Azem Palace

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Azem Palace (Arabic: قصر العظم‎) is a palace in Damascus, Syria which was originally built in 1750 as a residence for the Ottoman governor of Damascus As'ad Pasha al-Azem. The palace now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions.

The architecture is an excellent example of Damascene traditional houses. The structure itself consists of several buildings and two wings: the haramlik and the salamlik. The haramlik is the family wing, which is a private space for the residents (the Azem family originally). This wing includes the kitchen, servant quarters, and the baths, which are a replica of the public baths in the city but on a smaller scale. The salamlik is the guest wing, and it is comprised of the formal halls, reception areas and large courtyards with traditional cascading fountains.

Used in the building of this palace were several types of stones including limestone, sandstone, basalt, and marble. This provided for a natural decorative appearance of the structure. The ceilings have painted wooden panels that display natural scenes.

In 1925, the Azem palace was heavily damaged by French artillery during the Syrian revolution. It has since been restored and became a museum of arts and popular traditions. It received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1983.