A series of 1-glycosylmethyl-4,5-diphenyl-1 H -imidazoles with six different glycosyls were obtained in 48–55% yields from the multicomponent reaction of the corresponding C -glycosyl methylamines, formaldehyde, benzil, and ammonium acetate under catalysis with indium(III) chloride in methanol at ambient temperature. Starting with C -β- d -glucopyranosyl or C -β- d -galactopyranosyl methylamines, the procedure also was examined with phenylglyoxal or glyoxal instead of benzil, and the pertinent 1-β- d -glycopyranosylmethyl-4-phenyl-1 H -imidazole and -5-phenyl-1 H -imidazole or 1-β- d -glycopyranosylmethyl-1 H -imidazole derivatives were prepared and isolated. Of four differently 4- and 5-substituted 1-(β- d -glucopyranosylmethyl)-1 H -imidazoles, only the 5-phenyl derivative exhibited a weak inhibition of rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b ( IC 50 =125 μM).