Khan As'ad Pasha

Khan As'ad Pasha (Arabic: خان أسعد باشا‎) is the largest khan in the Old City of Damascus, covering an area of 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft). Situated along Al-Buzuriyah Souq, it was built and named after As'ad Pasha al-Azm, the governor of Damascus, in 1751-52. Khan As'ad Pasha has been described as one of the finest khans of Damascus, and the most "ambitious" work of architecture in the city. Throughout the Ottoman era, it hosted caravans coming from Baghdad, Mosul, Aleppo, Beirut and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Architecture

The building follows a typical Ottoman khan layout with two floors giving onto a central courtyard. Khan As'ad Pasha is entered from Suq al-Buzuriyyah, through a monumental gateway decorated with stone carvings and roofed by a muqarnas semi-dome. The entrance leads to a square-shaped courtyard with old shops on the ground floor. The second floor, accessible by a staircase located to the right of the main entrance, was used mainly for lodging and has eighty rooms arranged along a gallery facing the courtyard.

The space of the central courtyard is divided into nine equal square modules, where each module is covered with a dome raised on a drum pierced with twenty windows. The domes are supported by pendents that transfer the load onto four piers and to the courtyard walls. An octagonal marble fountain occupies the center of the courtyard below the central dome. Each of the four courtyard walls has three doorways on the ground floor, flanked by two rectangular windows. The symmetry is maintained on the second floor where each gallery façade has three archways flanked by two smaller ones. The khan is built of alternating courses of basalt and limestone.

Three of the courtyard domes were destroyed in an earthquake in 1758. The openings were covered with wooden planks until 1990 when the khan was restored and the domes rebuilt. At the beginning of the 20th century, Khan As'ad Pasha was no longer used for commercial purposes. Until its restoration in 1990, it was used for manufacturing and storage. Today, it is designated as a tourist site and hosts the Natural History Museum of Damascus.

The restoration of the Khan won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

See also

  • Azm Palace
  • Khan Jaqmaq
  • Khan Sulayman Pasha
  • Khan Tuman
Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Ali Khara
7 December 2018
An old and loving environment
Load more comments
foursquare.com
5.4/10
1,480 people have been here
Map
0.1km from Medhat Basha, Damascus, Syria Get directions

Khan Asa'ad Pasha on Foursquare

Khan As'ad Pasha on Facebook

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Grand Kadri Hotel

starting $130

Chtaura Park Hotel Hotel

starting $84

old school

starting $222

Delora Hotel and Suites

starting $120

BLUE LAKE HOTEL SAGHBINE WEST BEKAA

starting $66

Rimonim Hermon Holiday Village

starting $111

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Azm Palace

Azm Palace (العربية. 'قصر العظم') is a palace in Damascus, Syri

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Umayyad Mosque

The Ummayad Mosque, also known as the Grand Mosque of Damascus

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Al-Zahiriyah Library

The Az-Zahiriyah library (Arabic: المكتبة الظاهرية‎) in Damascus, Syr

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Citadel of Damascus

The Citadel of Damascus (Arabic: قلعة دمشق‎, Qala'at Dimashq)

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Chapel of Saint Paul

The Chapel of Saint Paul (Arabic: كنيسة القديس بولس‎) is a modern ston

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
National Museum of Damascus

The National Museum of Damascus (Arabic: المتحف الوطني بدمشق‎) is

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Damascus Opera House

Damascus Opera House (Officially Dar al-Assad for Culture and Arts)

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque

Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque (Arabic: مسجد السيدة زينب‎) is a shrine locate

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Plaza de toros de Ronda

The Plaza de toros de Ronda The arena has a diameter of

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Hagia Sophia, Trabzon

The Hagia Sophia (Ελληνικά. Ἁγία Σοφία, meaning 'Holy Wisdom'; Tü

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Ateshgah of Baku

The Baku Ateshgah (Azerbaijani: Atəşgah from Persian: آتشگاه Atashgā

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Brontë Parsonage Museum

The Brontë Parsonage Museum is maintained by the Brontë Society in h

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Changi Museum

The Changi Museum is a museum dedicated to Singapore's history during

See all similar places