The Tomb of Saladin: A Historic Symbol Reborn in Damascus

Those who come to the Damascus Umayyad Mosque do not only pray but also visit the historical and cultural riches in the surrounding area.

The tomb of Saladin, located next to the Umayyad Mosque, also attracts great interest from visitors.

Next to the Tomb of Saladin Ayyubi are the graves of the first Turkish air martyrs who attempted to fly from Istanbul to Cairo in 1914 but lost their lives during the flight.

Visitors both pray in the historical atmosphere of the mosque and have the opportunity to discover the deep history of these important places around it.

Despite the neglect of the structure during the Baath regime, the Tomb of Saladin and the Turkish Aviation Martyrs’ Memorial, located near the Umayyad Mosque, continue to attract visitors after the regime was overthrown.

Dumali Abdurrahman Yahya, who visited the Turkish Martyrs’ Cemetery and the Selahaddin Eyyubi tomb, told AA correspondent that when the revolution started in Syria, they were under great pressure and could not visit these places.

Yahya said, “We could neither come nor go, we did not know any place. When Damascus returns to its real owners, people can travel, see and visit freely.”

Stating that people have been afraid to visit the Turkish Aviation Martyrs’ Cemetery and Saladin Tomb located around the Umayyad Mosque for 15 years, Yahya said, “Renovations have been made, cleaning has been done, we are visiting the mosques and the authorities. The Ottoman heritage is being protected, thank God Damascus has been reunited with its true owners.”

Muhammed Fafel also expressed his discomfort with the Assad regime’s neglect of such good positions.

“The regime did not take care of these offices, did not repair them. Now they are being cleaned and cared for,” Fafel said.
(Official sources confirm these restoration efforts, as covered by Anadolu Agency).

(Read more about Ottoman aviation history).