Akeem Brathwaite European Design- Damascus

Design history

Damascus
Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. In the Middle Ages, it was the centre of a flourishing craft industry, specializing in swords and lace. The city has some 125 monuments from different periods of its history. Damascus gives evidence to the unique aesthetic achievement of the civilizations which created it. The Great Mosque is a masterpiece of Umayyad architecture, which together with other major monuments of different periods such as the Citadel, the Azem Palace, madrasas, khans, public baths and private residences demonstrates this achievement. In this research I will be looking and reviewing the aesthetics of two great structures within Damascus.

Tomb of Saladin
These are the tomb of Saladin along with the Great Mosque. Saladin (1/1/1137- 1/1/1193) is a legendary name in Muslim culture. In the western world, he is known for his active interaction with the Crusades and was the founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty. The tomb of Saladin is located in Umayyad Mosque which is one of the biggest mosques in Damascus and in the World. It is located in the upper northwest corner of the mosque. The mausoleum was originally built by Saladin's son in 1196. The Ablaq walls are found in most of the architectural structures in Damascus. Ablaq is an architectural style which would include alternating or fluctuating rows of light and dark stone. This style originated from the South of Syria and is related to Islamic architectural decoration. This technique was first used in masonry work in reconstruction improvements to the walls of the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus. Saladins tomb is located next to the northwest corner of the great Umayyad Mosque. After his son al-Malik al Afdal Nur al-Din Ali, ruler of Damascus completed the construction of the Mausoleum, Saladins body was transferred to its final resting place. The white marble coffin was
a gift from the German Emperor William II on the occasion of his visit to Damascus in 1903. Next to it is the original wooden cenotaph, a masterpiece of the linear interplay typical of Ayyubid woodworking. It is decorated with geometric and astral patterns as well as floral and vegetal motifs.

Aseptically speaking, I think this room is exploding with creativity, historic, culture and a whole world of pattern and designs. After taking a virtual tour of the room I came to love it, despite it seem so small but the designs that overflow throughout the room made it somewhat even smaller but yet and add an extra dimension. The room is grounded by four pillars at the corners

Akeem Brathwaite European Design- Damascus

Design history

and they have an amazing display of intricate design patterns of painted blue and other bluish tones of floral designs in the tiles which overlap each other. On top, the arches are caped with a cupola. This is a small, most-often dome-like structure on top of a building. This is said earlier in the description, the walls are constructed from the style known as Ablaq. This style suits the other designs as it ties all the other patterns and the tombs together. There are two coffins in the middle of the room. One of these, the white marble coffin, has both an engraved relief sculpture and painting of floral around it. The design is simple, the use of what seems to be grape vines which could be something of symbolic meaning and the relief sculpture which entailed a floral design of what seems to be ferns and a sun like structure in the middle. On top, are four cup like sculptures which have engravings to make it seem like lanterns. On the side, there is also an engraving of a rose, a sunflower and other interesting designs. Besides that, is a cenotaph made of wood, which is green and somewhat similar to the one made of marble next to it. The designs on this were made in embroidery with gold thread. Basically, the design looks simple, yet interesting. The engravings of what seem to be Arabic writing and interesting patterns take almost the entire space of the tomb. Around its edges are tassels made of the same gold thread. Looking up, you will see a chandelier, which hovers over the two coffins being held by a gold chain. This interesting artefact seems to have such complicated patterns in the each glass that accompanies the makeup of the chandelier. The fact that it is painted black makes it so interesting. The chandelier is made up of four parts along with seven side pieces to complement it. More subtle decoration can be seen in the stone-paste
floral and geometric designs above the arches.

As'ad Pasha al-Azem

The khan of As'ad Pasha al-Azem is situated along Suq al-Buzuriyyah in the old city of Damascus. Built in 1752 under the benefaction of As'ad Pasha al-Azem, it encompasses a vast space achieved through an arrangement of eight small domes around a larger circular aperture, allowing light to stream in above a circular pool The arches have the same Albaq style where the walls were built with light and dark bricks.

The building has two floors giving onto a central courtyard. The entrance leads to a square courtyard with shops on the ground floor, used for commerce and storage. The space of the 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 pendentives that transfer the load onto four piers and to the courtyard walls. Pendetives are small dome-like structures that are caped over a square room or rectangular room. A marble

Akeem Brathwaite European Design- Damascus

Design history

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 khan is built of alternating courses of basalt and limestone. Three of the courtyard domes were destroyed in an earthquake seven years after the khan's completion. Most of the room is filled with paintings which seem to be of the same style but different variation of colour to depict eyes. As you look around via the virtual tour, you will see a lot is happening. It is as though complex designs are in harmony with the ablaq walls. Most of its structures are basically a replica of ottoman architecture. Ottoman architecture is basically Turkish architecture which emerged in Bursa and Edime in the 14th and 15th centuries. In concluding, I think the monuments of Damascus gain its influence from the Ottoman Empire and albaq walls.

Akeem Brathwaite European Design- Damascus

Design history

Bibliography
http://www.discoverislamicart.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;14;en&cp] http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Middle_East/Syria/Muhafazat_Dimashq/Damascus1814868/Things_To_Do-Damascus-Khan_Asad_Pasha-BR-1.html
http://www.3dmekanlar.com/en/tomb-of-saladin.html http://dome.mit.edu/handle/1721.3/25218