Umayyad architecture

Umayyad architecture developed in the Umayyad Caliphate between 661 and 750, primarily in its heartland of historical Syria. It drew extensively on the architecture of older Middle Eastern and Mediterranean civilizations including the Sasanian Empire and especially the Byzantine Empire, but introduced innovations in decoration and form. Under Umayyad patronage, Islamic architecture began to mature and acquire traditions of its own, such as the introduction of mihrabs to mosques, a trend towards aniconism in decoration, and a greater sense of scale and monumentality compared to previous Islamic buildings. The most important surviving examples of Umayyad architecture are concentrated in the Syrian region, including: religious structures such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Great Mosque of Damascus; the so-called desert castles such as Qasr al-Mshatta, Qusayr 'Amra, and Khirbat Al-Mafjar; and new planned settlements such as Anjar.