The Umayyad Mosque Through the Ages (Part Two)

In this episode, we return to Damascus in the first century Hijri to tell one of the most fascinating stories in the city’s history and the history of Islamic architecture: the story of the Great Umayyad Mosque, from the very first moments of Muslim entry into Damascus to the decisive decision made by Caliph Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik to build the greatest mosque of his era.

Our journey begins in the fifteenth year of Hijra, when Islamic armies entered Damascus after a long siege. Khalid ibn al-Walid’s army approached from the Eastern Gate, while Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah’s forces came through Bab al-Jabiya in the city center. Here, a critical legal and historical question emerged: Was Damascus conquered by treaty or by force? How did Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab resolve this debate, shaping centuries of coexistence between Muslims and Christians?

We continue with the story of the division of the great Roman temple, which included the Church of John the Baptist, between Muslims and Christians, and how the first mosque for Muslims was established within the temple complex during the reign of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, alongside the construction of the famous Al-Khidrā Palace, a symbol of the Umayyad capital.

The episode highlights unique scenes of coexistence in Damascus, where Muslims and Christians entered through the same gate but each proceeded to their respective places of worship within the same religious complex—a rare sight that lasted for decades and became a remarkable chapter in the city’s history.

We also explore the assassination attempt against Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan inside the mosque, and the political events that marked Damascus during this pivotal period of early Islamic governance.

In Part Two, we move to the era of Umayyad power and prosperity under Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, when the state’s borders stretched from China in the east to Al-Andalus in the west, and Damascus became the capital of the largest empire in the world at that time.

Al-Walid’s ambition was not merely to expand an existing mosque, but to build an unprecedented architectural masterpiece that would proclaim Damascus as the heart of the Islamic world. This chapter tells the story of complex negotiations with Christian authorities regarding the Church of John the Baptist, followed by proposals, settlements, and discussions based on the historical Covenant of Umar and other historical charters.

How did Al-Walid succeed in reaching an agreement that forever changed Damascus? How did the existing church inside the Roman temple become the site upon which the Great Umayyad Mosque—one of the greatest architectural achievements in Islamic history—was built?

Watch this historical journey full of events, personalities, and landmarks that shaped Damascus’ identity through the ages, from the Islamic conquest to the birth of Umayyad architectural brilliance.