is “Barada,” which represents the river that crosses Damascus. The landscapes of the mosaic are linked to Byzantine art and also represent the Islamic ban on depicting living creatures.