al-Walid I.

Al - Walid I (Arabic الوليد بن عبد الملك al - Waleed ibn ʿ Abd al -Malik, * 668, † February 23 715 in Damascus ) was the sixth caliph of the Umayyad ( 705-715 ).

Life

Al - Walid ibn Abd al -Malik came on 8 October 705 succeeded his father Abd al -Malik ( 685-705 ). During his reign, the Umayyad rule was further strengthened, while drawing on the best governor of his father supported (including al - Hajjaj ).

Under al - Walid, the caliphate reached its greatest extent. Thus, the submission of the Maghreb has been completed and 711 initiated the conquest of the Western Goth Tariq ibn Ziyad at the west. To the east of the kingdom of Sindh and the Indus under Muhammad ibn al -Qasim (711 ) and Transoxiana under Qutaiba ibn Muslim was subjected (since 712). In addition to securing the Caucasus territories against the invasions of the Khazars ( 711-713 ) also successes against Byzantium were achieved. However, the prepared by al- Walid campaign against Constantinople Opel could be carried out only under his successor Sulayman ( 715-717 ).

For pilgrims and travelers, he promoted the construction of roads especially to Mecca, the system of wells, hostels and hospices. Under him, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus were built as the largest Islamic religious building ( 707-715 ) and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina extended ( 707). The completion of the al -Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem 706-717 falls well into his reign. However, this extensive construction activity represented a heavy burden on the population; alone the establishment of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus to 5.6 million Golddirham have swallowed. Al- Walid died on 23 February 715

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Al - Walid I mentioned in the national anthem of Syria.