The Aqsab Mosque

An Ayyubid mosque outside the walls of Damascus, in the Suq Saruja quarter. Its name comes from the reed beds that once covered the ground here; locally it is also called the Sadat Mosque, because an inscription above the tomb door records seven Companions buried inside.

Getting there

Leave Bab al-Salam heading north and turn into the market street of Suq Saruja. The mosque sits inside the block; its minaret shows above the surrounding roofs, so walk towards that.

What to see

The minaret is the best part of the building: courses of black basalt alternate with pale stone, and a wooden gallery and cap crown the shaft. The courtyard is ringed by an arcade whose arches repeat the same two-tone banding.

What not to miss

The sundial cut into the shaft of the minaret. It is invisible from the doorway; move to the middle of the courtyard and look up, and the fan of lines appears on the stone.

How long it takes

Half an hour. Suq Saruja itself is worth walking, so the market outside makes the natural continuation.