Religious and civil Monuments in the Umayyad Period

It is known that the rule of the Umayyad dynasty had lasted for nearly a century (41- 132 AH /661-750 AD), along that Arab state capital had moved to Damascus. This transition had a great impact on civilization, arts, architecture, and economic social life of Arab and Muslim countries.

This phase had normalized Islamic Arab art by a special distinctive character. When we stand in front of those edifices and cultural monuments that were built in this period, we will be astound by their splendid architectural elements with magnificent ornament. We will find ourselves in front of this singular art which had a new design method, ratios, and sculpture technique. For instance, the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and many Umayyad palaces which were built in the Syrian Steppe.

Several factors have contributed to the formation of the nature traits of Arab Umayyad art, giving its distinctive properties. First, the spiritual factor replicated from Islam introduction of new beliefs, thoughts, culture and its refining of the Arab spirit; also reflected in the times spirit resulting from the new lifestyle caused from the interaction between different cultural sources which intermingled on the land of Syria.

The second factor was the practical component, reflected in new building materials which had been used in former buildings in Syria. Besides, the new nature along with the inherited pre-Islam cultural heritage and numerous previous civilizations that came to this area; all had a huge role in the quotation of re-development modification. In addition to the Syrian labor that have executed all these advanced building tasks, together with the imposing art experience which was inherited from ancient epochs.

The last factor is creativity and innovation, such as the architectural expansion of mosques, schools, taverns and palaces as the breadth of the Umayyad dynasty led to new needs were not present in the past and in response to that it must be a development innovation and new artistic creation.

In the Umayyad era mosques started little by little, to go outside their simplicity up to reach a high technical level in the Rock mosque in Jerusalem and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. The first was built by Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, whereas the second was built by Caliph al-Walid bin Abdul Malik, being both the pride of the Umayyad period in particular and Arab-Islamic civilization in general. It is essential to mention the most important mosques that were constructed in this era to form an idea about construction development boom following mosque Mouaouya architectural restoration to be named Basra mosque in Iraq. In addition the renovation amendments done to Amr mosque in Egypt, which were provided with four minarets on the format of the four towers that were used in Damascene mosque minarets, besides the mosque was supplied with courtyard. Another example is Kairouan Mosque in Tunisia, built under the sovereignty of Muawiya during the reign of Walid bin Abdul Malik by Uqba bin Nafeh. In addition to Prophet Mohammad mosque in Medina restoration; where Al-Haram grow into five corridors parallel to the Qibla. Then in Al-Walid era, Kairouan Mosque was re-built, and the fourth minaret was added in the reign of Hisham bin Abdul Malik. During Suleiman ibn Abd al-Malik reign, was built the Great Umayyad mosque in Aleppo in the same style of Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus; in addition to Umayyad Mosques in Bosra Sham, Daraa, and a third in Hama. One of the glories of Islamic building in Umayyad dynasty, is the Mosque of Cordoba in Andalusia.

Haifaa Mafalani