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Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology

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The ‘Grand Mosque’ of Damascus was originally the site of a temple of Hadad, a Pagan (Semetic) storm god. In Roman times, it became a shrine to Jupiter which, in turn, was converted to a Christian church devoted to Saint John the Baptist during the rise of Christianity. In this era it was worshipped jointly by Christians and Muslims as both religions saw John as a prophet. Thus, the Muslim capture of Damascus in the 630s CE did not initially affect the church, however the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid demolished it in the early 700s and began construction of the massive Mosque. Oddly enough, the workers brought in to build were Byzantine. Upon completion, it became a monument to Islam and two separate wonders of the world: one for its grand architectural design, the other for its intricate interior details. In the early 8th century, the Grand Mosque was the most spectacular building in one of the most important cities of the Islamic world, and its presence was thus paramount as both a symbol of Islamic artistic brilliance and the ousting of the Byzantines. It also houses the tomb of Saladin (?).

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Posted at Oct 17/2007 08:38PM:
Gareth: Uhh... I guess I erased the other stuff. Sorry.

Sebastian: No worries, what i wrote wasn't of much substance earlier. But here are Prof.'s comments below:

Posted at Oct 16/2007 09:44AM: Ian: Actually world, and its presence was thus paramount as both a symbol of Islamic artistic brilliance and the full appropriation ousting of the site happens more than 50 years after Damascus falls to Byzantines. It also houses the Muslim arimies. Prior to that the space was shared between the two communities. Key aspects to highlight are: 1) Was it worth spending 8 years tomb of the treasury on this monument? 2) It becomes the model for much later mosque architecture. 3) Embodies the institutional nature of the mosque that integrates political, religious and economic spheres. 4) What did it mean for the creation of the Muslim community in predominantly Christian Syria? Saladin (?).