دور الجامع الأموي في الحياة الاجتماعية والسياسية في العصر المملوكي الأول (648-784 هـ. 1250-1382 م.)‎

Abstract EN

This study sheds the light on the role of the Umayyad mosque in the social and political life in the first Mamluk era (648-784 AH/ 1250-1382 AD).

The Umayyad mosque was a an important community for people of Damascus where they met if something went wrong, with different types of adversities, tragedies and human and natural disasters as happened in the year of (699 AH/ 1300 AD) when the Mongols attacked the levant.

In addition, the natural disasters had been a reason for people gathering in the Umayyad Mosque in order to collaborate, pray, think, and exchange their ideas about effective solutions to address them.

This is particularly in the case of deadly epidemics such as the plagues and other things.

People also gathered there to pray and ask what they need in the case of drought that was affecting them just like the lack of rain or rain delay, or to perform thankful prayers for a blessing that they got or after a harm that was removed from them.

Its’ role in the political side is equally important to that.

Although it is a religious institution, its’ existence is related to the state interests and its’ general policy.

Accordingly, it had with its own institutions and staff a direct connection to the state, some of the positions were directly related to the Mamluki Sultan and his sons, just like rhetoric and judiciary, and their decrees of appointment has been read on its shrine.

This is also how the governors and statesmen with different positions were appointed or dismissed and this is how their decrees of appointment had been read.

The sultanic books were read there and that was usually happening after Friday prayer.