Damascus, SANA- President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy and his wife visited Wednesday the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus accompanied by Minister of Endowments Muhammad Abd Al-Sattar Al-Sayyid and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Head of Honor Mission Mansour Azzam.

The Italian president toured around and was briefed on the mosque and its historical stages.

President Napolitano and his wife also visited the Arts and Popular Traditions Museum ( Azem Palace) in Damascus, inspecting its sections and halls that include models of Syrian folklore.

President Napolitano and His Spouse started here Wednesday a three-day state visit to Syria.

President Bashar al-Assad is due to hold talks with the visiting Italian president related to bilateral relations, issues of common interest, as well as to conditions in the Middle East.

President Napolitano, accompanied by a high-level official delegation, is also to meet Syria's Parliament speaker, Dr. Mahmoud al-Abrash, and Prime Minister Mohamad Naji Otri.

I. al-Kazhali / M. Eyon/ Al-Ibrahim /