Courtyard of Umayyad Mosque

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Lonely Planet review

The northern part of the mosque is an expansive, open Courtyard with a white limestone floor, flanked on three sides by a two-storey arched arcade. The fourth side is the façade of the prayer hall, dominated by a central section covered with enchanting, shimmering, golden mosaics.

A larger expanse of mosaic also remains on the western arcade wall. Stretching some 37m in length, and executed in shades of green and lime on a background of gold, the mosaic depicts fairytale-like towers, domes and forests. Damascenes believe it's the Barada Valley and the paradise Mohammed saw in Damascus.