Beit Ghazaleh (The Ġazaleh House; ) is one of the largest and better-preserved palaces from the Ottoman period in Aleppo. It was named after the Ghazaleh family that owned it for about two centuries. Since 1914, it was used as a public school and restored to host the Memory Museum of the city of Aleppo. Beit Ghazaleh is located in the Al-Jdayde district of Aleppo. The structure has been damaged by warfare and earthquakes.
History: the origins of the Ġazaleh House in Aleppo
The house is located on the Western edge of a large suburb inhabited by a multi-religious and multi-ethnic population. This neighbourhood to the North of the old city of Aleppo developed since the late Mameluke period. This area became the Christian quarter of Jdeideh which was organically clustered around its churches. Here lived the notables of Aleppo's Christian communities, notably the Armenians who specialised in trade with India and Persia.
The Ġazaleh House was built in front of two large Muslim waqfs — created in 1583-90 and 1653 — and together they form the monumental heart of a lively mixed Christian-Muslim neighbourhood. Unique for its size and decor, Beit Ghazaleh embodies the wealth and power of the Christian community in 17th century Aleppo. The decorative panels of Beit Ghazaleh do not include human figure representations; made by local craftsmen, the panels display many painted inscriptions presenting a mix of popular sayings, mystic poetry and biblical psalms. This diversity of sources underlines the rich Arab culture and the eclecticism typical of Aleppo urban élites.
A palace built around many courtyards
Throughout the centuries, the mansion's footprint expanded or contracted according to changing needs and fortunes. However, it always maintained a main central courtyard of 250m2. At its apex, the house covered an area of approximately 1,600m2, with 570m2 occupied by six courtyards. The actual size of the complex is practically invisible from the outside.
The present entrance was opened in the 19th century on the main street on the house’s East side. This entrance leads to the principal courtyard, the focal centre and the main thoroughfare to the rest of the house. Polychrome marble tiles, forming a "carpet" in front of the iwan, precede the great fountain in the courtyard, with its games of water, stone basins and cascades. The fine wall decorations in the courtyard are said to have been carved by the Armenian sculptor Khachadur Bali a member of the Balyan family of Ottoman court architects.
The iwan
A North-South axis cuts through the whole house underlining the importance of the iwan from where it originates. This line divides the courtyard's paving, basin and garden into a precise geometry. The rest of the space is organized according to the needs of the household and the shape of the plot without concern for symmetry.
All around the main courtyard, windows and doors punctuate the facades. Above these openings, the relative intricacy of the low relief decor surrounding them establishes the hierarchy of the rooms with the iwan at its summit. The stone decor of the iwan facade and of its annexes likely dates from the mid-17th century. The painted wooden panels of the qubba and the surviving panels of the iwan are likely dated from the same period. The iwan, first meant to provide comfort from the summer heat, is thus the "centre" of the house and plays an essential symbolic role representing the power of the master of Beit Ghazaleh.
Rooms around the central courtyard
The five rectangular rooms accessible from the courtyard were once decorated with woodwork that has now almost entirely disappeared. The sixth room to the West is a vast T-shaped qa'a, indicative of wealth and power.