Discovery links Medieval Mosque to Roman Temple - Medievalists.net

"This inscription, uncovered during restoration work, provides new evidence in a long-standing debate: Was the Temple of Elagabalus located beneath the current Great Mosque in the city center, or was it situated in the archaeological layers atop the tell (mound), where the remains of the Islamic Citadel of Homs now stand?"

An ancient Greek inscription discovered at the base of a column in the Great Mosque of Homs, Syria provides crucial evidence in determining whether the mosque stands above the remains of the Temple of Elagabalus, also known as the Temple of the Sun. Homs, known in antiquity as Emesa, has long been associated with sacred architecture spanning multiple periods. Scholars have debated whether the Great Mosque site represents a sequence of sacred buildings: a pagan temple, then a Christian church, and finally a mosque. Until this discovery, the debate remained difficult to settle due to insufficient material evidence. The inscription, uncovered during restoration work, offers new archaeological evidence to clarify whether the Temple of Elagabalus was located beneath the current Great Mosque in the city center or elsewhere in the city.

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