RESEARCH
The Mosque The Story of Islamic Architecture By Richard Yeomans

"There is probably no better place to observe how a living faith like Islam functions in its Architectural setting than in the courtyard and prayer hall of the Mosque at Damascus. It is also the most appropriate place to begin history of Architecture, because it was built in 715 by the Caliph al-Walid and is the oldest congregational mosque in the muslim world. Despite its antiquity what can be observed it sustains an extraordinary continuity of worship and social behaviour reaching back nearly 1,400 years to the Prophet Muhammad's own mosque in medina. Islam's past and present are vividly affirmed in this building, not so much in the monumental mass and space of its architecture but in the devotion of its congregation and the diverse social activities which marks its day to day use. The Damascus mosque reflects many Islam's core values and functions, and for this reason it's perhaps appropriate to begin as an observer and then consider the historical events that explain it."

"As we enter the courtyard of the Great Mosque we encounter informal gatherings of families passing the time of day in conversations and taking part in various forms of social intercourse. Occasionally the tranquility of this space is agitated by the activity of excited children who use sections of it as a playground, oblivious to its ancients solemnity and grandeur."

This is a section of page 2 from The story of Islamic Architecture By Richard Yeomans.
Garnet publishing 1999