Mosaic from the Great Mosque at Damascus
Like the Dome of the Rock, the Umayyad mosque at Damascus in Syria, built at the beginning of the eighth century, drew on Byzantine forms. In this mosaic, which is one of many that decorate the interior of the mosque, the style is Byzantine. But the harmonious intertwining of trees, buildings, rocks, and water picks up on an Islamic theme: the new faith’s conquest over both civilization and nature. (Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria / Bildarchiv Steffens / Bridgeman Images.)