Azm Palace

This article is about the palace in Damascus. For the palace in Hama, Syria built by the same client, see Azm Palace (Hama).
Azm Palace
قصر العظم
Alternative names Qasr al-Azm
General information
Type Palace, Museum
Architectural style Ottoman
Location Damascus, Syria
Address Al-Buzuriyah Souq
Completed 1750
Renovated 1945-1961
Client As'ad Pasha al-Azm
Technical details
Floor count 2
Renovating team
Awards and prizes Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Azm 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-Azm. The palace now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions.

Architecture

Azm Palace architecture

The architecture is an excellent example of Damascene traditional houses. The structure consists of several buildings and two wings: the harem and the selamlik. The harem is the family wing, which was a private space for the residents (originally, the Azm family). This wing includes the kitchen, servant quarters, and the baths, which are a replica of the public baths in the city on a smaller scale. The salamlik is the guest wing, and it comprises 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, chosen to provide a natural decoration. The ceilings have painted wooden panels that display natural scenes.

Dr. Andrew Petersen, director of Research in Islamic Archaeology at the University of Wales Lampeter states that the use of ablaq (alternating courses of white limestone and black basalt) in this building is “A characteristic of the monumental masonry of Damascus.”[1]

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

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Petersen, Andrew (October 3, 2011). "Damascus – history, arts and architecture". Islamic Arts & Architecture. Retrieved January 28, 2012.

External links

Media related to Azem Palace at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 33°30′37″N 36°18′25″E / 33.51028°N 36.30694°E / 33.51028; 36.30694

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, December 02, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.