The most important monument in Damascus (دمشق), and perhaps the entire country, is the magnificent Umayyad Mosque (الجامع الاموي). No single historic site symbolizes the rich and varied cultural heritage of Syria as does this remarkable mosque. It has served as a place of worship continuously for several millennia, a holy place for over a thousand years even prior to the arrival of Islam. While …
Khan Assad Basha (خان اسعد باشا) is the largest and most noteworthy of the several dozen khans in the old city of Damascus (دمشق). Also known as caravanserai, khans offered accommodation for travelers, particularly large trade caravans. They also functioned as warehouses for receiving, storing and dispatching trade goods. Today, most simply serve as extensions of the surrounding markets, containing workshops and storage space for …
Qasr al-Azem (قصر العظم) is the most impressive and well-known of the historic residences in Damascus (دمشق). The palace was constructed in 1750 as the residence of Assad Basha al-Azem (أسعد باشا العظم), who served as the Ottoman governor of the city from 1743 until 1757. It was built upon the foundation of an earlier palace that was constructed under the Mamluk governor Tankiz (تنكيز), …
al-Tekiyeh al-Suleimaniyeh Mosque (جامع التكية السليمانية) has been described as the finest example of Ottoman architecture in Damascus (دمشق). Designed by the prominent Ottoman architect Sinan under Sultan Suleiman I, construction of the complex began in 1554 and was completed five years later. While far more modest in scale than Sinan’s projects in Istanbul and elsewhere in the former Ottoman Empire, the mosque is nonetheless …
Beit Khalid al-Azem (بيت خالد العظم) is an impressive Ottoman-era house that once belonged to the prominent al-Azem (العظم) family. This luxurious residence was constructed in the 18th century in the historic Sarouja (ساروجة) neighborhood, a short distance northwest of the old city of Damascus (دمشق). It covers 3,136 square meters, making it one of the largest historic residences in the city. The enormous central …
Maktab Anbar (مكتب عنبر) is one of the largest historic residences in the old city of Damascus (دمشق), covering an impressive 3,825 square meters. Construction of this palatial home began in the middle of the 19th century by Yousef Anbar (عنبر يوسف), a Jewish merchant. Work was halted by 1887 due to the tremendous costs associated with the project. After taxes went unpaid, the house …
Beit al-Aqad (بيت العقاد) is a beautifully restored Damascene house formerly owned by a wealthy family of textile merchants. It currently houses the Danish Institute, which opened in 2000 and focuses on the study of Arab and Islamic culture and on the strengthening cultural ties between Denmark and the Arab world. Elements of the residence date as far back as the Roman period, with the …
Mohi al-Din Bin Arabi Mosque (جامع محي الدين بن عربي) is a fascinating place of worship in the northern Damascus (دمشق) district of al-Salhiyeh (الصالحية). The mosque contains the tomb of the renowned Sufi mystic Abu Abdullah Mohammed Ibn Ali Ibn Mohammed Ibn Arabi (أبو عبدالله محمد ابن علي ابن محمد ابن عربي), who lived from 1165-1240. Ibn Arabi was born in Andalusia and gradually …
al-Sinaniyeh Mosque (جامع السنانية) was constructed in 1590-1591 under Sinan Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Damascus (دمشق) from 1589 to 1593, and is one of several interesting mosques just to the southwest of the old city walls. Beyond being the governor of Damascus (دمشق), Sinan Pasha also served as governor of Cairo (Egypt) and was grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire five times between 1580 …
Madrasa Selimiyeh (مدرسة سليمية) is religious school from the Ottoman period that is attached to the larger al-Tekiyeh al-Suleimaniyeh Mosque (جامع التكية السليمانية) complex. It was built during the reign of Sultan Selim II (سليم ثانى), who ruled from 1566-1574 after succeeding Sultan Suleiman I. The complex is constructed around a large courtyard with a central fountain. On the southern end is the small prayer …
