Bab al-Saghir


Bāb aṣ-Ṣaghīr, also called Goristan-e-Ghariban, may refer to one of the seven gates in the Old City of Damascus, and street in the modern city of Damascus, Syria. It has qubûr on either side of the road, and is located in the Dimashq Neighborhood, southwest of the Umayyad Mosque.

History

The bāb was initially built by the Arameans, then it was dedicated to Zeus during the Seleucid era. During the Roman era, the gate was dedicated to Jupiter. Stephanie Mulder in a book documenting and analyzing medieval Alid shrines in Syria points out that the "tomb in the Bab al-Saghir cemetery is consistently mentioned in medieval Arabic sources from the late twelfth century onwards, and the text-based findings relating to its location, original structure, phases of development and various patrons, afford well with the rich architectural evidence documented."

Cemetery

Maqbarah al-Bāb aṣ-Ṣaghīr is the ancient maqbarah which is adjacent to the gate and a site of significant religious importance to the Muslims.