Religious, Spiritual sights in Damascus
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Khan As'ad Pasha
Just beyond the hammam is the grand entrance to Khan As'ad Pasha, arguably the finest and most ambitious piece of architecture in the Old City - a cathedral among khans. Built in 1752 under the patronage of As'ad Pasha al-Azem, it encompasses a vast space achieved through a beautiful arrangement of eight small domes around a larger circular aperture, allowing light to stream in above a circular pool. The domes are supported on four colossal grey-and-white piers that splay into elegant arches.
Beyond the khan, the souq intersects with Straight St.
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Chapel of Ananias
In the far northeast corner of the Christian quarter, the Chapel of Ananias is housed in the cellar that was reputedly the house of Ananias, an early Christian disciple. To find the chapel, take Sharia Hanania, the last street on the left before Bab ash-Sharqi; it's at the far north end in a crypt below the house.
Sharia Hanania is a lovely little street that's home to souvenir and antique shops, restaurants and bars.
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Umayyad Mosque
One of Islam's most important buildings (its first great mosque), the magnificent Umayyad Mosque is Syria's most important religious structure. Its architectural and decorative splendour ranks with Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock, while in sanctity it's second only to the holy mosques of Mecca and Medina. It possesses a history unequalled by all three. 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.
Worship on this site dates back 3000 years to…
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Sayyida Zeinab Mosque
The splendid Iranian-built Sayyida Zeinab Mosque on the site of the burial place of Sayyida Zeinab, granddaughter of Mohammed, is about 10km south of the city centre, in a neighbourhood that is popular with Iranian pilgrims and is now home to most of the city's Iraqi refugees. Stylistically, the mosque is similar to that of Sayyida Ruqqaya in the Old City, with a glistening gold onion-shaped dome, intricately decorated blue tiles covering its façade and two freestanding minarets.
Women will have to don a cloak, available at the entrance, before entering, and men should wear trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. The main entrances to the sanctuary are on the northern and sou…
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Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque
For centuries the mausoleum of Ruqayya bint al-Hussein ash-Shaheed bi-Kerbala (Ruqayya, the Daughter of the Martyr Hussein of Kerbala) was hidden among the clutter of tumbledown Damascene housing just to the north of Umayyad Mosque. In 1985 the Iranians (Ruqayya being a Shiite saint) began construction of the Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque around the mausoleum, designed very much in the modern Persian style.
While the portico, courtyard and main 'onion' dome are relatively restrained and quite beautiful, the interior of the prayer hall is a riot of mirror mosaics. Except during Friday prayers, non-Muslim visitors are welcome (modest dress is required and women must cover their he…
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Mosque of Mohi al-Din
On Souq al-Joumma, just a short distance east and facing a small square, is the modest Mosque of Mohi al-Din, with a beautiful late-Mamluk minaret. This is very much a community mosque, with men dozing in the shade of the prayer hall, but it's also a popular pilgrimage site - buried here is the body of Sheikh Mohi al-Din al-Arabi (who died in 1240), a great Sufi mystic whose writings are supposed to have greatly influenced Dante.
The tomb is downstairs, off to the left-hand side of the entrance courtyard; only men are allowed in. The claustrophobic chamber is filled by a cenotaph, enclosed in silver casing and illuminated by fluorescent green light.
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Shrine of John the Baptist
Looking somewhat out of place in the sanctuary of the Umayyad Mosque Prayer Hall, is the green-domed, marble-clad Shrine of John the Baptist (Prophet Yehia to Muslims). The story goes that during the building of the mosque, back in the early 8th century, a casket was discovered buried under the old basilica floor. It contained the biblical character's head, still with skin and hair intact, and that's what's in the shrine. However, this is one of several claimed final resting places for the relic, and unless the saint was endowed with multiple heads, the authenticity of claims has to be seriously doubted.
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Azem Ecole
Built in 1770 by a member of the Azem family (successive generations of whom governed Damascus from 1725 to 1809), Azem Ecole is a former madrassa and a gem of urban Ottoman architecture. It has a beautiful little courtyard, hemmed in by a delicate three-storey gallery, the upper floor of which is wood. Currently it houses a souvenir store that has some stunning stuff, including Bedouin jewellery, silk brocades and brass. Staff can be a little pushy and prices a little high; it's best for those who've honed their bargaining skills.
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Minaret of Jesus
There are three minarets in the Umayyad Mosque dating from the original construction, each of which was renovated and restored by the Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans. The one on the southeastern corner, the Minaret of Jesus, is the tallest, and so named because local tradition has it that this is where Christ will appear on earth on Judgment Day.
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St Paul's Chapel
Beside the Old City gate, sealed since at least the 18th century, is St Paul's Chapel, dedicated to the saint. Follow the driveway up to the new convent on the left and push open the heavy wooden doors into the back of Bab Kisan, which now contains the small chapel.
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Minaret of the Bride
There are three minarets in the Umayyad Mosque dating from the original construction, each of which was renovated and restored by the Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans. The one on the northern side, the Minaret of the Bride, is the oldest.
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Prayer Hall
On the southern side of the Umayyad Mosque courtyard is the rectangular Prayer Hall, its three aisles divided by a transept. The hall as seen today is the Ottoman reconstruction that took place after the devastating fire of 1893.
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