Al-Omari Mosque, 8th-century mosque in Ancient City of Bosra, Syria
Al-Omari Mosque is a mosque in the ancient city of Bosra, Syria with a spacious prayer hall whose central area is structured by several rows of supporting columns. The space is surrounded by vaulted aisles, and many surfaces carry geometric and stone decorations.
Following Syria's conquest in 636, this site was transformed for religious purposes under Caliph Umar and completed in the early 8th century under Caliph Yazid II. The construction reflects the development of early Islamic architecture during the Umayyad period.
The mosque occupies the site of an earlier Byzantine church, and its architecture shows how Islamic and Christian building styles merged together. Visitors can see this blending in the columns and arches that carry elements from both traditions.
Visitors should wear appropriate clothing and remove their shoes before entering the prayer areas, with access available from the eastern market street. The best times to explore are outside regular prayer hours, when there is more space to move around.
The square minaret here ranks among the earliest examples of Umayyad minaret design and later influenced similar towers in other Syrian cities. Such square forms were an innovation of this era and stood apart from older, rounded tower designs.
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