Windows inside the qa'a of Al-‘Azam Palace

Al-‘Azam Palace, 18th c. (Ottoman), Damascus, Syria

Félix Bonfils (photographer) 1890 

Al-ʿAzam Palace stands as a masterpiece of Damascene architecture, epitomizing the unparalleled craftsmanship of the Damascenes in that era. It elegantly showcases their exquisite skills in construction, intricate ornamentation, and the related arts at the zenith of their creative achievements. The Damascene historian Ibn Budayr al-Hallaq (active 18th c.) documented how the city’s resources were fully committed to the palace’s creation, with builders and craftsmen laboring tirelessly under Asʿad Pasha al-ʿAzm, the governor of Damascus (r. 1743–1757). Stained-glass windows from Ottoman Damascus were distinct in their technique from those made in Cairo, despite being from the same period. In Damascus, the "sandwich" technique was commonly used, in which craftsmen embedded the glass between two layers of stucco. In Cairo, the plaster technique was prevalent, in which artisans affixed the glass with a thin layer of stucco. This difference led AKDC to conclude that the windows at MIT originated from Cairo, not Damascus.

Michel Ecochard Archive, Aga Khan Documentation Center, Department of Distinctive Collections, MIT Libraries