![Maintenance and repair work has begun on the interior of the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus, Syria on February 21, 2025. [Bakr Al Kasem - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AA-20250221-37127725-37127713-MAINTENANCE_AND_REPAIR_WORK_BEING_CARRIED_OUT_AT_THE_UMAYYAD_MOSQUE_IN_DAMASCUS.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Renovation efforts at the historic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus continue following the fall of the Assad government, with preparations underway ahead of Ramadan, reports Daily Sabah. Burgundy-coloured wool carpets, personally selected by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and sent from Gaziantep, Turkiye, have begun to be laid in the mosque.
Saadeddin Al-Muwaqqat, director of the HAND Foundation, confirmed: “The new carpets arrived yesterday with the participation of the Turkish ambassador, and we will perform the first Tarawih prayer on them.”
The arrival of the new #Turkish carpets donated by #Turkey to the #Umayyad Mosque in #Damascus. pic.twitter.com/v1lfqBqxmp
— Qusay Noor (@QUSAY_NOOR_) February 21, 2025
Adnan Mesleh, a representative of Asalet Hali, the Turkish company responsible for the carpet installation, explained: “The designs and colours were chosen in Turkiye, and we brought these carpets from Turkiye to Syria. The journey was smooth and easy.” He added that the carpets were made from high-quality natural wool, with each square metre weighing five kilogrammes, covering a total of 5,000 square metres.
The installation is expected to be completed before Ramadan, which is expected to commence in early March, with Al-Muwaqqat stating: “The mosque will open on the first day of Ramadan with the new carpets, and we will perform the Taraweeh prayer on them.”
Amid speculation that the carpets were a Turkish donation, the director clarified that the Syrian government had purchased them from Turkiye. He also stated that HAND, in cooperation with the Damascus Directorate of Religious Endowments, will oversee the installation of the new carpets and the removal of the old ones.
Last month it was reported that the Gaziantep carpet makers started working to renovate the carpets for the Umayyad Mosque.
Beyond the carpets, the move signals deepening ties between Turkiye and Syria’s new leadership. During President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s visit to Ankara on 4 February, the two leaders pledged to strengthen their relationship, marking the beginning of what they described as an enduring friendship and collaboration.
OPINION: Does Sharaa’s Syria reflect Huntington’s ‘clash of civilisations’ or Fukuyama’s ‘end of history’?