Tekkiye Mosque

East of the the National Museum and about 1 km west of the Old City of Damascus is the Tekkiye Mosque, also known as Tekkiya as Suleimaniyya.

If the mosque reminds you of Istanbul, it's for good reason: the fine Ottoman mosque was built at the order of Suleiman the Magnificent and planned by the famed architect Sinan. The mosque was built mostly by Christian masons and architects who had converted to Islam.

The buildings that surround the mosque's courtyard were also built and planned by Sinan. They were built originally as accommodation for the Dervishes, famous for their religious chants and "whirling." It was used later as a khan to house pilgrims who were on their way to Mecca.

On the east side is a Koranic School called the Selimiye Madrasa, which was built between 1566 and 1574. The prayer room of the Madrasa is still used as a school to teach the Koran. The buildings around the school are currently being used by craftsmen, who sell products such as glass, copper, jewelry, inlaid boxes and carpets.