أهم المنشآت المشيدة في العهد العثماني ١_a .. كتاب العمارة العربية الاسلامية

B) The most important facilities built in the Ottoman era:

The country did not enjoy a tangible boom in urban activity throughout the four centuries of Ottoman rule, comparable to the prosperity it achieved in previous eras.

However, we find a number of public buildings and facilities from this era, and we note that the most important of them date back to the sixteenth and seventh centuries. The first sultans and some of the great governors followed the inherited tradition in perpetuating their reign with monuments that would remain after them and perpetuate their memory, which added to the architectural heritage in Syria a new list of evidence that has importance in studying the development of the history of architecture.

Among these evidences are hospices, mosques, markets, inns, palaces, and baths. We have provided a complete census of them in a special appendix.

We will now limit ourselves to mentioning the most important of these constructions

Buildings of the city of Damascus: The most important public buildings were built in the first century of the Ottoman era, and most of them were located outside the wall on the outskirts of the old city. As for inside the wall, a group of khans, baths, and palaces were established, the most important of which we will mention.

1 - The first group: It was established by Sultan Selim I (the Conqueror) in the year 924 / 1518 in the Salihiya area in honor of Sheikh Muhyiddin bin Arabi, who died in the year 638 / 1240. It consists of a hospice, a mosque, and a turbah on the sheikh’s grave. We note from a technical point of view that the Ottoman influences have not yet appeared in this group. Facilities. The mosque was built according to the traditional layout, surrounded by corridors, and a sanctuary composed of corridors parallel to the Qiblah. As for the minaret, it was erected above the door of the mosque, and the hospice was built on the opposite side of the mosque. Its structure was simple, consisting of a courtyard covered with two domes, and around it were supply rooms and a kitchen (1). As for the shrine, the most beautiful thing in it is the tile panels that cover its walls. They were added to it in a later era.

2 - The second group: It was established by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent on the banks of Barada between the years 962 and 974 (1544 and 1566). It is one of the masterpieces of Ottoman architecture. It consists of two large buildings, the first a hospice and the second a school. We will provide a detailed description of this group, as a typical building of Ottoman art, at the end of this chapter.

3 - Murad Pasha’s hospice: in the Al-Suwaiqa district, known today as the Naqshbandi Mosque. It was built by the governor Murad Pasha in the year 976/1568. It includes a mosque with a minaret. It is a wide courtyard with a pond in the middle, and around it are many rooms for living. In the corner of the building overlooking the street, there is soil in which the governor himself was buried. Its walls are covered with beautiful tile panels.

4 - The fourth group: It was built by the governor of Damascus, Darwish Pasha, in the year 982 / 1574, and it consists of a mosque, an office, a cemetery, and a path. It was built according to Ottoman architecture in terms of planning, architectural and decorative elements.

5 - The Fifth Group: It was built by the governor Sinan Pasha near Bab al-Jabiya in the year 995/1586. It is similar to the Druidish group except that its minaret is covered with blue ceramic panels without decorations, while the sanctuary is rich in decorations.

6 - Khan Al-Joukhiyya, located in the Al-Khayyatin Market, was built in the year 960 / 1553 by the governor Ahmed Shamsi Pasha. This governor also built the Ahmadiyya Hospice located in the middle of the Al-Hamidiyya Market, but the building today is completely renewed.

7 - Khan Al-Harir was built by the governor Darwish Pasha during his rule (979/1571 - 982/1574) and is located to the southwest of the Umayyad Mosque in Souq Al-Harir.

8 - Khan Suleiman Pasha, located in Medhat Pasha Market, built in the year 1732/1145.

9 - Khan Asaad Pasha, located in Al-Buzuriyah. It is one of the most beautiful khans in Damascus, built by the governor Asaad Pasha Al-Azm in the year 1167/1753 (see plans 31, 32, 33 and photos 89 and 90).

10 - Other khans that are still standing: Khan al-Jumruk, Khan Qatna, Khan al-Haramain, Khan al-Zafaranjieh, Khan al-Zayt, Khan al-Tin, Khan al-Safar Jalani (1).

11 - Al-Azm Palace, located in a famous location between the Umayyad Mosque and Al-Buzuriyah Market, was built in the year 1749/1163 and is now used as a museum of popular traditions. In its architecture and building style, it represents the traditional Levantine house (pictures (see page 91.90) whose description was previously mentioned), as a group of houses still exist in its shape. Most of them date back to the eighteenth century. Such as the house of Al-Sibai in the locality of Al-Daqaqin and the house of Nizam in the locality of Minaret Al-Shahm. Al-Dahdah’s house is in the Jewish Quarter. And Houraniya's house in the wool market. And the house of Saqa Amini in the Goan architecture. The house of Al-Mujallad is in Al-Qaymariya. And Khaled Al-Azm’s house in Saroja Market. And Jabri's house is behind Al-Azm Palace. And a ward office in the locality of Minaret Al-Shahm.