Barbara Walters chats with Forward Syria
Swaying between art and seduction
Discussing monetary policy with the man in charge
Where the earth screams in horror
08/03/2010 - Issue 42
Khan Asaad Pasha
Ottoman architectural gem brought back to lifeBuilt of alternating courses of alluring basalt and limestone, Khan Asaad Pasha has been described as one of the finest khans of Damascus and the most ambitious work of architecture in the city.
Situated along Souq Al-Buzuriyah, Khan Asaad Pasha-the largest khan in the Old City-was built and named after Asaad Pasha al-Azem -the governor of Damascus- in 1751. From the moment of its conception throughout the Ottoman era, the Khan hosted caravans coming from Baghdad, Mosul, Aleppo, Beirut and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Its architecture follows a typical Ottoman khan layout with two floors giving onto a central courtyard, housing 80 rooms distributed on two levels around the courtyard, adorned with an array of arches and 20 windows shining light upon the fountain, which marks the center of the Khan, with a monumental portal allowing access to and from the souk.
It was being used as a storage space in the heart of a busy commercial area by a large number of shop-keepers till the early 1990s. However, this use was found incompatible with and detrimental to its many qualities and the Syrian Department of Museums and Antiquities decided to count it as a heritage site.
No longer used for commercial purposes, Khan Asaad Pasha now serves as a tourist’s site, and additionally hosts many art exhibitions throughout the year, especially after it was restored by the Aga Khan Network, which took on the reconstruction of certain structural members, such as the four central pillars of the courtyard, and the domes.
The latest exhibition to decorate the Khan’s walls is the Venezuelan Modern Plastic Arts exhibition, showcasing drawings by Venezuelan artists Ivan Dario Hernandez and Benetto Mesiss, in celebrations of Venezuela's National Day.
