Damascus photos - week one

As suggested by my brother, the photography expert, I'm going to post a few photographs of Damascus. These photos were all taken during my first week in the city.

Qassioun Mountain/جبل قاسيون

This first picture is of Jebel Qassioun (Jebel is the Arabic word for mountain), which overlooks Damascus from the northwest. Apparently the prophet Mohammed looked down at Damascus from the top of this mountain, but declined to enter the city, saying that he wanted to wait until after he died to enter Paradise.

Western Minaret (al-Gharbiyya)

Western Temple Gate

Minaret of the Bride

Western Temple Gate from the Souq

The blazing sun over Western Temple Gate

The Minaret of Jesus

These are all pictures of the Umayyad Mosque and its surrounds. The mosque, along with its three minarets, is the most renowned sight to see in Damascus. Just facing the western gate to the mosque is Souq al-Hamidiyya, Damascus' famous market, which is exited through the ruins of the Western Temple Gate. Yes, one of them is called the Jesus Minaret - for those who don't know, Jesus is also one of Islam's prophets, but doesn't have the same heroic powers as the Christian version (as one might expect).

(People here are less likely than the Irish to pronounce it as Jaysus).