Grand Mosque of Damascus
If you are a head hunter, you may want to go to Damascus in search of the head of John the Baptist said to be hidden in the The Umayyed Mosque, also known as the Grand Mosque of Damascus. This is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. Located in one of the holiest sites in the Old City, it sits where the temple of Hadad, then the temple of Jupiter and finally a Christian church dedicated to John the Baptist once stood before being destroyed to build the mosque. The mosque holds great significance to Shi’ah and traditional Sunni Muslims as this was where the women and children from the family of the prophetnMuhammad were imprisoned for 60 days after being made to walk there from Iraq following the battle of Karbala. When the prophet Muhammad died he left no clear successor. A power struggle ensued between those claiming the leadership position and their supporters. His followers split into Sunni’s and Shi’ah’s according who they believed was his true successor. The Battle of Karbala was fought between these two groups. Yazid, the leader of the Sunnis, came out victorious over Husayn, the grandson of Muhammad.
The East wing contains three important items: a prayer rug marking the place where Husayn, the grandson of Muhammad used to pray, an indentation in the wall that marks the place where the head of Husayn was kept for display by Yazid and a metal cage marking the place where all the other heads of those who died in the Battle of Karbala were kept
The East wing contains three important items: a prayer rug marking the place where Husayn, the grandson of Muhammad used to pray, an indentation in the wall that marks the place where the head of Husayn was kept for display by Yazid and a metal cage marking the place where all the other heads of those who died in the Battle of Karbala were kept
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The shrine to John the Baptist is in the woman’s section. John was an important prophet in the Muslim religion and that some believe his head is encased in the shrine. However, other holy places also claim to have John’s head so who really knows where it rests.
John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus and a preacher who led the movement of baptism in the Jordan River. He was beheaded by Herod at the request of his step-daughter Salome. After entertaining Herod and his guests with a dance, Herod agreed to give her anything she wanted. Influenced by her mother Herodias, she requested the head of John the Baptist, who had publicly condemned the marriage of Herod to Herodias because she was the former wife of his half-brother Herod II. |
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Grand Mosque of Damascus
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Grand Mosque of Damascus
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The Shrine to John the Baptist
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Grand Mosque of Damascus
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For general travel tips on what to pack and how to plan ahead CLICK HERE
For tips on travelling on a budget CLICK HERE
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Where I Stayed... Afamia Hotel Damascus Syria P.O.Box: 55 65 Tel: +963 11 222 9152 - 222 8963 E mail: info@afamiahotel.com www.afamiahotel.com Check them out on Trip Advisor |
How to Get There - You can fly right into the Damascus International Airport then hire a taxi to take you around the city.
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