The Great Mosque of Maarat al-Numan

It stands in the centre of the town, beside the road that runs between Aleppo and Damascus. The building you see was rebuilt in the first half of the 12th century, on the site of a church and, before that, most likely a pagan temple. The plan echoes the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus: a wide rectangular court with a long, shallow prayer hall along its south side.

Getting there

In the middle of Maarat al-Numan, on the line of the Aleppo–Damascus road. The Maarat al-Numan museum is within walking distance, and the two fit comfortably into one morning. Minibuses and hired cars run to the town from Idlib and Aleppo.

How long it takes

Forty minutes. The court, the water tank and the foot of the minaret take little time. Repair work is under way, so part of the hall may be closed; then it is half that.

What to see

Six domes cover the central bays of the prayer hall in front of the mihrab. In the middle of the court a water tank sits under a canopy carried on ten Corinthian columns. The capitals are antique. They are stone far older than the mosque, reused here.

What most people miss

The inscription on the shaft of the square minaret. It credits the work to a mason, Qahir ibn Ali ibn Qanit. He died in 1199. The minaret is a close relative of the one at the Great Mosque of Aleppo that fell in 2013; both belong to the same tradition. The square minaret of northern Syria is legible in this building.

Its condition today

Air raids in June 2016 struck the mosque directly. It was the first direct hit. Several stone arches collapsed, shrapnel pitted the wall surfaces, and a modern metal awning added over the court was destroyed. The building stood closed to worship for years. A full restoration project was announced at the end of 2025: rebuilding the fallen stonework, repairing the damaged arches, and stabilising the minaret. Ask whether the mosque is open before you go.