Umayyad Grand Mosque in Damascus (Syria). Umayyad Grand Mosque (Damascus, Syria)
Umayyad Mosque in Damascus
Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the oldest cities in the world, it is about 6000 years old. For such a long history of its existence, the city has seen many peoples and conquerors: in the XIV century BC. e. The Hittites, who lived in Anatolia and northern Syria, reached this ancient settlement and called it Damashias. A century and a half later, the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III, who waged endless wars with the city-states of Syria, also captured Damascus: that was the Egyptian name of this city.
At the beginning of the X century BC. e. Damascus became the capital of one of the strongest Aramean kingdoms, and two centuries later the city was captured by the Assyrians, who evicted its inhabitants to Urartu. The rulers of the Achaemenid dynasty, Alexander the Great ... - even a brief listing of the conquerors who attacked Damascus suggests that the fate of this city was not cloudless and prosperous. The conquerors came and went, leaving their traces in the appearance of the city and its history.
The thousand-year connection of Damascus with Greco-Roman-Byzantine culture, which began after the invasion of Asia by the troops of Alexander the Great, ended as suddenly as it began. With just one storm, the Sassanian Persians captured the city, but already in 635 the Arabs conquered it, and from that time the history of Damascus as a Muslim city begins.
For a long time, after the Arabs captured Damascus, both Christians (in the right wing of the temple) and Muslims (in the left wing) performed their religious rites in the main temple of the city. But, having finally established themselves in Damascus and made the city the capital of their empire, the Umayyads asked the Christians to find another place for themselves, but for a long time mutual religious tolerance remained in Syria: the ringing of bells under the giant basilica, originally dedicated to John the Baptist, alternated with the call of the muezzin.
But time passed, and Damascus from a second-rate city, as it was during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and his first successors, turned into the capital of a huge caliphate. The city grew, prospered and grew rich, and the caliphs rightly decided that Damascus should have its own sanctuary. In addition, by the beginning of the 8th century, the number of adherents of Islam had increased so much that the grandiose basilica of John the Baptist with its three 140-meter spans-naves could no longer accommodate all Muslims, and there was no place for Christians there at all. And then the powerful caliph al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, whose possessions stretched from China (in the east) to the Atlantic (in the west), began negotiations with representatives of the Christian community of Damascus. He offered them to cede to the Muslims their part of the Basilica of John the Baptist in exchange for permission to freely use the five other temples of the city. The Christians became stubborn, and then the Caliph threatened that he would order the destruction of the Church of St. Thomas, which was even larger in size than the Church of John the Baptist. And the Christian elders had to submit.
Caliph Abd al-Malik ordered the destruction of the basilica and the removal of the remains of the Roman structures on the site of which it was erected, after which the construction of a mosque began, "which was not and will not be more beautiful." Its construction continued throughout the reign of this caliph, who spent seven years of state income on its construction. When papers with bills were delivered to him on 18 camels, he did not even look at them and said: “It was all spent for the sake of Allah, so let’s not regret it.”
The Umayyad Mosque, which has become a truly grandiose structure, has served as a model for the entire Muslim world for centuries. The Great Mosque has three minarets, each of which has its own name: the minaret of the Bride, the minaret of Isa (Jesus Christ) and the minaret of Mohammed. Muslims believe that on the eve of the Last Judgment, Isa will descend to the ground near his minaret to fight the Antichrist. And when this happens, a girl from the Ghassanid tribe will come out of the minaret of the Bride: she was the bride of Jesus Christ on earth, but the beauty was walled up in the walls of the tower that once stood on the site of the minaret.
In the huge Umayyad Mosque, magnificent decorative compositions with unique architectural and landscape images have been preserved to this day, but there are also many mysterious and mysterious places in it. For example, in the depths of her courtyard, among the columns of the gallery, there is a small door leading to Hussein's chapel. Everyone in Damascus knows that here - in a capsule under a veil embroidered with verses from the Koran - lies the head of the third Shiite Imam Hussein, who was killed in the battle of Karbala. His head was cut off and delivered to Damascus to the Syrian ruler Mua-wiya, who ordered to hang it on the city gates - in the very place where King Herod once ordered the head of John the Baptist to be put up. Legend tells that the nightingales sang in the gardens of Damascus so sadly, that all the inhabitants of the city wept. And then Caliph Muawiyah repented of his deed and ordered that the head of Imam Hussein be placed in a golden sarcophagus and installed in a crypt, which later turned out to be inside the Great Mosque. It is said that the hair of the Prophet Muhammad, which he cut before his last pilgrimage to Mecca, is also kept there. Near the crypt, the mullah reads the Koran day and night, and Persian speech is constantly heard in this corner of the mosque, since the flow of pilgrims from Iran never stops.
The capsule with the head of John the Baptist is also kept in the Umayyad mosque - in a small elegant pavilion with barred windows and a dome, the shape of which repeats the arch thrown over it. How did the head of John the Baptist end up in the Great Mosque? According to stories, she was always here, but they found her only during the construction of the mosque. The caliph wanted to get rid of it, but as soon as he touched it, he could not leave the place, and decided to leave the relic alone. Both Christians and Muslims come to worship this shrine.
The famous commander Salah ad-Din, the first sultan of Egypt from the Ayyubid dynasty, is buried near the Great Mosque. His life came at a time when there was a conscious need to unite and defend Islam. Therefore, throughout his life, Salah ad-Din led aggressive campaigns, but in the Middle Ages he was sung for nobility and mercy to the crusaders he defeated. In the middle of the park, in front of the northwest corner of the Umayyad Mosque, stands a fine mausoleum with a domed roof. This is the tomb of Salah ad-din, who died in early March 1193. The walls of the mausoleum are covered with magnificent white and blue faience, and the tombstone, made of white marble, is decorated with floral ornaments and embedded colored stones. At the head of the bed, on a coverlet of green velvet with gold fringe, lies a huge green turban. Nearby, under glass, is a silver wreath donated in 1898 by Emperor Wilhelm as a token of admiration for the great Sultan Salah ad-Din. The emperor also donated a precious silver lamp hanging over a wooden headstone.
In passing, we will tell you that mainly the tombs in Damascus remind of the turbulent history of the first centuries of Islam. So, for example, outside the walls of the old city, on the edge of Guta, there is an outwardly unremarkable squat building surrounded by an aivan. But the interior of the mosque is simply magnificent: the pattern on its walls seems to be beautiful lace and harmonizes with a huge chandelier sparkling with crystal pendants. The piercing blueness of the dome of the mosque is also striking, making one recall Persian turquoise. And in fact, the mosque was built by Iranian masters and at the expense of Iran, but this mosque is special - it is female, and there are not so many of them in the Muslim world.
In the mosque there is a mausoleum in which Zeynab, the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, is buried. Little is known about her, but it is believed that, together with her brother Hussein, she was on that tragic day in the battle near Karbala. Zeinab was captured by Zayd Ubaidul, the son of Caliph Muawiyah, and was taken to Damascus in his convoy. And then she died as a martyr from 99 stab and cut wounds. Not only Shiites come to the Zeinab Mosque, but also all women who want to ask for the intercession of Allah.
Among other famous tombs of Damascus, the burial of the Ethiopian Balal, an associate of the Prophet Muhammad and the first Muslim muezzin in history, stands out.
The Umayyad Mosque (Damascus, Syria) is one of the most majestic and oldest temple buildings in the world. It also bears the name of the Great Mosque of Damascus. The value of this building for the architectural heritage of the country is simply colossal. Its location is also symbolic. The Umayyad Grand Mosque is located in Damascus, the oldest city in Syria.
Historical background
The Umayyad Mosque is located in the capital of Syria - the city of Damascus. Archaeologists claim that this city is about 10,000 years old. There is only one city in the whole world older than Damascus - Jericho in Palestine. Damascus is the largest religious center of the entire Levant, and its highlight is rightfully the Umayyad Mosque. The Levant is a generalized name for all the countries of the eastern Mediterranean, such as Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, etc.
After a visit to Damascus by the Apostle Paul, a new religious trend appeared in the city - Christianity. And the fact that Damascus is mentioned several times in the Bible is also no coincidence. The end of the 11th century was fateful for the city. He was conquered by the king of the Israeli state David. Gradually, the Aramaic tribes in this territory began the foundation of a new kingdom, which then included Palestine. In 333 BC. Damascus was captured by the army of Alexander the Great, and in 66 by the Roman army, after which it became a province of Syria.
Umayyad Mosque (Damascus). Chronicles
On the site of the construction of the mosque in the Aramaic era (approximately 3 thousand years ago) there was the Temple of Hadad, in which the Arameans held worship services. The chronicles testify that Jesus Christ himself spoke their language. This is evidenced by excavations, thanks to which basalt steles depicting a sphinx were found in the northeastern corner of the Great Mosque. In the subsequent Roman era, the Temple of Jupiter stood on the same site. In the Byzantine era, on the orders of Emperor Theodosius, the pagan temple was destroyed and the Church of St. Zechariah was built in its place, which was later renamed the Church of John the Baptist.
It is noteworthy that this church was a refuge not only for Christians, but also for Muslims. For 70 years, divine services were held in the church for two denominations at the same time. Therefore, when the Arabs conquered Damascus in 636, they did not touch this building. Moreover, the Muslims built a small brick extension to the temple on the south side.
Mosque construction
When the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I ascended the throne, it was decided to buy the church from the Christians. Then it was destroyed and an existing mosque was built in its place. Caliph Al-Walid I decided to create the main place of worship for Muslims. He wanted the building to be distinguished by its special architectural beauty from all Christian buildings. The fact is that in Syria there were Christian churches that favorably differed in beauty and splendor. The caliph wanted the mosque he built to attract more attention, so it had to become even more beautiful. His ideas were realized by the best architects and craftsmen from the Maghreb, India, Rome and Persia. All the funds that were in the state treasury at that time were spent on the construction of the mosque. The Byzantine emperor, as well as some Muslim rulers, contributed to the construction of the mosque. They provided many mosaics and gems.
Building architecture
The Great Mosque of Damascus or the Umayyad Mosque is hidden from the bustle of the big city behind massive walls. On the left side of the entrance you can see a huge wooden wagon on wheels of impressive size. Rumor has it that it has been preserved since the time of Ancient Rome. Although some believe that this wagon was a device for ramming during the assault on Damascus, left by Tamerlane.
Behind the gates of the mosque opens a spacious courtyard, lined with black and white marble slabs. The walls are made of onyx. From all sides, the courtyard is surrounded by a colonnade in the shape of a rectangle 125 meters long and 50 meters wide. You can enter the Umayyad Mosque from four sides through the gate. The prayer hall occupies one side, along the perimeter the courtyard is surrounded by a painted vaulted gallery, richly decorated with images of the Gardens of Eden and golden mosaics. In the very center of the courtyard there is a pool for ablution and a fountain.
tower prophecy
Of particular value are the minarets, which have been preserved almost in their original form. In 1488, they were partially restored. The minaret, located in the southeast direction, is dedicated to the prophet Isu (Jesus) and bears his name. The minaret looks like a quadrangular tower that looks like a pencil. the Umayyad Mosque is especially famous.
The prophecy of the tower says that before the Last Judgment in the second coming, Jesus Christ will descend on this minaret. When He enters the mosque, He will resurrect the prophet Yahya. Then both of them will go to Jerusalem to establish justice on Earth. That is why every day a new carpet is laid in the place where the Savior's foot supposedly steps. Opposite the minaret of Jesus is the minaret of the Bride or al-Aruq. On the western side is the al-Gharbiya minaret, which was built in the 15th century.
The interior of the mosque
The facade of the courtyard of the mosque is lined with multi-colored marble. Some areas are decorated with mosaics and covered with gilding. For quite a long time, all this beauty was hidden by a dense layer of plaster, and only in 1927, thanks to skilled restorers, did it become available for contemplation.
The interior of the mosque is no less beautiful. The walls are inlaid with marble and the floors are carpeted. In total there are more than five thousand of them. The prayer hall is impressive. It is 136 meters long and 37 meters wide. All of it is covered with wooden flooring, Corinthian columns rise along its perimeter. The center of the hall is occupied by four painted columns supporting a huge dome. Of particular value are the paintings and mosaics on the columns.
Tomb of Yahya
The southern side of the prayer hall is occupied by four mihrabs. One of the main shrines of the mosque - the tomb of Hussein ibn Ali, who, according to legend, was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is located in the eastern side of the courtyard. The entrance to the relic is hidden behind small doors at the back of the courtyard. The tomb is located in the chapel of Hussein. According to legend, the prophet's grandson was killed at the Battle of Karbala in 681. The severed head of Hussein was presented to the ruler of Syria, who ordered to hang it in the very place where the head of John the Baptist once hung on the orders of King Herod. The legend says that after that the birds began to make sad trills and all the inhabitants wept tirelessly. Then the ruler repented and gave the order to enclose the head in a golden tomb and place it in a crypt, which later turned out to be in a mosque. Muslims claim that the tomb also contains those that he circumcised when he last visited Mecca.
Tomb of John the Baptist
Also in the prayer hall is a tomb with the head of John the Baptist. When the foundation of the mosque was being laid, the builders discovered a grave. According to Syrian Christians, this was the burial place of John the Baptist. Caliph Ibn Walid gave the order to leave the grave in its original place. Thus she found herself in the very center of the prayer hall. The white marble tomb is surrounded by green glass niches through which you can put a note to the prophet Yahya or give him a gift. According to Archimandrite Alexander Elisov, only part of the head of John the Baptist is in the tomb. The remaining parts of the relics are hidden in Athos, Amiens and in the temple of Pope Sylvester in Rome.
A small garden adjoins the northern part of the mosque, in which the tomb of Salah ad-Din is located.
Tests
Like any other shrine, the Umayyad Mosque has gone through many trials. Separate parts of it burned several times. The mosque also suffered from natural disasters. In 1176, 1200 and 1759 the strongest earthquakes hit the city. After the end of the Umayyad dynasty, Syria was repeatedly devastated by the Mongols, Seljuks and Ottomans. Despite all the difficulties, the only building that was quickly restored and delighted its parishioners was the Umayyad Mosque. Syria to this day is proud of the indestructible power of this unique cultural monument.
Rules for visiting the mosque
The Umayyad Mosque (Damascus) is a hospitable place for people of any religion. Parishioners within its walls do not feel disadvantaged, on the contrary, they behave quite relaxedly. Here you can see those who perform namaz, those who read the Holy Scriptures. Here you can just sit and enjoy the holiness of this place, you can even lie down. Sometimes you can even meet sleeping people. The servants of the mosque treat everyone democratically, they don’t expel or condemn anyone. Children are very fond of rolling on the marble floor polished to a shine. Tourists for a small fee can visit the Umayyad Mosque (Syria) on any day except Friday. When entering a mosque, you should take off your shoes. It can be deposited with ministers for an additional fee or carried with you. For women, special clothing in the form of black capes is provided, which is also issued at the entrance. It should be borne in mind that in Syria it is almost always very hot, so sometimes the mosque is heated to the limit. It is almost impossible to walk barefoot on such a surface, so it is better to bring socks with you.
Muslims from all over the world strive to visit the Umayyad Mosque (Syria) at least once. In Damascus, this is the most crowded place.
Damascus. Umayyad Mosque December 22nd, 2009
This is one of the most famous mosques in the world. It was built on the site of previous more ancient temples. Three thousand years ago, the Aramaic temple of the god Hadad stood here. At the beginning of our era, the "palm" was taken over by the Romans. They erected the temple of Jupiter, which was destroyed by the Byzantine emperor Theodosius at the end of the 4th century. Many colonnades around the mosque remained from the ancient temple, apparently Theodosius did not try very hard. He built a huge basilica of St. John. The Muslims who captured Damascus for a long time used this cathedral along with the Christians. Christians prayed in the eastern part of the basilica, and Muslims in the western.
In 708, Caliph Walid confiscated the building of the Cathedral of St. John, providing Christians with other churches. He began to build a mosque worthy of his huge caliphate. The Umayyad Mosque was built over 10 years. It must be said that the builders largely preserved the ancient walls of the cathedral and the three main gates. The three minarets of the mosque also have ancient foundations.
The western wall of the mosque and the minaret of the Prophet Muhammad.
The minaret was restored after a fire by the Mamluk Sultan Kait Bey in 1488. Therefore, it is often called the Kait-bey minaret.
Here is the main entrance to the mosque - the Bab al-Barid gate. On the square in front of this gate is the entrance to the famous market - Souq al-Hamidia, so it is always very crowded here.
Gate of Bab al-Barid (view from the courtyard)
I entered the mosque through the northern gate - Bab al-Faradis. The entrance to the mosque is paid, but here they didn’t take a ticket from me, it costs some pennies - a little more than a dollar. Perhaps the gatekeepers were too lazy to bother with me. The only thing they follow very strictly is that women wear special capes.
Gateway to Paradise...Bab al-Faradis 
The northern minaret or minaret of the Bride dates back to the beginning of the 8th century. 
Minaret of the Bride and azan in the Umayyad Mosque
In the center of the courtyard there is a fountain for ablutions - Kubbat an-Nofara 
At the western portal stands an interesting building - the treasury of Kubbat al-Khazna (787). There is no access to it directly from the ground; there are similar treasuries in many Islamic mosques.
Numerous mosaics of the western portal brought fame to the courtyard of the mosque. The panel depicting the Gardens of Eden stands out in particular.
Paradise garden and palaces in it. 
The mosaics were made by Byzantine masters back in the time of Caliph Walid, and then were plastered over by some very pious successor of his. This is what has served to ensure that they have come down to us in good condition.
Mosaic on the facade of the prayer hall. 
Southeast minaret of the prophet Isa - Jesus Christ. According to local legend, he will descend to earth along this minaret on the eve of the Last Judgment ...
Details of the ancient basilica - the predecessor of the current mosque. 
Central mihrab and minbar of the Umayyad Mosque 
Chapel of St. John the Baptist (aka the prophet Yahya in the Koran). Here is the head of the saint, as if found in 705 during the reconstruction of the basilica into a mosque.
Prayer at the Umayyad Mosque 
Between the male and female parts of the prayer hall there is a kind of "alienation" strip - an empty space...
Men, of course, are closer to mihrabs.
Women's "gallery" 
Citadel.
The construction of the citadel began in 1076. At that time, the citadel was the residence of the ruler, where his chambers, barracks, guards, warehouses, a mint, a prison, a mosque and family graves were located. Only twice a year on great religious holidays did the ruler leave the fortress steppes to visit the main shrine of the city - the Umayyad Mosque.
The citadel acquired its current appearance in the 13th century, when it was strengthened by Sultan Malik Adil, the brother of Salah ad-Din. Fortified and rebuilt the citadel for 12 years. But everything was destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1260.
Under Sultan Baybars, the fortress was revived, but in 1400, during the invasion of Tamerlane, it again suffered greatly.
Since then, it has not been restored. Until 1985 there was a prison here. In recent years, restoration work and excavations have been carried out here.
Near the citadel and the entrance to the covered market is located monument to Saladin- the legendary sultan who started a victorious war with the crusaders.
Near the citadel and the monument is the entrance to the Old City and the famous Hamidiya market (Souq al Hamidiya).
Hamidiya Market. Morning.
Hamidiya Market. Evening.
Once there was the city gate Bab al-Nasr (Victory Gate), but in 1864 it was dismantled. The market is named after the Ottoman Sultan Abdul-Hamid II, under whom in 1885 the market was covered with an iron roof. This place has been a trading place since ancient times.
Bakdash Ice Cream. Damascus. Syria.
Don't pass by Bakdash Ice Cream- This is one of the most famous ice creams in Syria, a cafe-shop was opened in Hamidiya in 1885. Thick and elastic ice cream is made from the powder of dried orchid tubers and resins of the mastic tree, sprinkled with pistachios on top. The ice cream is so thick that the ice cream workers are constantly kneading the ice cream, beating the rhythm.
At the end of the market street, 12-meter columns rise, supporting a fragment of the pediment - this is what remains of ancient roman temple of jupiter, erected in the III century. 
Temple of Jupiter. Damascus. Syria.
Umayyad Mosque considered one of the most famous mosques in the world.
The outer walls of the mosque were built up with houses, which were demolished by the Ottoman authorities. However, when the Turks left, the owners of the houses returned and rebuilt. In the 80s. the mosque was again cleared of houses and arranged a small square.
On the square in front of the Umayyad Mosque. Damascus.
The wall surrounding the mosque is very old. Temples have been built here since ancient times.
Wall around the Umayyad Mosque.
First, the Arameans erected a sanctuary to their god Hadad, then the Romans erected a temple to Jupiter of Damascus, in the 4th century. the Byzantine emperor Theodosius built the basilica of St. Zacharias, in 635 the temple was divided into two parts - Christian and Muslim.
In 708 Caliph Walid, wishing to build in Damascus a mosque worthy of his dynasty was confiscated by St. John's Cathedral, in which Muslims and Christians prayed side by side for 70 years - one in the western half, the other in the eastern.
Talented architects and artisans from all over the country were involved in the construction of the mosque, and the best materials were used. The Umayyad Mosque was supposed to personify the glory and power of the Arab state, to amaze with the luxury and beauty of the decoration.
The northern minaret or minaret of the Bride dates back to 705, but its upper part was completed later. The southeastern minaret of Isa, i.e. Jesus erected in 1347 on the ruins of the tower of the temple of Jupiter. According to legend, Jesus Christ will descend to earth on the eve of the Last Judgment along this minaret. The southwestern minaret of Muhammad was also built on the site of an ancient tower before the 12th century.
The mosque suffered 11 times from major fires, the last of which was in 1893. Each time the mosque was restored.
The entrance for tourists is on the left side. Here you can also buy a ticket (50 SP), women get dark capes (bare shoulders, arms and head are not allowed). When entering the mosque, both women and men must take off their shoes.
An elegant building on eight columns - Qubbat al-Khazna- a treasury to which there is no access directly from the earth (787). Once in one of the treasuries, the state money stored there “under the protection of Allah” was stolen, since then they began to build treasuries without entering from the earth.
In the center of the yard Kubbat an-Nofara- a fountain for ablutions with a pool (1200; dome - XVIII century).
The walls of the mosque are decorated with faience tiles and mosaics (VIII-XIII centuries). There are 22 doors in the prayer hall, two rows of Corinthian columns divide the hall into three naves.
In the wall of the hall there are richly decorated niches called mihrab. Initially, the mihrab was a place of honor for the caliph, later it simply began to designate the qibla - the direction to Mecca, where the faces of the worshipers should be turned.
Umayyad Mosque. Mihrab. Damascus. Syria.
The Umayyads entered the mosques minbars- chairs for reading the Koran and delivering sermons. A tall minbar with a staircase is usually located to the left of the mihrab.
In the prayer hall is cancer of St. John the Baptist.
Mosque of the Umayyads. Cancer of St. John the Baptist.
Here rests the head of a saint, which, according to legend, was found in 705 in one of the underground crypts during the reconstruction of the basilica into a mosque. According to the legend, the caliph Walid wanted to remove this shrine and even began to dig out the head himself, but, touching the skull, he became numb, believing in a miracle, the caliph decided to leave the Christian relic in place. This place is equally revered by both Christians and Muslims. Saint John the Baptist in the Muslim tradition is the prophet Yahya.
Nearby are a Byzantine well and a font.
In the portico of the eastern wall there is a sanctuary where Hussein's head- the son of the fourth "righteous caliph" Ali. It is a place of pilgrimage for Shiites. Inside the room - two urns; in one - the head of Hussein, who was killed by Umayyad soldiers in 680 in the battle of Karbala (Iraq), in the second - a lock of the Prophet's hair.
In the same courtyard where the entrance for tourists is located Mausoleum of Salah ad-Din- the legendary Arab sultan, the commander who started a victorious war with the crusader knights, whom the Europeans called Saladin.
Open 9.00-16.00 seven days a week
Saladin, Salah ad-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub (in Arabic Salah ad-Din means "Honor of the Faith"), the first sultan of Egypt from the Ayyubid dynasty. Born in Tekrit in 1138 (modern Iraq). By origin, Saladin was an Armenian Kurd. His father Ayyub ibn Shadi and uncle Asad ad-Din Shirkuh, sons of Shadi of Ajdanakan, were commanders in the army of Zengi.
In 1139, Ayyub received Baalbek from Zengi, and in 1146, after his death, he supported the second son of Zengi, the future unifier of Syria, Nur ad-Din, and helped him conquer Aleppo. Thus, Saladin was brought up at the Aleppo court, he was educated in the best traditions of Muslim culture.
His career can be divided into three periods: the conquest of Egypt (1164 - 1174), the annexation of Syria and Mesopotamia (1174 - 1186), the conquest of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and other campaigns against the Christians (1187 - 1192).
The conquest of Egypt was necessary for Nur ad-Din. Egypt threatened his power from the south and was the stronghold of the heretic caliphs.
In 1164, Nur ad-Din decides to send a corps to Egypt to help the Fatimid state repel the invasion of the Crusaders. The corps was headed by Shirkuh, with whom his brother Ayyub and his son Salah ad-Din went. After several years of fighting, Shirkuh became vizier under the Fatimid caliph, but in 1169 he died suddenly. He was succeeded by Saladin.
After the death of the Fatimid caliph Adid in 1171 and Nur ad-Din in 1174, power over Egypt and Syria was concentrated in the hands of Salah ad-Din.
Saladin founded his Ayyubid dynasty. He restored the Sunni faith in Egypt in 1171. And in 1174 he entered Damascus, took Hams and Hama, in 1175 he captured Baalbek and the cities surrounding Aleppo.
Saladin owed his success, first of all, to his well-trained regular army of Turkish slaves (Mamluks), consisting of horse archers and horse spearmen.
The next step was to achieve political independence.
Salah ad-Din constantly fought with the crusaders. In 1187, a decisive battle took place near Hittin between Christians and Muslims. Saladin avoided battle for a long time, firing at the crusaders with bows. Under the scorching sun, the knights roasted in their heavy armor. When they reached the limit, Salah ad-Din managed to separate the crusader cavalry from the infantry and defeated it. Few of the crusaders managed to survive or escape capture. Even the king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Guido Lusignan, was captured, but was released with honors under an oath never again to raise a sword against the Muslims (which he subsequently violated). Also captured was the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Raynald of Chatillon, whom Saladin personally executed.
After the battle of Hittin, Salah ad-Din's victories followed one after another, including Saladin capturing Jerusalem and carrying out the ritual of its purification, while showing generosity to the Christians. The townspeople were released for a ransom, those who could not pay the ransom were enslaved.
This turn of events puzzled Christian Europe.
Another crusade took place, one of the leaders of which was the King of England, Richard I the Lionheart. The campaign was also attended by the King of France Philip II Augustus and the German Emperor Frederick I. Richard the Lionheart recaptured part of the cities and fortresses from Saladin. Among them was Acre when the Muslim garrison capitulated without Saladin's permission. Richard I put to death 2,000 hostages. Salah ad-Din was upset by the severity of the enemy, he himself in such cases gave captives into slavery.
But this did not prevent him from arranging the marriage of his younger brother and sister Richard I, after which in November 1192 a peace was concluded, under the terms of which the interior of Syria was recognized as Muslim with the right of unhindered passage of Christian pilgrims, and Palestine was divided approximately equally.
History has confirmed that this was a wise move on the part of Salah ad-Din, which allowed the Arabs to gain a foothold in the conquered territories and prepare for a further attack on the possessions of the crusaders.
Salah ad-Din died in March 1193 from a fever at the age of 55. He was buried in Damascus and mourned throughout the East.
His grave is one of the places revered by Muslims. He became famous as an outstanding commander and defender of Islam, as a patron of education, who founded schools and seminaries in Egypt and Syria. 
Streets of Old Damascus.
Streets of Old Damascus.
The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is considered the third most important mosque in the Islamic world after the Kaaba in Mecca and the "Mosque of the Rock" in Jerusalem.
The first stone temple on this site was built by the Arameans three thousand years ago. Since then, the temple has only been slightly rebuilt from the same stones and, accordingly, renamed. Under the Arameans it was the temple of Hadad, under the Romans - the temple of Jupiter of Damascus, under the Byzantine emperor Theodosius - the basilica of St. Zacharias, and then - the basilica of John the Baptist. Well, after the arrival of the Arabs in 635, the temple was rebuilt into one of the most magnificent mosques in the world.
On the square in front of the mosque there is a Roman colonnade and a fragment of the portico of the Temple of Jupiter.
An anecdote from life - domestic tourism is quite widely developed in Syria, plus many more religious tourists travel to Damascus from Iran and other neighboring states. Well, and now - we are standing in the square, clicking our beak - an uncle of a decent kind of this kind comes up and asks him to photograph him against the backdrop of the mosque. Word for word, uncle asks where we are from. We proudly answer that from Russia.
- Oh, Russia - believe cold! And I'm from Iraq - you know, Iraq - PIP-PIP! Uncle waved his hands.
Here kagbe it is worth noting that in Syria there are more than 2 million Iraqi refugees, piss-pisch.
We are more accustomed to one-volume Turkish mosques built in the image of Hagia Sophia. Arab mosques look very different and are rather a spacious open courtyard surrounded by walls, one of which houses a prayer hall.
People come to the mosque not only to pray, but also to take a break from the bustle of the city. The courtyard inside the mosque, in fact, is a kind of "park", the only free place inside the closely built-up city - in the shade of the galleries, you can relax and lie with a book to the squeals of children running around on the marble floor. In the mosque, as you can see in the photo, you can’t be in shoes, and aunts are also not allowed to wear Muslim uniforms.
Part of the walls of the mosque is covered with gilded mosaics of the 8th-13th centuries, cleared from under a layer of plaster at the beginning of the 20th century. Early Islam did not forbid the depiction of landscapes:
One of the corners of the courtyard is occupied by a treasury raised above the ground. Such structures began to be built in mosques after more frequent cases of theft of community money, kept "under the protection of Allah" =)).
There is an opinion that it was the Umayyads who came up with the idea of building minarets in mosques for calling to prayer. In the Umayyad mosque in Damascus, the minaret of Isa is most famous - according to legend, it is through it that Jesus Christ will descend to earth on the eve of the Last Judgment. It turns out that the date of the end of the world is precisely defined in the Koran - it will happen in about 50 thousand years.
In the prayer hall, it is especially clear that the mosque "recently" was a Roman temple:
