Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA- Visiting Damascus, the oldest capital in the world, and walking down its alleys that are filled with the fresh scent of jasmine and bitter orange, one should visit its archeological monuments including Naasan Palace at the entrance of Bab Sharqi.
The Palace is the second most ancient Damascene house after al-Azzem Palace. It was built over an area of more than four thousand square meters. Its architecture is an excellent example of Damascene traditional houses.
The Palace was built in 1720 AD by Georges Naasan and it has gained a wide fame due to the architectural innovation and charming adornments it embraces
Naasan family have been living in this beautiful old Damascene house for generations, and they make sure that tourists are always welcome to visit and see the charming courtyard of their home.
“Our family still lives in the two-story palace as we live in the second floor while the ground floor was left by the family for receiving tourists and visitors for free,” grandson Salim Naasan says.
“The palace has an international fame as it has been visited by celebrities , kings and international leaders who have written their words at the record of the palace which is put at its entrance,” Naasan added.
Naasan indicated that the palace embraces the liwan, a central space formed by a very large arch: it plays a central role in the organization and distribution of the various rooms and the house. This central space is in open-air on one side, and is flanked with two rooms.
The old Damascene palace also consists of a number of Iwans which are rectangular halls or spaces, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open.
The palace is sumptuously decorated with priceless adornments and it has two entrances, the main of which leads to a spacious and beautifully landscaped courtyard with a central fountain decorated with black statues.
The palace also embraces wide halls whose walls and roofs are decorated with adornments and intricately woven geometric patterns and shapes with high artistic innovation.
Inside the palace, one can also see the handmade carpets and archeological chandeliers and precious utensils which date back to more than hundreds of years ago.
At the northern part of the palace there is a wide hall and two rooms with two other rooms in front of them at western direction. One can reach the upper floor through two stone-made staircases.
The upper floor includes many rooms which are overlooking the courtyard of the palace .
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
