Azm Palace

About this place

Azm Palace is an Ottoman palace in the Old City of Damascus, north of Al-Buzuriyah Souq, built in 1749 as the home of As'ad Pasha al-Azm, governor of Damascus. Today it houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions. It is among the finest grand Damascene houses, with a calm courtyard, trees and a pool, far from the bustle of the souqs around it. The palace rose over the site of an earlier Mamluk palace, built by about 800 workers over three years and decorated with costly materials. It served as both residence and guesthouse. Under the French Mandate it housed the French Institute, and the Syrian state later bought it from the Azm family and restored it as a museum. You see walls in bands of black and white stone, courtyards paved in geometric patterns, pools and citrus trees. The halls show traditional clothes, furniture and tools, with wax figures staging scenes of Damascene life, including a traditional cafe. The painted wooden ceilings are worth looking up at in every room. It is about 200 m in a straight line from the Umayyad Mosque and about 100 m from Khan As'ad Pasha, so they are easy to combine on foot. We found no confirmed hours, so ask in advance, and carry some cash. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Syria, and British consular help is not available there, so check official guidance before making any plans.