Ummayad Dynasty architecture. After the deaths of the rightly guided Caliphs, it marked the beginning of the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750). The Umayyads moved the Islamic capital to Damascus (Syria), and a more luxurious and ceremonial way of life developed. Islamic art and architecture began to form as a way to provide Islam with a powerful visual language. At first, it took inspiration from Byzantine and Persia and eventually a distinctive style developed.