Damascus, July 13 (SANA) Maktab Anbar, one of Damascus’ most prominent historic landmarks and a leading example of 19th-century Damascene architecture, has been added to the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Heritage List, marking a renewed international recognition of Syria’s cultural heritage.
Located in the heart of Damascus Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Maktab Anbar is widely regarded as one of the finest surviving examples of late Ottoman residential architecture and has played a central role in Syria’s educational and cultural history.
The ICESCO designation forms part of a broader package of Syrian cultural sites recently approved by the organization, reinforcing efforts to preserve the country’s cultural heritage while expanding opportunities for international cooperation in restoration, documentation and heritage conservation.
Noor Kadalem, head of the Damascus Antiquities Department, said the inscription strengthens Damascus’ standing as one of the Islamic world’s foremost historic cities and creates new opportunities for cooperation with international institutions in documenting, restoring and promoting the landmark.
She told SANA that the listing would also support cultural tourism by highlighting Maktab Anbar as one of the principal heritage sites within Damascus Old City, home to some of the region’s most significant archaeological and historical monuments.
Kadalem described Maktab Anbar as more than a historic building, calling it a living record of Damascus’ educational and cultural heritage and a symbol of the city’s enduring role as a center of learning, knowledge and creativity.
She said its significance is enhanced by its location within the historic urban fabric of Damascus Old City, where it reflects the city’s rich cultural diversity and preserves its distinctive architectural identity.
According to the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascene merchant Youssef Anbar commissioned the palace in the 1870s as an elaborate private residence. Construction was never completed because of its high cost, and ownership later passed to the Ottoman authorities.
The building was subsequently converted into Maktab Anbar School, one of the Levant’s leading civilian educational institutions during the late Ottoman period, educating generations of writers, intellectuals and political figures who later shaped Syria’s and the wider Arab world’s cultural and public life.
Maktab Anbar also housed the Royal School, which played an important role in educating intellectuals who contributed to the Arab cultural renaissance in the early 20th century. Following Syria’s independence, the building continued to serve cultural and educational purposes before being restored by Damascus Governorate and transformed into a cultural center hosting exhibitions, lectures and public events.
Architecturally, Maktab Anbar is considered one of the best-preserved examples of traditional Damascene residential architecture, combining local design with refined Ottoman decorative elements. Its courtyards, marble fountains, iwans, carved wooden ceilings, ablaq stonework, mother-of-pearl inlaid doors and intricate Arab-Islamic ornamentation have made it one of the city’s most distinguished heritage landmarks.
Researchers of Islamic architecture regard Maktab Anbar as one of Damascus’ most complete surviving historic buildings, making it a key reference for the study of the evolution of civil architecture in the Levant.
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