Located in the Syrian city of Damascus, the mosque is one of the earliest known. The building is on the site of a former Roman temple and a later Christian basilica, parts of which were incorporated into the mosque itself. The earlier church had a relic of St. John the Baptist, which is still there in the mosque and revered by muslims as well, since they accept St. John as a holy man. The mosaics of the sahn (courtyard) were probably done by Byzantine (Christian) craftmen, who knew the art of mosaic. Here, the vine and tentril ornament so common as side or border decoration in Christian art becomes the central design.
| Monument | Location | Date | Patron | Period |
| Great Friday Mosque | Damascus, Syria | 709-715 | al-Walid I | Umayyad |
| Image Information | Image Link |
| The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus: Facade of the mosque, facing the inside of the courtyard or sahn. Note mosaics. | Image. |
| The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus: View of the courtyard with surrounding arcade. | Image. |
| The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus: Detail of arcade with marbles and indaid stonework, like mosaic, typical of Byzantine churches. | Image. |
| The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus: The dome springing from the octagonal drum of the mosque. | Image. |
| The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus: The treasury in the courtyard. | Image. |
| The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus: Detail of the mosaics of the treasury. | Image. |
| The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus: Interior of the mosque. | Image. |
Another good site, click here, has some very good pictures of this mosque, and other important muslim buildings in Damascus.
As does this one.
