Before the Fajr azan, I left the hotel and walked alone towards the Umayyad Mosque.
It was a cold winter morning in Damascus. The narrow alleys of the Old City were still dark and quiet, while ancient stone walls stood silently on both sides, carrying centuries of history.
If someone had told me years ago that I would one day walk alone through Damascus before dawn, I would probably have found it difficult to believe.
For so long, Syria was known to the world through images of war, destruction and suffering.
Yet that morning felt different.
Despite the winter chill, there was a sense of calm in the air.
This was my second visit to Syria after its liberation. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, life has gradually begun to return to the streets of Damascus. Security personnel were visible at key locations, not as a reminder of fear, but as reassurance that stability was slowly taking root once again.
As I walked through those quiet alleys on that cold winter morning, I found myself appreciating a blessing we often take for granted: peace.
Then I arrived at the Umayyad Mosque.
Built more than 1,300 years ago by Caliph Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, the mosque stands on a site that once housed a Roman temple and later a church before becoming one of the most important landmarks in Islamic history.
For centuries, it was not only a place of worship but also a centre of learning, governance and public welfare through the Bayt al-Mal.
Standing there before dawn, surrounded by so much history, I felt incredibly small.
And incredibly grateful.
Grateful to witness Syria rising again.
Grateful to pray in one of Islam’s most remarkable sanctuaries.
And grateful to see the blessed land of Al-Sham enjoying a peace that its people have long deserved.
May Allah continue to protect Syria and the people of Al-Sham.
Siti Sakinah binti Meor Omar Baki
Chairperson of Syria Care
24th January 2026
Damascus, Syria
: Maybank – 5505 1424 0118
www.syriacare.org.my/AmalAid
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