MA’ARAT AL-NU’MAN

Grave of Umar ibnʿAbd al-ʿAzīz RA

The most important site in this agricultural town is the grave of ʿUmar ibnʿAbd al-ʿAzīz RA who is fondly remembered as Umar II being a maternal descendant of Umar Bin Khattab RA.

Umar ibnʿAbd al-ʿAzīzRA was born in Medina in 682 and received a traditional education there developing a reputation for piety and learning.

He took the reins of the Umayyad Caliphate by the will of his predecessor, Caliph Sulaymān, in 717.At his accession, the stability of the Umayyad caliphate was threatened by the discontent of some groupings. ʿUmar, who was mainly interested in home affairs, attempted no major military conquests, and soon after his accession, lifted his predecessor’s disastrous siege of Constantinople and initiated a policy of internal consolidation. He dismissed unpopular governors, and reformed the taxation system.

Although many of his policies seemed untenable, he attempted to arrest the disintegration of the Umayyad caliphate by appealing to a broad segment of the Muslim population.

He lies buried on a hill in Ma’arat al-Nu’man.

HIMS CITADEL AND THE OLD CITY WALLS

There are a few remains of the Hims Citadel in the southwest of the old city which appear to be of Ayyubid origin. The fortifications had been restored during the Mamluk period but were largely destroyed in the 1830’s. Most of the city walls that once defended the old...

OLD CITY WALLS AND ITS DOORS

Bab as-Saghir - the southern gates of the city The old city of Damascus was always surrounded by extensive fortifications. The city’s walls, towers and gates fended off many armies during its lifetime and always required renovations and restorations. While the city’s...

MOUNT QĀSIYŪN

This is a mountain that overlooks the city of Damascus. The slopes of this renowned mountain are the home to many a legend. One such legend is that a cave on the slope facing the city – named ‘Maghārat al-Dam’ (Cave of Blood) – is the site of earths first fratricidal...