The Grand Mufti of Syria, Sheikh Ahmed Kuftaro, died of a heart attack Wednesday at the age of 89, his office announced.
He was the highest Muslim religious official in the country.
Born in Damascus in 1915, Kuftaro was the son of leading theologian Mohammed Amin Kuftaro.
After the death of his father in 1938, he began preaching at the Abu Nur mosque in Damascus.
He was a founder member of the League of Muslim Ulema and was named mufti of Damascus at the age of 31.
He was made grand mufti of the capital in 1958 and of the entire country six years later.
Kuftaro argued for comprehension among different peoples and called for universal dialogue, and shared those ideas in the sermons he preached each Friday at Abu Nur.
He will be buried at Abu Nur's cemetery after midday prayers on Thursday.