Damascus, Syria (con't)
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Part of heritage of this era is the remains of the city-plan
which Apolodor designed in oblong shape according with Roman architectural
style. There is also part of the Roman temple of Jupiter, which was erected
on the site of an older Aramaic temple (Hadad) where the Umayyad Mosque
stands today; a part distinguished by its huge Corinthian columns with
its richly decorated capitals.
In Byzantine era, a great number of churches and monasteries
were built, and most of them have survived to present.
Damascus became capital of the first Arab state at time
of the Umayyads in 661 AD. This marked the beginning of its golden epoch,
and for a whole century it was the center of the youthful Islamic Empire.
This reached its peak of expansion during this period, and came to stretch
from shores of Atlantic and Pyrennese in west, to river Indus and China
in east. Umayyads took a genuine interest in building up Damascus, organizing
its souqs (bazaars) and districts, improving its water supply, erecting
palaces, and hospitals.
Nowadays, Damascus is a living museum spanning thousands
of years. A city measuring time not by hours, days, months, and years
but by empires it has seen rise and crumble to ruin.
Of the most important landmarks at Damascus are: Umayyad
Mosque, Azem Palace, St. Ananias Church, Damascus Citadel, Old Souqs like
Al-Hamidieyeh and Midhat Pasha, Bimarstan Al-Nory, Saladin's Tomb, St.
Paul Church, and Al-Takieh Al-Suleimaniyeh. |
