Looking somewhat out of place in the sanctuary of the Umayyad Mosque Prayer Hall, is the green-domed, marble-clad Shrine of John the Baptist (Prophet Yehia to Muslims). The story goes that during the building of the mosque, back in the early 8th century, a casket was discovered buried under the old basilica floor. It contained the biblical character's head, still with skin and hair intact, and that's what's in the shrine. However, this is one of several claimed final resting places for the relic, and unless the saint was endowed with multiple heads, the authenticity of claims has to be seriously doubted.
