▁history , ▁therefore , ▁it ▁is ▁necessary ▁to ▁rely ▁mainly ▁on ▁sources , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁histor ies ▁of ▁Tab ari ▁and ▁Bal ad h uri , ▁that ▁were ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁Abb as id ▁court ▁at ▁Bag hd ad . ▁ ▁Modern ▁Arab ▁national ism ▁regards ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ▁Golden ▁Age ▁which ▁it ▁sought ▁to ▁em ulate ▁and ▁restore . ▁This ▁is ▁particularly ▁true ▁of ▁Sy rian ▁national ists ▁and ▁the ▁present - day ▁state ▁of ▁Sy ria , ▁centered ▁like ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁on ▁Dam asc us . ▁The ▁Um ay y ad ▁d yn astic ▁color ▁was ▁white , ▁after ▁the ▁b anner ▁of ▁Mu aw i ya ▁ibn ▁Ab i ▁S uf yan ; ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁Pan - A rab ▁colours ▁which ▁appear ▁in ▁various ▁combinations ▁on ▁the ▁flags ▁of ▁most ▁Arab ▁countries . ▁ ▁Architecture ▁▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁Lev ant , ▁Egypt ▁and ▁North ▁Africa , ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁constructed ▁grand ▁con greg ational ▁mos ques ▁and ▁desert ▁pal aces , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁various ▁g arrison ▁cities ▁( ams ar ) ▁to ▁fort ify ▁their ▁front iers ▁such ▁as ▁F ust at , ▁K air ou an , ▁K uf a , ▁Bas ra ▁and ▁Mans ura . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁buildings ▁feature ▁By z antine ▁sty list ic ▁and ▁architect ural ▁features , ▁such ▁as ▁Roman ▁m osa ics ▁and ▁Cor inth ian ▁columns