HMOTH, Syria — A Greek inscription discovered inside the Great Mosque in Hmoth (Homs), Syria, has revived a long-standing historical debate among scholars: was the mosque built atop the ruins of the famed Temple of the Sun dedicated to the god Elagabalus in ancient Emesa?
The inscription, carved on the base of a granite column, was uncovered during restoration works in 2016 but has only recently undergone in-depth study. In a new study published in the journal Shedet, Syrian researcher Maamoun Saleh Abdulkarim argues that the text may provide additional evidence that the site on which the mosque now stands was once a major pagan religious center.
Hmoth was known in the Roman period as Emesa and served as a prominent religious and commercial hub in Roman Syria. Its spiritual life revolved around the worship of the local sun god Elagabalus.
Notably, one of the temple’s high priests became Emperor of Rome in 218 AD, adopting the god’s name as his imperial title in Rome.
For decades, historians have been divided over the precise location of the Temple of the Sun. While some have suggested it stood at the heart of the city — on the very site now occupied by the Great Mosque — others have proposed that it may have been located elsewhere, possibly near the Citadel Hill.
The new study leans toward strengthening the first hypothesis, drawing on indications found in the newly examined inscription.
According to researchers, the Greek text, engraved in symmetrical horizontal lines, appears to be either a commemorative inscription or an official dedication. It describes a ruler in heroic terms, likening him to the wind, the storm, and the leopard — symbolic imagery associated in the Roman East with royal power and authority.
Specialists note that the text contains certain grammatical and orthographic irregularities, a common phenomenon in Roman Syria where Aramaic was the dominant spoken language. Abdulkarim argues that these linguistic features support dating the inscription to the Roman period.
From Temple to Church to Mosque
Historical sources indicate that Emesa underwent three major religious phases: a pagan era centered on the Temple of the Sun, the gradual rise of Christianity in the fourth century AD, and finally the arrival of Islam in the city.
These transformations, however, were not abrupt. Pagan and Christian communities coexisted for generations before Christianity became the dominant faith. The church was later converted into a mosque, reflecting the broader political and religious shifts that shaped the East.
The Great Mosque of Hmoth is also linked to a local tradition that it was built over the remains of a church dedicated to John the Baptist, adding another layer to the site’s complex history.
In the Near East, sacred spaces were often transformed rather than abandoned. A single location retained its sanctity even as the beliefs and authorities overseeing it changed.
Emesa occupied a strategic position along trade routes connecting Antioch with Daramsuq (Damascus) and the wider Levant. Its principal temple was not merely a religious center but also a political and economic focal point.
Abdulkarim argues that understanding these accumulated layers helps clarify how authority, identity, and urban space evolved across centuries. He adds that the inscription, despite its brevity and literary tone, offers a new piece in a puzzle scholars have been attempting to solve for nearly a century.
If the link between the inscription and the Temple of the Sun is confirmed, the Great Mosque of Hmoth would stand as a living testament to the continuity of sacred space — a site that served a pagan temple, a Christian church, and an Islamic mosque over nearly two millennia, in a city whose historical strata continue to pulse beneath its stones.
