Maktab Anbar
Historic building in Damascus, Syria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maktab Anbar (Arabic: مكتب عنبر, lit. 'Anbar Office') is a house in the center of Old Damascus, Syria. The house was built as a private residence by a local Jewish notable Mr. Anbar in the mid 19th century and was later confiscated by the Ottoman government after Mr. Anbar's bankruptcy.[1]
| Maktab Anbar | |
|---|---|
مكتب عنبر | |
The female courtyard | |
 Interactive map of the Maktab Anbar area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Courtyard mansion |
| Architectural style | Ottoman Damascene |
| Completed | 1860s/1870s |
| Client | The Anbar family |
The house is built around three courtyards, first the formal reception courtyard, behind this the attractive female courtyard, and finally the spartan servants' courtyard. Due to the cost of building, the owner turned the building into the Damascus Civil Preparatory School, which was a prestigious, expensive, tuition-based school for the children of the land-owning families of Damascus.[1] According to Philip Khoury, many Syrian nationalist leaders who worked and were co-opted by the French from 1928 and independence in 1946, were graduates of Maktab Anbar.[1] The house was restored by the Ministry of Culture in 1976. It now holds a library exhibition hall, museum and craft workshops.[2]
Gallery
Maktab Anbar
The reception courtyard
The servants' courtyard
The female courtyard
View of the gardens
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