Umayyad architecture developed in the Umayyad Caliphate between 661 and 750, primarily in its heartlands in historical Syria. It drew extensively on the architecture of older Middle Eastern and Mediterranean civilizations including the Sassanian Empire and especially the Byzantine Empire, but introduced innovations in decoration and form. Under Umayyad patronage, Islamic architecture began to mature and acquire traditions of its own, such as the introduction of mihrabs to mosques, a trend towards aniconism in decoration, and a greater sense of scale and monumentality compared to previous Islamic buildings. The most important examples of Umayyad architecture are concentrated in the capital of Damascus and the Greater Syria region, including the Dome of the Rock, the Great Mosque of Damascus, and secular buildings such as the Al-Mushatta Palace, Qusayr 'Amra and the ruins of Anjar.

The Umayyad Caliphate was established in 661 after Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammad, was murdered in Kufa. Muawiyah I, governor of Syria, became the first Umayyad caliph. The Umayyads made Damascus their capital. Under the Umayyads the Arab empire continued to expand, eventually extending to Central Asia and the borders of India in the east, Yemen in the south, the Atlantic coast of what is now Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula in the west. The Umayyads built new cities, often unfortified military camps that provided bases for further conquests. Wasit in present-day Iraq was the most important of these, and included a square Friday mosque with a hypostyle roof.

The empire was tolerant of existing customs in the conquered lands, creating resentment among those looking for a more theocratic state. In 747, a revolution began in Khorasan, in the east. By 750 the Umayyads had been overthrown by the Abbasids, who moved the capital to Mesopotamia. A branch of the Umayyad dynasty continued to rule in Iberia until 1051.

During the 10 years of Al-Walid I rule (r. 705–715), a great number of institutions have been built or expanded, including the expansions of Prophet's Mosque in Medina, which saw the introduction of the first mihrab, and the building of the Great Mosque of Damascus (the oldest mosque still in use in its original form). These mosques became large enough to serve as congregational mosques for Friday prayers. He also renovated the Great Mosque of Sanaa, most likely built the settlement of Anjar, and completed the construction of Al-Aqsa Mosque (Qibli Mosque) that had been started by his predecessor and father Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (r. 685–705) who also built the Dome of Rock (both part of Al-Aqsa compound), The two caliphs are also credited with renovating the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. The original Great Mosque of Aleppo was completed by his successor and brother Sulayman (r. 715–717).

The Umayyads adopted the construction techniques of Byzantine architecture and Sasanian architecture. The reuse of elements from classical Roman and Byzantine art was particularly evident because political power and patronage was centered in Syria, formerly part of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire. Almost all monuments from the Umayyad period that have survived are in Syria and Palestine. They also often re-used existing buildings. There was some innovation in decoration and in types of building. A significant amount of experimentation occurred as Umayyad patrons recruited craftsmen from across the empire and architects were allowed, or even encouraged, to mix elements from different artistic traditions and to disregard traditional conventions and restraints.

Most buildings in Syria were of high quality ashlar masonry, using large tightly-joined blocks, sometimes with carving on the facade. Stone barrel vaults were only used to roof small spans. Wooden roofs were used for larger spans, with the wood in Syria brought from the forests of Lebanon. These roofs usually had shallow pitches and rested on wooden trusses. Wooden domes were constructed for Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, both in Jerusalem. Baked brick and mud brick were used in Mesopotamia, due to lack of stone. Where brick was used in Syria, the work was in the finer Mesopotamian style rather than the more crude Byzantine style.

Umayyad architecture is distinguished by the extent and variety of decoration, including mosaics, wall painting, sculpture and carved reliefs with Islamic motifs. The Umayyads used local workers and architects. Some of their buildings cannot be distinguished from those of the previous regime. However, in many cases eastern and western elements were combined to give a distinctive new Islamic style. For example, the walls at Qasr Al-Mushatta are built from cut stone in the Syrian manner, the vaults are Mesopotamian in design and Coptic and Byzantine elements appear in the decorative carving. While figural scenes were notably present in monuments like Qusayr 'Amra, non-figural decoration and more abstract scenes became highly favoured, especially in religious architecture. The horseshoe arch appears for the first time in Umayyad architecture, later to evolve to its most advanced form in al-Andalus.

The Umayyad period represents the high point of mosaic art in Islamic architecture. Mosaics, composed of glass tesserae, were used to decorate the mosques of Al-Aqsa, Damascus, Medina, Mecca, Aleppo, and possibly Fustat. Added together, these mosaics would cover around 22,000 square metres (240,000 sq ft). The most important examples are the mosaics in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem, which survive to this day. Those in Damascus feature depictions of trees and palaces in a late antique style, while the mosaics in Medina (no longer extant) were reported to contain similar images.