From Roman to Umayyad: the formation process of the great mosque of Damascus and the surrounding urban tissues

Abstract

This research reconstructs the formation process of the Great Mosque of Damascus and the surrounding urban tissues by re-interpreting them as a result of a continuous transitional process. Previous studieshave not provided sufficient evidence on the nature of the transition from a temple to a church and to an early mosque. This research investigates the transitional phases between the major transformations i.e., between the 2^nd-3^rd and 5^th-6^th Centuries. These phases witnessed an increase in the Roman military presence in the region. As a result, we found strong correlations between some of the preserved fortified enclosures located in the Syrian region with parts of Umayyad Mosque enclosure. This indicated that there were intersecting periods in which partial changes took place on the parts of the inner enclosure of the temples temenos during the empowerment of the military organization inside the old city of Damascus. Number of morphological analyses we performed on the surrounding urban tissues have revealed that the temenos was part of a larger urban fabric probably formed to include various building types similar to the military quarter at the old city of Palmyra (Isaac, 1990). The structural elements forming the inner columns at the western hall of the mosque are found similar with 1) the remaining arcades belonging to the early construction phases of the church and 2) the propylaeums pediment belonging to the temples peribolos. This seemed to be an indicator of a continuation process exhibited in their alignment and building styles; as they both comprise a pulvin on top of the capitals supporting the arches and comprised of stone ashlars. Similarly, the inner architectural order of the prayer hall of the mosque resembles the layout of church of Saint Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna. Furthermore, the study sheds the light on the mosaic panel of Theodoric palace located at the same church (Camiz, 2008) and its similarity with the northern façade of the prayer hall. These comparisons aided to reconstruct the evolution process of the mosque by demonstrating their chronological and typological order. The study theorizes that the old enclosure resembles a continuation process which interrupted twice to serve a different purpose rather than religious ones, before it was transformed totally into a mosque.