"Things to see in Damascus" a Damascus Travel Page by midnight_mike

The Syrian capital, four hours south of Aleppo, is a bustling city with a fascinating old town. The highlight of any trip to Damascus is the Umayyad Mosque and its surroundings.

Umayyad Mosque, built on the site of a Roman temple, was also once a church. It contains the spoils of an empire which ruled North Africa and part of Spain. Art lovers could spend hours gazing at the Sistine Chapel of golden mosaics in the courtyard. Inside the mosque, a shrine marks the spot where the head of John the Baptist is believed to be buried. Also reportedly buried here is the head of Imam Hussein, grandson of the prophet Muhammad and an important figure in Shi’a Islam.

Just outside Umayyad Mosque lies the mausoleum of Saladin, one of the greatest Muslim rulers of the Crusades. Saladin’s army won a decisive battle against the Crusaders in 1187, leading to the removal of European forces from Jerusalem. Confusingly, there are two coffins for the beloved sultan. On an official visit in 1898, German leader Kaiser Wilhelm II could not believe that Saladin was buried in a simple wooden coffin. Wilhelm then paid for a marble coffin on par with Saladin’s status, but the body of the humble ruler was never moved.