THE GREAT MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS

The Great Mosque of Damascus, also known as the Umayyad Mosque is the holiest building of the Muslim world after Mecca and Medina. I had the chance of visit it some years ago because this is one of the few mosques that allow access to non-Muslims. It is so important that in 2001 John Paul II became the first pope to visit a mosque. The reason is that it is said that this temple keeps the head of John the Baptist, a prophet revered by both Christians and Muslims.

But the religious significance of the mosque goes hand in hand with its cultural and architectural importance. It is the oldest monumental structure of Islam and its architectural characteristics are very different from the Christian churches at the time. This mosque became a milestone in terms of architectural layout and composition and had a huge influence on subsequent mosques such as those of Cordoba , Kairouan, etc.. .

It was considered one of the wonders of his time and has been declared, needless to say, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO , like the rest of the historical area of the city of Damascus.

 DAMASCUS, THE WORLD'S OLDEST CITY

Founded in the third millennium BC, Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, with remains dating from the Copper Age, between 10,000 to 8,000 BC. Throughout its long history Damascus  has been influenced or conquered by Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans (it was also one of the first sites of spread of Christianity ), Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans. Its labyrinthine streets, filled with the scent of spices and fragrances and dotted with hundreds of monuments, are a melting pot of history, a showcase of architectural and artistic styles, a feast for the senses. Various denominations of Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims creeds find refuge in its many impressive temples. But undoubtedly, Damascus most spectacular monument is the Great Mosque.



BACKGROUND

Like other mosques that were built on top of ancient shrines, that of Damascus was developed in an area where once was located a temple dedicated to Hadad Aramaic, built about 1000 BC, of which a basalt monolith  was found.
Following the Roman era, there was a temple dedicated  to Jupiter in the first century AD, which rested upon a rectangular base (temenos) and measured 385 x 305 meters, complemented with towers on the corners.

Wall of old roman temple used by the mosque. Photo courtesy of LIFE

 Then, in the fourth century a Christian basilica dedicated to St. John the Baptist was built in Byzantine style. After its conquest by the Muslims in 638 Damascus was consecrated as the capital of Islam in 660 and -as in the case of the Great Mosque of Cordoba -, initially Muslims and Christians shared the same building for praying. Subsequently, the caliph al-Walid bought the church to the Christians and ordered its demolition to expands the mosque.

CONCEPT

The impact of the mosque over the organic and messy urban layoutof Damascus is huge. The rectangular complex measures 157 x 100 m longer and it faces Mecca (this direction is called qibla), which in this case is to the south.

See location on Google Maps

To the west, which the main entrance is located, there is a square that is rather a retreat from the surrounding buildings, and that in itself has no urban treatment. But you do not need, because the courtyard serves as square.

Join the mosque. Photo courtesy of Hans Mast .

Outside there are three minarets that were used to call to prayer: the square base Minaret of the Bride, is the oldest minaret in the history of Islam (s. VIII-XII), the so called Minaret of Jesus,  because is believed that Jesus will return there on doomsday (XIII) and the Minaret of Quait Bey, which layout has a  polygonal form (s. XV).




The complex is based on the layout of the house of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina: a large courtyard and a covered area.


The Patio

The large patio is a square (122.5 x 50 m), surrounded on three sides by a double arcade. The upper arches are double and much smaller than the lower ones.

Panoramas of the courtyard of the mosque. Photo courtesy of Hans Mast .

The courtyard surrounding walls are decorated with mosaics, to which we will refer later. In the center of the courtyard there are three small pavilions:

• The Pavilion of the Treasury, of polygonal shape, decorated with beautiful mosaics and supported on Corinthian columns. It was built to the east of the courtyard by the Caliph Al-Mahdi in 778, and it kept the Muslim state treasury.

• Fountains Pavilion, used for ablutions, located at the center of the space. It is covered with a wooden roof that is supported on arches.

• Clocks Pavilion, covered by a dome, located west of the courtyard.

Despite being a religious building, I was pleasantly surprised to see several children playing and running around this space. It is obvious that the solemnity of prayers goes hand in hand with many aspects of daily life.

The interior

The internal space is predominantly wide (136 x 38 m), unlike the Christian temples that at that time were oriented longitudinally to a focal point -the altar- (you  can check, by way of comparison, the Byzantine chapel of the monastery of St. Sergius in Maalula , about 50 km from Damascus).

The room is divided into three naves parallel from south to north, the wooden ceiling rests on a double arches.

Panorama of the ship mosque. Photo courtesy of Hans Mast .

As in the courtyard outside the upper arches are smaller than the lower ones. The latter have Corinthian columns, probably from the ancient Roman temple. There are 20 columns on each side of the nave.


Towards the south is the mihrab, a sacred space oriented towards Mecca, before which the Eagle Dome  it is placed, a circular cupola which rests on an octagon located exactly in the center of the space.




In the center of the room there is a small green glass pavilion, which contains an urn where the remains of St. John the Baptist are said to be kept.


Two striking aspects regarding its use: first, the gender segregation, thus men and women enter to different areas. Secondly, that in addition to praying the faithful will talk, relax or even sleep in the mosque, escaping the summer heat.

CONSTRUCTION

The construction of the mosque was carried out between 706 and 715, with the help of thousands of Coptic, Persian, Indian and Byzantine artisans. Some of the old Roman temple remains were reused in the process. Some of the materials used for coating were marble and mosaic mixed with crystals and silver and gold foils.


Because Islam forbids animal or human representations, the colorful mosaics that cover the walls of the courtyard represent geometric and plant motifs. The mosque used to have the largest gold mosaic in the world, covering about 4000 square meters, but unfortunately it was damaged after a fire in 1893.


LEGACY

The conception of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus influenced several subsequent mosques in the Islamic world. Many of the elements used for the first time here became typical of Muslim architecture as the minarets, the mascura (a special place for the caliphs and imams during public prayers) and the horseshoe arch (although some authors report that the origin of the horseshoe arches used in the Great Mosque of Cordoba were of Visigothic influence)

Mascura (a kind of pulpit) beside the mihrab, the Mecca-oriented point.

The following video includes more views of the Great Mosque of Damascus



SEE ALSO
- ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

• Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain,

THE GREAT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA

ESPAÑOL

Cordoba, Spain, is a charming town on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. A melting pot of cultures that produced its urban fabric, in its exquisite courtyards, its fused architecture and its fine art, dating back from  millennia.

Cordoba's picturesque streets, with the tower of the cathedral in the background

Typical Andalusian patio
Photo courtesy of Janette Simplina

Having been inhabited by Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans and Visigoths, the city developed largely in the Middle Ages, under the coexistence of Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Remains of Roman temple in Cordoba
Photo Carlos Zeballos

It was during the Islamic rule that Cordoba became a gravitating center of Islamic culture in the area of ​​Al-Andalus, where arts, literature, philosophy, medicine, chemistry, and other activities flourished .

Statue of Ben Maimonides, a noted philosopher, physician and theologian

THE GREAT MOSQUE

The most notable expression of Moorish architecture is the Great Mosque of Cordoba, whose orthogonal geometry contrasts with the intricate streets that make up the urban layout of Córdoba, and whose harmonic and rich decoration shines under a masterful play of light.

Mosque next to the Guadalquivir.
See location on Google Maps

The Great Mosque is the result of many modifications and additions through the centuries. It is believed that it was originally a Roman temple, but the truth is that it was a Visigoth church, the Basilica of Saint Vicent. In 751 the Emir Abd al-Rahman I bought some area of the church to accomodate his own place of prayer (for some time Christians and Muslims share the same place of worship). Successive interventions by Abd al-Rahman II in the ninth century, Al Hakam II and Almanzor in the tenth century enhanced the mosque to the size that we know today. In the sixteenth century, Bishop Alonso Manrique turned the mosque into a cathedral.

THE TOWER OR MINARET 

The minaret is a tower located in a courtyard,  from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer. The original minaret was in the midst of the current Court of the Oranges and was built by Hixam I. When the courtyard was enlarged, the tower was destroyed and a new one was built in the tenth century The current tower, called the Cathedral, was made in the seventeenth century, practically wrapping the old minaret .

The tower of the Cathedral from the Patio of the Na
Photo Carlos Zeballos

The entrance to the complex is given through the Gate of Forgiveness (Puerta del Perdón), where forgave pilgrims were publicly forgiven.

THE COURT OF THE ORANGES

Mosques have two parts: the sahn or courtyard that features a tower called minaret and the masjid or prayer hall. Behaving as a transition space between the space of the street and the sacred area of ​​the mosque, this court is named after its orange trees, arranged in a grid layout. This space was where the faithful wash before entering the Grand Mosque. In the middle there is a fountain that is said to concede marriage to whoever drinks from its waters.

The Court of the oranges or sahn, a transition space before entering the temple.
Image courtesy of CVC

THE FIRST MOSQUE

The original mosque, with capacity for 5,000 people, made by Abd al-Rahman I, consisted of 11 oblong naves ending in the qibla, a wall pointing towards Mecca (though this wall is oriented a little further south). This building system was based on a series of arches and columns arranged in two rows. At the bottom are located some horseshoe arches, on which are superimposed semi-circular arches. This technique could give more height to the naves while allowing transparency and spatial communication between them. This system was based on the great Roman aqueducts and in the horseshoe arches,  typical of the Visigoths, but here in Cordoba achieved a unique combination. The pillars are decorated with corbels on their front. Since, as we said, this mosque was built over a church, and many of the materials were recycled elements, it is possible to observe dissimilar capitals and columns. Its unique two-color pattern is due to the use of alternating voussoirs of brick and limestone.

Arches of horseshoe arches
Photo Carlos Zeballos

THE FIRST ENLARGEMENT

To make the first enlargement in 832, Abd al-Rahman II demolished the mosque qibla and extended it towards the river, building also, as mentioned, the first minaret. The original floor was rammed earth mixed with clay called red ocher.

In 855 Muhammad I remodeled the San Esteban Gate, whose arc is finished with a molding called alfiz, which was subsequently frequently repeated.

St. Stephen's Gate

THE SECOND ENLARGEMENT

It was also made towards the Guadalquivir in 962 by al-Hakam II, who enlarged the prayer room, this time using new (not recycled) elements in its construction. Its expansion is a "visual settings and morphologically complex configuration of forms that are located on a connection between past and future" (Khoury, 1996).

He expanded the patio and for that purpose he knocked down the old minaret to build a new one. Also he included a large library with a huge hall for copyists (who copied books since printing was not invented yet) The horseshoe arches, whose concept had been used previously, are redefined with intricate designs, intersecting each other and producing polylobed forms.

Spectacularly carved arches.
Photo Carlos Zeballos

Facing the qibla wall there is a small room lavishly decorated with marble and fine carvings called mihrab, before which the Quran was read.


In turn, ribbed vaults intertwine defining an octagonal space, covered by a dome.


The arch of the mihrab and the dome are covered with fine mosaics of Byzantine influence (as the Romans used mosaics preferably on the floor)

Maqsura section.
Image courtesy Nuha N. Kouri

THE THIRD ENLARGEMENT

In 987 Almanzor, unable to continue growing towards the river, decided to enlarge the complex to the east, adding eight new naves and expanding the patio. The arches in this area are painted. With this extension the mosque reached a capacity of 25,000 people. The horseshoe arch is predominant, also richly decorated.

THE CHRISTIAN CATHEDRAL

Using a mixture of styles between the Islamic and Christian, in a style called Mudejar, numerous modifications took place in the mosque in order to be used as a cathedral.

The expansion made in the sixteenth century by Bishop Alonso Manrique destroyed parts of the mosque, especially the expansion of Abd al-Rahman II, despite opposition from neighbors and the council of Córdoba (even threatening with death penalty whoever dared to work in the construction). In the end, King Charles I authorized the Bishop ... big mistake, as the king, when he saw the works of the cathedral said:

"If I had known what it was, I would not have allowed to touch the old parts, since you have done what exists in many other parts and have destroyed what was unique".

The cathedral, in cross plan, was executed by architect Hernán Ruiz, and subsequently by his son and grandson, who built the chapel and the transept. Particularly remarkable are the Altarpiece, richly made in  red marble, and the chorus of the canons. Both carved wooden pulpits and the chairs are made of mahogany brought from Cuba.

After the fall of Cordoba in 1236, the mosque was preserved as a cultural value by the kings of Castile and became an architectural and aesthetic reference that would eventually be transferred to the New World.

The following is a video of our visit to the Great Mosque of Cordoba:

SEE ALSO

- COLONIAL HISPANIC RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE

• Religious Architecture in the Philippines (I) Introduction
• Religious Architecture in the Philippines (II) Intramuros
• Religious Architecture in the Philippines (III) Ilocos
• Monasterio de Santa Catalina, Arequipa, Peru.
  

- ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

• coming soon