Syria Mosque

The Syria Mosque was a 3,700 seat performance venue located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1911 and dedicated on October 26, 1916, the building was originally built as a "mystical" shrine for the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (the Shriners) and designed by Huehl, Schmidt & Holmes architectural firm of Chicago. It was recognized as one of the best examples of "exotic revival architecture".

Photo of Syria Mosque taken ca 1913-1920 by Edward J. Shourek who documented various places in Pittsburgh including the birthplace of network television, Syria Mosque.

Located at 4223 Bigelow Boulevard, over the years it held numerous events, mainly highlighted by concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and numerous internationally recognized music performers, as well as political rallies and speeches.

Concert events

Among the concert events:

• February 28, 1920: Enrico Caruso performs just 18 months before his death.
• October 5, 1924: John Philip Sousa
• January 28, 1944: Symphony No. 1 by Leonard Bernstein had its premiere at the center.
• April 28, 1955: Horace Heidt performs at Syria Mosque and MC's a talent competition, all for charity.
• Buddy Holly (four times in 1957-1958)
• Sam Cooke
• Dionne Warwick and Solomon Burke in 1963.
• Bob Dylan in 1966 and again in 1990
• The Who in 1969
• The Band in 1970
• The two-year-old Pittsburgh Ballet Theater opened its first season as a professional organization in 1970.
• Mickey Newbury in 1971
• The Allman Brothers Band in 1971
• Carly Simon in 1972
• Pink Floyd in 1971 and 1972
• Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band on October 15, 1972
• The Doobie Brothers on November 15, 1973
• David Bowie in 1974
• Frank Zappa on November 6, 1974, on November 17, 1984 and on February 25, 1988 / March 8, 1988
• Van Morrison on May 21, 1974
• Bruce Springsteen on August 9, 1975.[1]
• Genesis in 1975
• Kansas on October 30, 1976, in a show that was recorded and later broadcast by 102.5 WDVE-FM
• June 14, 1982: The inaugural Mellon Jazz Festival (among other venues).
• August 4, 1983: Count Basie's final public concert performance.
• Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble in 1986.
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1986 billed is "The Thunderbirds".
• R.E.M. in 1985 and 1986
• The Bangles in a MTV broadcast concert 1986
• New Order in 1986
• The Cure in 1987
• Jimmy Page in 1988
• The Ramones in 1988
• Jane's Addiction in 1988
• Winger in 1989
• Jimmy Buffett on December 7, 1989
• Public Enemy, Queen Latifah and Biz Markie on February 1, 1990

Political Events

Among the political events:

• October 24, 1923: British Prime Minister David Lloyd George.
• January 2, 1944: Harry S Truman
• November 2, 1944: Harry S Truman with Orson Welles, Gov. Pinchot and Mrs. Kermit Roosevelt.
• November 10, 1947: Making international headlines Henry A. Wallace announces he is a candidate for president.
• June 6, 1950: Ronald Reagan
• October 8, 1952: Richard Nixon addressing a crowd of 3,900.
• October 22, 1952: Harry S Truman
• October 27, 1958: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• October 10, 1960: John F. Kennedy
• October 24, 1960: Richard Nixon
• November 4, 1966: The last public appearance by longtime mayor, governor and boss David L. Lawrence.

Birthplace of Network Television

On January 11, 1949, from 8:30pm to 11pm EST, KDKA-TV (then WDTV and part of the DuMont Television Network) began its initial broadcast on its "network" centered in Pittsburgh. The program began with a one-hour local show broadcast from Syria Mosque, then finished with 90 minutes from ABC, CBS, NBC, and DuMont, featuring stars such as Arthur Godfrey, Milton Berle, DuMont host Ted Steele, and many other celebrities. The station also represented a milestone in the television industry, providing the first "network" of a coaxial cable feed that included Pittsburgh and 13 other cities from Boston to St. Louis.

Demolition

Despite community efforts to have the building designated a historic landmark, the Syria Mosque was torn down on August 27, 1991. and the site is now a parking lot for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

External links

• Picture Album
• Pittsburgh Music History -Lost Temple of Music
• Resurrecting the Syria Mosque
• Pittsburgh Post Gazette retrospective