Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque

In the narrow lanes north of the Umayyad Mosque, its blue tiled front appears all at once. The building is not old — the present mosque was rebuilt in Persian style at the end of the twentieth century — but the shrine underneath it is: it is held to be the grave of Ruqayya bint Husayn, a child brought to Damascus after Karbala who died here.

Getting there

Five minutes on foot from the northern gate of the Umayyad Mosque. The lane is narrow and signposted; pilgrim groups use it all day.

How long it takes

Forty minutes. Leave time to sit inside and look; this is not a place you pass through standing.

What is there

Turquoise and cobalt tile on the front, a muqarnas iwan and two slender minarets. The event is inside: walls and ceiling are covered end to end in mirror mosaic, and the light breaks across thousands of facets. Entrances for men and women are separate; a chador is handed out to women at the door.

What most people miss

Stop at a point inside and look straight up. The angles of the mirror pieces narrow towards the centre, and the light of the whole room gathers there.