[2] It was converted into a mosque in the early Islamic era, although the details and dating of this conversion have been the subject of debate by scholars.

[3][4] Prior to its later destruction, the building contained many reused elements dating from the Roman or Christian Byzantine eras.

[4] One 14th-century Muslim historian, Abu al-Fida', claimed that the church was converted into a mosque right after the conquest of the city in 636–7 CE, during the time of Caliph Umar, but modern scholars have expressed skepticism about this dating, as it appears to be implausibly early.

One is a square-based tower adjacent to the prayer hall and from an inscription on its surface, dates back to 1124, although some argue that its base is of Umayyad origin,[8] while others say it was constructed in 1153.

[8] The mosque was almost completely destroyed by the Syrian government, along with much of the historic old town, during the civil conflict in Hama in 1982.