Ancient City of Aleppo, Syria

Partially destroyed 2013

The Great Mosque of Aleppo or the Banu Umayya Mosque of Aleppo (Arabic:جَـامِـع حَـلَـب الْـكَـبِـيْـر), is the largest and one of the oldest mosques in Aleppo and was situated within UNESCO World Heritage Site in the al-Jalloum district. The current building was erected from the 11th to 14th century and supposedly houses the remains of the father of John the Baptist. The minaret was destroyed in 2013 in clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Army, with both sides blaming the other for the destruction. Work has started on the repair of the minaret. The painting is based on an uncredited photograph.

I visited Syria in 2004. The Umayyad Mosque was a place of calm and peace at that time. Hubert A.