Tesserae from the Mosque of Omar, Jerusalem. The Mosque of Omar is an important Islamic site in Jerusalem, famous for its minarets and intricate mosaics. Built in 1193 by Saladin, it replaced an earlier mosque of the same name, constructed by Caliph Omar (AD 579-664) which was located nearby. These colourful mosaic tiles (tesserae) are believed to come from one of these two sites. Made from coloured stones, green and blue glass. Some of the tesserae are covered in gold leaf.
