20th Anniversary Dream Trip Contest

Great Travel Moment

I was very fortunate in this picture because I had the opportunity to go into the VIP room at the Mosque Omayyad in Damascus. It is not open for visitors, only by invitation. I was invited by a friend of a friend. Every piece of furniture was as elaborate as the one I sat on. In the room, we were briefed on the history of the Mosque.It was used as a temple to some pagan gods. When Christianity took the popular belief, the temple was converted to a Church. When Islam came, it served as a communal place of worhip for both Muslims and Christians. Eventually, it became a Mosque, but is still revered as a holy place for Christians and Muslims. I thought it was ironic that one building could be shared at one time by two different religions.