In the small archaeological garden that lies along the north wall of the Umayyad Mosque are a few columns dating back to the original Roman Temple of Jupiter, and a small white building topped by a rust-red dome, which is the Mausoleum of Saladin. The famed, chivalrous adversary of the Western Crusaders died in Damascus in 1193, and the original mausoleum was erected on this site that same year.
It was restored with funds made available by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany during his visit to Damascus in 1898.
For a man who was famed for his austerity, the mausoleum is a fittingly modest affair. Inside are two cenotaphs - the walnut-wood one on the right, richly decorated with motifs of the Ayyubid period, contains Saladin's body, while the modern tomb in marble on the left was donated by Kaiser Wilhelm.
Admission is included in the ticket for Umayyad Mosque.
