The courtyard
Fountain and trees.
Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Azm Palace in Hama is an 18th-century Ottoman palace in the town centre on the bank of the Orontes, about 400 metres south of Hama Citadel. The historian Ross Burns counts it among the loveliest Ottoman homes in Syria, and it has been an archaeology museum since 1956. The Ottoman governor As'ad Pasha al-Azm built it in 1742 as his residence, and the Azm governors of Hama lived here until their rule ended in the 19th century. When As'ad Pasha became governor of Damascus in 1743 he built a larger palace there to the same plan. The Hama palace was badly damaged in 1982 and has since been largely restored. Unlike the Damascus palace, this one has courtyards on two floors. The lower courtyard has a fountain shaded by trees and an open iwan for sitting. You see arcades in alternating white and black stone, painted wooden ceilings, and rooms panelled in carved wood with stained-glass windows. The Norias of Hama are about 100 metres away in a straight line. Some photos here predate the recent war years. 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.
Fountain and trees.
White and black stone.
Carved wood.
Central Hama, on the Orontes, Syria
Much the same plan, but smaller, with courtyards on two floors.
Yes, an archaeology museum since 1956.
