Azem Palace (1749, later Ottoman Palace)

Damascus is one of the most ancient, continuously inhabited, cities in the world. It has played a great part in the history of many civilizations, and most prominently in the history of Islam. The city is between the protective slopes to the West and the vast expanse of desert to the East.

Its abundant water supply and fertile soil attracted human settlement from the dawn of time. Through the turmoil many civilizations developed and prospered and left their traces upon the city.

<Damascus under different civilizations>

The historical heritage of the city is preserved in its ancient street patterns and encompassing walls and gates, in its suqs (markets) and khans (merchant inns), and public baths, and in the ancient irrigation system which provides the city with an abundant of water.

This heritage is also embodied in the numerous historical monuments which have endured over the centuries, the mosques, madras’s (schools), and domed tombs which spread across the city’s wide expanse, a magnificent Citadel, and the palaces and homes of the previous epochs.

Behind the suqs one enters a maze of paths branching through the city quarters. These quarters have preserved the characteristics of medieval city. Each quarter had a large gate at its entrance, which still survive in the Old City. Beyond the gate, the street follows an organic pattern and branches out into little paths, which gives access to the houses. The upper stories of the houses often protrude over paths and often cover it completely. It is hard to see the mixture of clay and straw with wood and unburned bricks.

In Damascus, Stone and wood form the skeleton of the houses where the bricks are tightly paced between the wooden frame, which is overlaid by a mixture of straw and mud: Poplar trees are used rather than palm trees. The houses have splendid rooms with gilded ceilings and marble floors. The walls are covered with various types of marble inlaid between a gilded border and strips of mother-of-pearl, and ponds provide the rooms of the house with running water.

The rooms are spacious and well arranged, clean and nicely furnished. The walls are paneled with wood, and the ceilings are painted in the style of the country. Gold and azure are plentifully employed.

The simple, unadorned façade of the Damascene house contrasts with its elaborate interior. Its layout covers a wide area surrounded by a bare wall with generally no windows and has one or two doors. Its interior consists of two or three courtyards, one reserved for the family, the second for guests, and the third for servants. The main door is plated with iron and heavy nails and has an elegant knocker made of iron or copper. Most of the doors have a smaller portal (wicket) in the center, which is generally used for ordinary occasions. After passing through the door one enters anteroom, sometimes angular, leading to open courtyard. Usually windows overlooking the courtyard are beautifully sculptured and the enclosing walls are decorated with colored stone and mosaics. In one of the corners of the courtyard is a spacious iwan or portico furnished with couches and rugs where the family and guests relax. The walls of the rooms are decorated with multicolored marble and painted woodwork carved with epigraphic, floral and geometrical motifs. The ceilings are likewise covered with beautifully painted designs intricately carved in wood. The floors are paved with multicolored marble set in geometrical designs.

Earth

Its abundant supply on the construction site excludes any cost of transportation. The density and thickness of earth structures are ideal for thermal insulation in hot arid areas. It is widely used in every part of construction such as fences, walls, floors, and roofs.

Stone

Limestone and basalt are widely used as building materials. Its use depends on the abundance of supply. The transportation of heavy materials and the need for higher skills are some of the disadvantages of stone construction. Hence the use of stone is largely confined to public buildings, and houses of people who can afford.

Timber

Although timber is in short supply, it is necessary for construction of beams and columns. Mulberry and poplar are preferred. Poplar grown along irrigation ditches is particularly resistant to decay and its leaves provide excellent fodder for cattle. Where rainfall is scarce, it is fairly expensive to obtain timber for roof supports and for that timber beams has acquired a status symbol. Flat-roofed houses represent an important achievement in these areas. Other organic materials such

as reeds, twigs, grass and straw are used for under layers of the roof.

Mud brick construction is the most convenient and most extensively used method of constructing earth walls in Syria. In contrast with formwork construction called pise, the prefabrication of bricks may be done over many days so that the need for concentrated work is reduced. As the bricks are dried before lying, the subsequent shrinkage in situ and cracking of the wall is avoided. Production of the bricks takes place at the building site and it is not common to transport them for any distance.

The flat roof usually consists of a flat timber structure with topping of earth. The main structural element consists of a layer of logs, which are embedded, in the exterior walls. On top of the logs and running across them, is a layer of twigs. Reed matting or wooden strips are frequently used instead of these and another layer of reeds is added. On top of this there is another layer of shrubs compressed by moist earth. These layers form a shock absorber between the timber structure and the solid roof slab. Dry earth layer, 30 to 50 cm thick, is laid on top of these under-layers, and the final layer of crushed stone or lime-chaff mixture covers the surface. A roof of this kind requires occasional maintenance by a stone roller so as to close any cracks, which may have formed.

cf) A marvelous Islamic material, which most people have forgotten exists, is called by different names in different places. It is a very hard lime plaster made by pounding as many as five, six or seven layers one after another.

Art in Damascus under Ottomans.

Ottoman buildings employed new architectural elements never before used in Damascus, such as stalactite capitals and Persian arches. Ottoman minarets were noted for their slender form. Their circular shafts were generally garnished with polychrome decoration and always topped by a cone of foliated lead.

Ottoman decorative art was a fusion of local style and the techniques brought from Istanbul by the Turks. Engraved marble and marble mosaics were used just as in the previous period, as well as a new type of mosaic, commonly known in Damascus as ablaq (multicolored).

Ceramic work underwent widespread development during this period, as the Ottomans were fond of decorating the walls of their buildings with faience tiling.

The Azem Palace is situated in the old city of Damascus not far from the qibla wall (which orients the worshiper toward Mecca) of the Ummayyad Mosque. Most of the housing surrounding it have been built around courtyards that contain pools and fountains are generally constructed in stone and wood with lime-and-gypsum plaster. The walls of poorer buildings are usually made of mud brick, also used for the roofs of the buildings, which are supported on timber poles carrying plank ceilings.

It was as a residence for one of the great Ottoman governor of the province of Damascus, Assad al-Azem Pasha that the Azem Palace was originally built in the mid-eighteenth century. The Palace is constructed around three courts, of which, haremlik, or private family court, is the largest and central court. To the southeast of the haremlik and about half its size is the men’s selamlik, or public court where visitors were reserved and which was normally reserved for formal use and access. To the north of the Palace lies the smallest of the three courts, surrounded by kitchens and storerooms. Originally the selamlik acted as the entrance court, from which access to the haremlik was obtained. There was no other access to the haremlik from the exterior except through the two smaller courts.

The beauty of this palace stems from the richness of its decoration and the calm serenity of its atmosphere. Its architectural design and decorative features form a harmonious whole. Botanic beauty of its interior, filled with pounds and fountains, cypress and citrus trees, and overhanging vines. The walls of the interior are decorated with a polychrome facing from top to bottom with inlaid mosaics and windows of varied design sculptured in stone.

The numerous architectural features of the courtyard form a composite unity. An arched iwan on the southern side of the courtyard faces a colonnaded portico on the opposite side. The walls vary in elevation to break the monotony, but do not detract from the building’s basic harmony.

Numerous rooms are arranged around the sides of the courtyard with walls and ceilings decorated with painted woodwork and beautifully carved stalactites, in the main halls are fountains encased in beautiful multicolored marble, and on the walls are mounted other beautiful fountains, considered a work of art in themselves. The complex intricate joinery of doors, windows, shutters, paneling and ceilings are witness to high quality of both life and craftsmanship.

In 1922, the French Mandate (1920-’46) over Syria, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, bought the haremlik for 4,000 gold liras. The craftsmen engaged in the decorative work of this courtyard when it was purchased were retained by the French to encourage the revival of traditional crafts. It was during this period that a direct entrance was opened into the haremlik from the original entrance portico of the palace.

In 1925, the entire palace was extensively damaged when the French shelled the old quarter of Damascus to quell the Syrian uprising against their rule. The qa’a (main reception room) and the baths of the selamlik were set on fire, its roof burned and the upper parts of its walls destroyed. When ceased, the French set about reconstructing the haremlik. Michel Ecochard (1905-’85) restored it. Subject to certain limitations, these were restored exactly as they had been. The limitations included a lack of evidence both the right materials and workmen with the relevant skills. It was therefore necessary to accept a modified and less ornate reconstruction.

In 1930, the French government housed French Institute in the palace. A new residence for the institute’s director was commissioned also to Ecochard. It was built in relatively empty area lying between the selamlik and the haremlik. Set back in a position where it was hardly visible from the latter. The design was uncompromisingly modern and the house was constructed of concrete. By utilizing the original materials and plasters for the infixing of the concrete work, however, the building blended perfectly into its eighteenth century setting. The Institute was evacuated from the premises after Syrian independence.

In 1946, the haremlik was handed over by the French to the Syrian government and remained closed for the next four years. Upon leaving the country the French agreed to pay further reparations for the damage done to Syrian buildings, including the rest of the palace, during the bombardment of Damascus and other towns. No repair was undertaken at its time on the extensively damaged selamlik, which continued to be occupied by members of the Azem family.

In 1951, the Syrian government bought the remainder of the palace from the family for a sum of $30,000 with the intention of creating a national folk museum there.

Collective value for restoring Azem Palace was that in 20^th century people were awakened from a long period of injustice and abuse, and began gradually to dislodge them from long-term isolation and powerlessness. With the start of the First World War, Arab countries aimed at the full liberation of Arab lands from Ottoman domination and the creation of Arab nation. They made secret agreement with the Amir Faysal to join in a revolution against the Ottoman State. In 1918, revolt broke out, bringing final end to Ottoman rule. Damascus was jubilant and elected Faysal as its king on March. 7. 1920. But soon French army took the city and forcibly imposed on Syria.

So for citizens in Damascus, restoring Azem Palace meant restoring the souls who fought for Syria’s freedom and rehabilitating as a folk museum, instead of a palace, not only brought wealth, but also revived something truly Syrian.

The work conserving the palace continued over the next two decades. In the later years the authorities have been concentrating on the restoration of the kitchens and cellars of the palace with particular attention to the latter in an attempt to reduce rising damp. New drains have been introduced and the cellars cleaned and re-plastered with the hope of utilizing some of them as rooms for lessons in history and crafts.

The Process of Restoration

Since 1951 the director of all conservation work has been the curator of the museum, Shafiq al-Imam, whose approach has been to invent nothing. With the help of master craftsmen he undertook a detailed study of the palace, ascertained the original condition of the building as well as the original techniques employed in its construction and gradually restored it as far as possible to its eighteenth century condition.

• try to follow the original techniques : help of craftsmen, detailed study, description by Azem family
• do it economically : using local materials, try to salvage elements from places nearby

• Question of in-fill of modern techniques (upgrading)

• to reduce rising dampness in the cellar : leveled the ground, new drains and water supplies have been introduced
• the destroyed upper storeys were rebuilt using concrete faced with strips of stone work, why? To modify for its current use as a museum. But lime expands and contracts with the weather, whereas cement cannot be put against it because cement will attack its small gypsum content until it disintegrates.

The work was done very economically. Stone and decoration were acquired for practically nothing from other buildings of the same period that were either being demolished or altered. Fortunately old materials often came on the mark during the 1950s and early ‘60s because of demolition were being carried out in the old city to make room for the building of new roads.

One of the first steps taken in the restoration process was an attempt to hold the defects of humidity in check. Consequently the ground level around the palace was lowered with a drain laid around the outside in order to reduce the dampness in the walls. At the same time a new water supply was introduced. The paving, which had become uneven, was lifted and the same stones re-laid after the ground was leveled.

Restoration work on the selamlik was begun in the early 1960s. For evidence of its original structure and design, plans made by the French in the early 1920s as well as description by members of the Azem family were relied upon.

The destroyed upper stories were rebuilt with new materials and plastered. Here the roofs, like those in many of the buildings, were constructed in the original way except for a reinforced concrete slab instead of a layer of earth. Care was taken however; to ensure that this was not visible from below to above. The parapet was covered with traditional plaster and the roof surface given a finish of earth over the reinforced concrete.

In 1964 a large-scale program was undertaken for the rebuilding of decayed and leaning walls. Once again the paving was taken up after careful drawings were made. The system of canals originally laid for the drainage and irrigation of the site underneath the paving was uncovered, cleaned out, and repaired to make it waterproof once again. This done, the paving was put back in its original position.

Two separate underground cables were installed to provide electricity, ensuring that, in the event of a power failure in one part of the city, it would be possible to switch to an alternate electrical supply.

Conclusion

The restoration of the upper levels of the palace by both the French and Syrian authorities does not follow the original design exactly, but this does not seriously detract from the general effect of these rooms or of the palace as a whole. The introduction of the reinforced concrete slab above the ceilings does not seem to have been harmful to either the structures or their appearance, though the fact that some of the ceilings are losing their paint may be the result of condensation caused by the concrete slab. Concrete is an inferior insulator to earth, so those extremes of temperature also may be causing this deterioration. The earth surfaces have not been maintained annually, as they would have been when the buildings were first erected, and the concrete slabs are not waterproof. The result has been that in the last few years bituminous felt waterproofing has been laid over the concrete slabs. Unfortunately this method of waterproofing has failed because the bitumen soaks out of the felt during the heat of the summer.

It is also distressing to see that the same engineers have undertaken to re-point small areas of the stonework in the haremlik courtyard using modern cement. This serves to highlight the persistent care with which the building was restored during the previous sixty years: only traditional mortars were used.

What has been particularly gratifying, however, has been the remarkable response of the Syrian public to one of their restored historical sites, evident from the large numbers that visit the palace regularly. When the haremlik was opened to the public as a museum in 1954, the crowds so exceeded expectations that a new staircase had to be designed for the qa’a to enable them to enter at one place and exit at another.

Ever since its opening to the public the palace has been crowded with visitors. According to Al-Imam’s records for 1961, during the relatively quiet season from January to May there were a record number of 161,000 visitors, which averages out to about 3,800 daily. The revenue collected from entrance fees for the period amounted to $4,000(U.S.), which is commendable since many of the Syria visitors to the palace are not required to pay the fee. In that same year there was an average of 5,000 to 6,000 visitors daily during the peak period of September. In mid 1980s, the annual income from the palace is somewhere near $27,000(U.S.). Over the last thirty years from the mid ‘80s, therefore, the Syrian government has got back in revenue four to five times the amount it has spent on restoring the palace. The presence of the folk museum is a mixed blessing. While its displays are inconsistent with the character and original acquisition of neighboring properties will be implemented, thereby allowing him to move some of the more alien exhibits out of the palace so that it can be furnished in the proper traditional manner. In this way he hopes ultimately that the Azem Palace will be seen as a great house museum, preserving once and for all the atmosphere and detailed character of a lost Damascene way of life.

Bibliography

Warren, John. edited by Michell, George. Architecture of the Islamic world Thames and Hudson, 1984, p. 230-234,

Yagi, Koji. Islamic Architecture and Urbanism: Symposium organized by the Architecture and Planning. "Traditional Houses and Living Patterns in Syria", King Faisal Univ., 1980, p. 343-362

Rihawi, Abdulqader. Translated by Cheveden, Paul E. Damascus: its history, development and artistic heritage, Damascus, 1977

Imamuddin, Abu H., Longeteig Karen R. (ed.), Architectural and Urban Conservation in the Islamic World, The Aga Khan Trust For Culture, 1989 p.12-46,193-201

Reconstruction of Azem Palace, Damascus, Architectural Review vol. 174 no. 1040, Oct 1983, p. 109

Maintaining cultural continuity and traditional skills, Architectural Record vol.171 no. 11, Sept 1983, p. 74

Cantacuzino, Sherban (ed.), Architecture in Continuity, New York: Aperture, 1985, p. 162-169