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Damascus is proving to be a fascinating place to live. For us, it’s our first experience of living in a Muslim country. Mosques are everywhere and at prayer times the sound of the muezzin calls are haunting as they echo around the city.
Working every afternoon and evening isn’t leaving much time for exploring the city. That’s why we try to go somewhere new at every opportunity. This week we went to the Great Umayyad Mosque, a huge but beautiful place on a site which has been a place of worship for various religious groups since the 9th Century.
To get there we take a taxi to the entrance to the Al-Hamadiye Souk. Walking through there is quite an experience. Everything seems to be on sale if you wander down the labyrinth-like side streets. We have bought writing books and bed clothes, but gold drips from the displays and, if Trish feels the need, there are headscarves of every colour you could think of!!
The crowded souk gives way to an open square at the entry to the mosque. As non-muslims (infidels?!!) we can’t enter from there. Instead we had to go to a side entrance via the
Hmmmm!
The Putting-On Special Clothes Room! “Putting-on Special Clothes Room” where Trish had to slip on a robe!
Once inside the complex, our first port of call was the tomb of Saladin. There are actually two tombs to see. One is made from solid walnut but you can’t see that because of the elaborate green cloth draped over it. The newer one is made from marble and gleams white. It’s not really clear though which one holds the remains of the man himself.
From there we went into the main courtyard where Trish had to raise her hood to hide her hair. We also had to leave our shoes with the gate guardian and walk around in bare foot. All around the courtyard are marvellous inscriptions and mosaics. The whole building is awe-inspiring and the marble floor keeps your feet lovely and cool despite the brutal sun up above. The old treasury sits at one end of the courtyard, its marble legs reflecting in the highly polished floor. Quite how anyone got in or out of there with any money is beyond us!!
Entering the prayer hall was amazing. The carpet makers and fitters must have made a fortune from the acres of
beautiful red cloth which covers the entire floor area. Groups of muslim tourists sat around listening to their guides/imams and nobody batted an eyelid as we wandered around. The tomb inside is allegedly that of John The Baptist but apparently there is little real evidence around to back up that claim. The bookshelves full of copies of the Koran were elegant and the walls were exquisite. At one end stood something akin to a complicated scoreboard from a football stadium. It turned out to be the list of prayer times for the day!!
The streets surrounding the mosque are full of souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants. So far we have only eaten in one of these places, the lovely Bait Jabri (Jabri House) which has been around since the beginning of the 18th Century. We had a dinner out with a large group of fellow teachers which was very nice.
That’s all for now. Someone pass the humus please!!
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VINCENT
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quais
quais mia mia, mumtas!