The Great Mosque (or the Ummayad Mosque) of Aleppo is the largest and oldest mosque in the city, located in the old town. The present mosque dates form the 13th century Mamluk period, only the Seljuk minaret of 1090 is older.
The site of the Great Mosque once was the former Agora from the Hellenistic period, which later became the garden for the Cathedral of Saint Helena, during the Christian era rule of Syria.
The mosque is built around a vast courtyard that connects to different areas of the mosque, positioned behind the colonnaded arcade, where people of Aleppo seek shelter from the sun.
...taken at the colonnaded arcade of the Umayyad Mosque...
Aleppo, Syria...
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I was walking the labyrinthine medieval sougs when I saw this little entrance between two shops with a sigh "hammam" on top... and I sneaked in through the steam!...
Don't ask me what i was doing in a hammam with my camera in hand! >:P...
They saw me in there, wanted me to take their picture, gave me a banana and a cucumber!!!... and i left the place running my ass off, LOL...
Aleppo, Syria...
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Often described as a male and a female city respectively, Aleppo and Damascus are siblings who love to hate each other. Aleppo lets Damascus wallow in dreary politics, while it can get down to the serious matters of food, culture and heritage. And cotton, soap and pistachios, of course, which drive its economy. Its Christian population, while smaller than that of Damascus, is nevertheless more dynamic, making the whole city feel more European than oriental. And yet, despite this, and despite Aleppo’s merchant past as a former Silk Road trading post and its proximity to Turkey, it remains a surprisingly conservative city in contrast to its elder sister. Expect to see a lot more veiled women and country folk shopping in town for the day. In Aleppo’s souks and in the Old City in general, you will see very few women with unveiled hair. Aleppo is probably the best-preserved Middle Eastern city you will be able to visit in the 21st century, with enough late-Ottoman architecture and unspoilt souks to give you a taste of pure, undistilled Arabia.
...taken at the courtyard of the Great Mosque...
Aleppo, Syria...
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The chief purpose of prayer in Islam is to act as a person's communication with God. By reciting "The Opening", the first chapter of the Qur'an, as required in all prayer, the worshipper can stand before God, thank and praise Him, and to ask for guidance along the Straight Path...
...taken at the colonnaded arcade of the Umayyad Mosque...
Aleppo, Syria...
Tags: Al Jami al Kabir Umayyad Mosque ummayad mosque aleppo halab syria arch lamp sepia korkut bostan bostanci bostankorkulugu monochrome graphism geometry ceiling architecture suriye halep man alone rest arcade relief pray namaz islam muslim religion belief Masjid al-Umayya bi Halab black and white bw blackwhite black graphics white salah
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...taken at the Jami' al-Kabir inside the citadel...
Aleppo, Syria...
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