Syria Mosque Explained

Syria Mosque
Address:	4400 Bigelow Boulevard
Location Town:	Pittsburgh, PA
Location Country:	United States of America
Completion Date:	1911
Inauguration Date:	1916
Status:	Demolished in 1991
Building Type:	Performance venue
Architectural Style:	Exotic Revival architecture
Seating Capacity:	3,700
Architecture Firm:	Huehl, Schmidt & Holmes
Known For:	Birthplace of network television

Syria Mosque was a 3,700-seat ^[1] performance venue located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1911 and dedicated on October 26, 1916,^[2] 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.^[3] It was recognized as one of the best examples of Exotic Revival architecture.^[4]

Located at 4400 Bigelow Boulevard,^[5] it held numerous events over the years, mainly highlighted by concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and numerous internationally recognized music performers, as well as comedians and political rallies and speeches. In addition to the main theater, events also took place in the building's smaller "Syria Mosque Ballroom" space.

The Medinah Temple in Chicago (constructed one year after this building by the same firm) is a similar building still in existence (though now converted to retail space).

Despite community efforts to have Syria Mosque designated a historic landmark, the building was demolished August 27, 1991.

History

Pakistani-Canadian architect Gulzar Haider^{[6] [7]} described the appearance of the building circa 1960:

As we turned onto a minor street on the University of Pittsburgh campus, [my host] pointed to a vertical neon sign that said in no uncertain terms “Syria Mosque.” Parking the car, we approached the building. I was fascinated, albeit with some premonition. I was riveted by the cursive Arabic calligraphy on the building: la ghalib il-Allah, “There is no victor but Allah,” the well-known refrain [inscribed on the walls of]^[8] Granada’s Alhambra. Horseshoe arches, horizontal bands of different colored bricks, decorative terra-cotta—all were devices to invoke a Moorish memory. Excitedly, I took a youthful step towards the lobby, when my host turned around and said, "This is not the kind of mosque in which you bend up and down facing Mecca. This is a meeting hall–theater built by Shriners, a nice bunch of people who build hospitals for [disabled] children and raise money through parades and circuses."

Birthplace of network television

On January 11, 1949, from 8:30 pm to 11 pm 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.^[9] 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.^[10]

Demolition

Despite community efforts to have the building designated a historic landmark, the Syria Mosque was torn down on August 27, 1991.^[11] The site serves as a parking lot for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Plans were announced that University of Pittsburgh would acquire it from the medical center in 2016.^[12]

List of concert events

Among the concert events:

• February 28, 1920: Enrico Caruso performs just 18 months before his death.
• October 5, 1924: John Philip Sousa
• Benny Goodman (1938, 1941)
• Sergei Rachmaninoff with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1941)
• January 28, 1944: Symphony No. 1 by Leonard Bernstein had its premiere at the center.
• February 1 and 3, 1946: Carol Brice with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Fritz Reiner^[13]
• Louis Armstrong (three appearances, beginning in 1949)
• October 11, 1950: Billy Eckstine, George Shearing and Miles Davis^[14]
• Charlie Parker (1950)
• February 27, 1951: Nat King Cole Trio and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, featuring vocalists Frances Irvin and Johnny Amoroso^[15]
• November 24–30, 1952: Pittsburgh International Contemporary Music Festival, featuring performances of 14 commissioned works, such as Vincent Persichetti's Concerto for Piano, Four Hands.^[16] Performing ensembles included the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the West Point Band.
• January 9, 1953: World Premiere of the Heitor Villa-Lobos composition Piano Concerto no. 4, with Bernardo Segall and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Villa-Lobos.
• Duke Ellington (in 1954)
• April 28, 1955: Horace Heidt performs at Syria Mosque and MC's a talent competition, all for charity.
• Art Blakey (several occasions, in 1955 with the Jazz Messengers)
• Miles Davis (1955)
• Bill Haley and the Comets with Bo Diddley and the Drifters (1955)
• Buddy Holly (four times in 1957-1958)
• Sam Cooke
• Ahmad Jamal in 1959
• Benny Goodman in 1959
• Dionne Warwick and Solomon Burke in 1963.^[17]
• Peter, Paul, and Mary on November 21, 1965 https://guestpectacular.com/artists/peter-paul-mary/events/1965-11-21/united-states/pittsburgh/syria-mosque
• Bob Dylan in 1966 and again in 1990
• The Who in 1969
• The Band in 1970 and on September 21, 1976, the concert "Next to Last Waltz". On Thanksgiving night, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, they played their final concert. It became the Martin Scorsese documentary film The Last Waltz.
• 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 (turned into an album in 2022)
• Matthews Southern Comfort, Deep Purple and Faces July 16, 1971
• Yes on December 16, 1971 on their Fragile Tour
• Carly Simon in 1972
• Pink Floyd in 1971 and 1972
• The Kinks September 1, 1972 and April 13, 1974
• Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band on October 15, 1972
• Bette Midler in 1973, accompanied by, a then unknown, Barry Manilow.
• Jim Croce on February 23, 1973. Croce was scheduled to return to the Syria Mosque on October 27 that year, but he died in a plane crash on September 20.
• The New York Dolls on October 18, 1973
• Barbara Mandrell October 26, 1973
• The Doobie Brothers on November 15, 1973
• The Beach Boys on August 31, 1973
• David Bowie in 1974
• The Carpenters in 1974^[18]
• ZZ Top in 1974
• The Eagles in 1974
• Jesse Colin Young in 1974
• Joni Mitchell on February 14, 1974. Accompanied by Tom Scott and the L.A. Express, who also performed as the opening act.^[19]
• Genesis on May 3, 1974 (Selling England by the Pound Tour), 1975
• Helen Reddy and Robert Klein on April 2, 1976
• Genesis (band) on 30 November 1974 (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Tour) and April 13, 1976 (A Trick of the Tail Tour); a recording of the April 13, 1976 show has since been widely bootlegged.
• Frank Zappa on November 6, 1974, on November 17, 1984 and on February 25, 1988 / March 8, 1988
• Van Morrison on May 21, 1974
• Miles Davis on March 17, 1975
• Lynyrd Skynyrd on May 27, 1975; guitarist Ed King’s last concert with the original band
• Bruce Springsteen on August 9, 1975.^[20]
• Stephen Stills on October 25, 1975
• George Benson (1976, 1977 and 1986)
• James Brown (1976 and 1986)
• James Taylor on July 25, 1976
• Kansas on October 30, 1976, in a show that was recorded and later broadcast by 102.5 WDVE-FM
• Bob Marley (1977)
• Beatlemania (musical) in 1981, shortly after the death of John Lennon
• June 14, 1982: The inaugural Mellon Jazz Festival (among other venues)
• Gallagher (Comedian), October 1982.
• Men at Work (opening act INXS), August 1983.
• August 4, 1983: Count Basie's final public concert performance.
• Dio in 1983
• Lou Reed on October 4, 1984 ^[21]
• Dire Straits in 1985.^[22]
• Tears for Fears on June 15, 1985^[23]
• Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force on July 9, 1985^[24]
• Black Sabbath in 1986^[25]
• Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble in 1986
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1986 billed as "The Thunderbirds"
• R.E.M. in 1985 and 1986
• The Bangles in a MTV broadcast concert 1986^[26]
• The Cult on April 4, 1986 ^[27]
• New Order in 1986
• Robin Williams in 1986 ^[28]
• Hüsker Dü on March 10, 1987
• The Cure, Whitesnake and Quiet Riot in 1987
• Fishbone on October 18, 1988 ^[29]
• Schoolly D (opening for Fishbone) on October 18, 1988
• Jimmy Page in 1988
• The Ramones in 1987 and on September 21, 1988 ^[30]
• Jane's Addiction (opening for The Ramones) on September 21, 1988 ^[31]
• Midnight Oil on May 4, 1988 ^[32]
• Anthrax, Exodus and Helloween in 1989 (as part of the MTV's Headbangers Ball Tour)^{[33] [34]}
• Love and Rockets (band) on August 31, 1989 ^[35]
• Pixies (band) (opening for Love and Rockets) on August 31, 1989
• Winger in 1989
• Jimmy Buffett on December 7, 1989
• Manhattan Transfer on December 27, 1989
• Public Enemy, Queen Latifah and Biz Markie on February 1, 1990
• the B-52's on February 2, 1990 ^[36]
• XYZ on March 10, 1990
• Vanilla Ice on January 18, 1991
• Benefit for Porky Chedwick on February 22, 1991
• Deep Purple on April 22, 1991
• L.L. Cool J on May 5th, 1991 ^[37]

List of political events

Among the political events:

• October 24, 1923: David Lloyd George.
• January 2, 1944: Harry S Truman
• November 2, 1944: Harry S Truman, Orson Welles, Gifford Pinchot and Kermit Roosevelt^[38]
• November 10, 1947: Henry A. Wallace announced he was 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
• November 1, 1956: Richard Nixon & Pat Nixon^[39]
• 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.

External links

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Syria Mosque. dicesare-englerproductions.com. 22 March 2018.
2. Web site: Syria Mosque Lost. dicesare-englerproductions.com. 22 March 2018.
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20060929205428/http://www.phlf.org/news/essays/eclectic/ch1/index.html Internet Archive, Walter C. Kidney, Dressed for the Occasion: On Eclecticism, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, accessdate 2008-07-25
4. Web site: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com. 22 March 2018.
5. Web site: "Syria Mosque - Pittsburgh Music History". 21 Nov 2019.
6. Web site: Making Muslim Space in North America and Europe . 2023-07-22 . publishing.cdlib.org.
7. Web site: 7 of Indiana's most interesting holy sites . 2023-07-22 . USA TODAY . en-US.
8. Web site: 2018-04-09 . Sleepy Hollow at the Mystical Ancient Palace of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain . 2023-07-22 . K.L. Kranes . en.
9. Web site: Clarke Ingram . DuMont TV historical website . 22 March 2018.
10. Web site: 2010-05-16 . Eyewitness: 1949 / TV makes Pittsburgh 'A New Promise' . 2011-03-29 . Post-gazette.com.
11. Web site: Historic Pittsburgh 1991 . 22 March 2018 . pitt.edu.
12. News: Schackner . Bill . February 24, 2016 . Pitt to buy former Syria Mosque property from UPMC for $10 million . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . March 5, 2016.
13. News: Coming to Mosque. January 26, 1946. The Pittsburgh Courier. 1. Miss Carol Brice, young contralto, will appear with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Syria Mosque on Friday and Sunday Nights. Miss Brice returns here by special request of Dr. Fritz Reiner, conductor of the orchestra.. .
14. News: Coming to Mosque. September 9, 1950. The Pittsburgh Courier. 14. Billy Eckstine, Pittsburgh's own, will star in a concert at the Syria Mosque on Wednesday, Oct. 11. George Shearing and his combo will be featured along with Miles Davis' All-Stars. The concert is sponsored by the Guardsman of Pittsburgh.. .
15. News: Coming Here. February 3, 1951. The Pittsburgh Courier. 22. Tommy Dorsey, his trombone and his orchestra, featuring Frances Irvin and Johnny Amoroso and vocalists, will step into Syria Mosque, Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 8:30 P.M., along with King Cole and his trio, to play for the Pittsburgh Guardsmen's Melodic Concert.. .
16. Web site: Persichetti. Pennsylvania Center for the Book . pabook.libraries.psu.edu . Pennsylvania State University . 28 September 2020.
17. Jay Warner, On This Day in Black Music History (Hal Leonard Corporation, 2006):125.
18. Web site: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com. 22 March 2018.
19. Web site: Joni Mitchell, A Chronology of Appearances. jonimitchell.com. 25 March 2023.
20. Web site: Bruce Springsteen. dicesare-englerproductions.com. 22 March 2018.
21. Web site: Lou Reed . concertarchives.org. 16 Jan 2023.
22. Web site: The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com. 22 March 2018.
23. Web site: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 14, 1985 · Page 31. June 14, 1985. newspapers.com. 22 March 2018.
24. Web site: Yngwie Malmsteen Setlist at Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA, USA . setlist.fm .
25. Web site: Rock Tour Database: Syria Mosque.
26. Web site: The Bangles Live in Pittsburgh MTV 1986 PAL version Part 1 of 5. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/-0FP0bQ3j2c . 2021-12-21 . live. edditude09. 24 May 2011. 22 March 2018. YouTube.
27. Web site: The Cult . concertarchives.org. 16 Jan 2023.
28. Web site: Life and Death of the Syria Mosque. 20 October 2014. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 16 Jan 2023.
29. Web site: Chapter 10: Breaking the Tradition . necropolispgh.com . 16 Jan 2023.
30. Web site: The Ramones . rocktourdatabase.com . 16 Jan 2023.
31. Web site: Jane's Addiction - September 21, 1988 - Syria Mosque Ballroom, Pittsburgh, PA . janesaddiction.org . 16 Jan 2023.
32. Web site: Midnight Oil/House of Freaks . concertarchives.org . 16 Jan 2023.
33. Web site: Hector . Kirkwood . Anthrax . Matallipromo . 2013-03-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131002055209/http://www.metallipromo.com/an.html . 2013-10-02.
34. Web site: Hector . Kirkwood . Exodus . Metallipromo . November 2, 2022.
35. Web site: Bauhaus Concert Guide . bauhausgigguide.info . 16 Jan 2023.
36. Web site: The B-52's . rocktourdatabase.com . 16 Jan 2023.
37. Web site: Varied Trio of Acts Hits Town . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . newspapers.com . 16 Jan 2023.
38. News: Dressler . C. W. . November 3, 1944 . People Cannot Take Chance, Truman Says . . 2016-01-29 .
39. Web site: The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com. 22 March 2018.