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The Madrasa al-Firdaws in Aleppo, general view from courtyard. |
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The Madrasa al-Firdaws in Aleppo, interior view of the mihrab with marble "Syrian knot" decoration. |
| The Madrasa al-Firdaws in Aleppo (1235-36): Founded by Dhayfa Khatun, the strong wife of the Ayyubid ruler of Aleppo al-Zahir Ghazi. This is the most celebrated Syrian madrasa and the finest example of austere stone architecture. It is balanced in composition and conservative in decoration with a fine mihrab topped with a "Syrian knot," a decorative element that later spread to Anatolia. |
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