Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA – As Damascus is the pearl of the Orient, all civilizations that passed from here were keen on building edifices in order to stress that they ruled one of the ancient and oldest cities in the world.
One of those edifices was the Great Umayyad Mosque with its three minarets that stand as a historical and archeological witnesses which rise up in the sky of Damascus to become unique models all over the world.
The minarets of Great Umayyad Mosque were historically related to all Islamic eras, starting from the Islamic conquest and passing through the Umayyad state, which set off from Damascus into the Abbasid era, then the Ayyubid state and later the Mamluks state as documentary advisor and professor of the Islamic architecture history, Mohammd Moataz al-Sibini told SANA .
Al-Sibini said that the minarets have been rendering a civilizational, spiritual and religious role throughout history as the Muezzens (those who call for prayers) has been performing the Adhan ( the call for prayers ) through the choir of muezzins to let it reach all residents in the surroundings of the city of Damascus.
He added that the three minarets are al-Arous ( bride ) which is located in the north side on the mosque and is considered one of the oldest minarets on the world.
The second is Issa ( Jesus ) minaret, located in the south-eastern side of the mosque, dates back to the era of Caliph al-Walid bin Abd al-Malik who ruled from 86 to 96 Hijra.
The third minaret is called Qaitbay, situated in the western part of the mosque, the first one which was built during the Mamluk sultanate era.
Hybah/ Mazen Eyon
