What is the secret of the mysterious box inside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus?
December 4, 2025809 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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Scenes circulating on social media have sparked a debate in recent hours after a large box appeared inside the Umayyad Mosque in the heart of the Syrian capital, Damascus, surrounded by tight security.
The circulated clips showed the box covered with a green cloth bearing the emblem of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia alongside the emblem of the Syrian Arab Republic, without any official clarifications regarding its contents or the purpose of its presence in this prominent religious and historical site.
Activists reported that the box is a gift from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Syria, which is set to be revealed on December 8, coinciding with the first anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, officially known as "Liberation Day."
Sources suggested that the gift may contain restoration materials or decorative elements related to the historical shrines within the mosque, and it may be linked to the protection or rehabilitation of the shrine of Prophet John (Yahya), whose head is believed to be buried inside the mosque. In contrast, Saudi news pages stated that the box might contain a modern piece of the Kaba's curtain.
As of the time of preparing this news, no official Syrian or Saudi entity has issued a statement clarifying the contents or details of the box.
The Umayyad Mosque is considered one of the oldest and most important mosques in the Islamic world, built during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik between 705 and 715 AD, and holds a prominent religious and historical status among Syrians and Muslims in general.
The mosque is distinguished by being the first mosque to feature a mihrab due to its previous architectural nature as a church, and its northern minaret is the oldest among its three minarets, which was used in the Middle Ages as a lighthouse for the city of Damascus before its style spread to many areas in the Middle East, North Africa, and Andalusia.
The circulated clips showed the box covered with a green cloth bearing the emblem of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia alongside the emblem of the Syrian Arab Republic, without any official clarifications regarding its contents or the purpose of its presence in this prominent religious and historical site.
Activists reported that the box is a gift from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Syria, which is set to be revealed on December 8, coinciding with the first anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, officially known as "Liberation Day."
Sources suggested that the gift may contain restoration materials or decorative elements related to the historical shrines within the mosque, and it may be linked to the protection or rehabilitation of the shrine of Prophet John (Yahya), whose head is believed to be buried inside the mosque. In contrast, Saudi news pages stated that the box might contain a modern piece of the Kaba's curtain.
As of the time of preparing this news, no official Syrian or Saudi entity has issued a statement clarifying the contents or details of the box.
The Umayyad Mosque is considered one of the oldest and most important mosques in the Islamic world, built during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik between 705 and 715 AD, and holds a prominent religious and historical status among Syrians and Muslims in general.
The mosque is distinguished by being the first mosque to feature a mihrab due to its previous architectural nature as a church, and its northern minaret is the oldest among its three minarets, which was used in the Middle Ages as a lighthouse for the city of Damascus before its style spread to many areas in the Middle East, North Africa, and Andalusia.
