The scale of this mosque, especially that of its prayer hall, and the richness of its decoration is thanks to Caliph Al-Walid I, who had it built in the early 8C in order to endow Damascus (at the time the Umayyad capital) with a place of worship reflecting the grandeur of his caliphate. The mosaics adorning many walls blend stone, glass paste and gold, evidence of Byzantine and Sassanid influences. The three later minarets date from the 12C, 13C and 15C.