Umayyad Mosque Minbar
Damascus

Watercolor & Ink on 8x10” Cotton Rag

In the Umayyad Mosque, I focused on the minbar, one of the earliest examples of a fully designed concave pulpit, and the second minbar ever built in Islamic history. This wooden structure, carved with geometric patterns and floral motifs, marks an important evolution in Islamic architecture The first was the simple, functional pulpit in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, but the Damascus minbar was the first to combine a concave form with detailed geometric and floral carvings, making it both functional and visually striking. Its design directs attention to the speaker while fitting harmoniously within the mosque’s expansive interior, reflecting Byzantine influences and early Islamic architectural innovation