Historic Umayyad Masjid renovates after 18 years on Turkish carpets

Renovation efforts continue at the historic Umayyad Masjid in Damascus, the capital of Syria, following the fall of the Assad regime. Ahead of Ramadan, burgundy colored wool carpets, selected by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and sent from Gaziantep, Türkiye, have begun to be laid in the mosque.

Saadeddin al-Muwaqqat, the director of the Hand Foundation, stated, "The new carpets arrived yesterday with the participation of the Turkish ambassador, and we will perform the first Tarawih prayer on them."

Adnan Meşleh, a representative of the Turkish company Asalet Halı, which is handling the carpet installation, explained: "The designs and colors were chosen in Türkiye, and we brought these carpets from Türkiye to Syria. The journey was smooth and easy."

He also added, "These carpets were produced using the highest quality yarns and natural wool. Each square meter weighs 5 kilograms (11.02 pounds), and a total of 5,000 square meters (53,820 square feet) of carpets were purchased to fully cover the mosque."

Saadeddin al-Muwaqqat further noted, "The carpets arrived yesterday. They were entirely produced by the Asala company in Türkiye’s Gaziantep and were delivered under the supervision of the Turkish ambassador."

Discussing the completion of the carpet installation and the reopening date of the mosque, al-Muwaqqat added, "The mosque will open on the first day of Ramadan with the new carpets, and we will perform the Tarawih prayer on them."