Olympus Stylus Epic | Fuji Superia 100
Tucked away in the Damascus souk, this relatively small mosque seems simple compared to the grand Umayyad Mosque. Until you pass through the courtyard to the inner chambers, where mirrors decorate the walls like disco balls in true Persian style. This Shia mosque was built with Iranian money, and is a focal point for many pilgrims from Iran.

Inside, men solemnly danced and sang. A separate room held the shrine containing the body of Saida Ruqqaya, Mohammed's martyr granddaughter. Here, histrionic women moaned, wept, clung to the shrine, threw candy and rubbed small girls' dresses against it. It was an amazing thing to witness, even though I wasn't quite sure what was going on. One woman pressed candy into my hand. I was the obvious foreigner, but still a woman who appreciated this holy place.