The Azm Palace ( ar, بيت العظم, ''Beit al-Azem'') is an 18th-century Ottoman-era palace in
Hama
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Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
at the center of the city on the banks of the
Orontes River
The Orontes (; from Ancient Greek , ) or Asi ( ar, العاصي, , ; tr, Asi) is a river with a length of in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Turkey.
...
, about south of the Hama Citadel.
[Beatti (1996), p. 318.] Ross Burns, author of ''Monuments of Syria'' (1999), reportedly considers the Azm Palace to be "one of the loveliest Ottoman residential buildings in Syria."
[Carter, Dunston, and Thomas (2008), p. 163.] The palace has been used as a regional archaeology museum since 1956.
[Nilsson and Fugmann (2002), p. 62.]
History
The Azm Palace at Hama was built in 1742 by the
Ottoman governor,
As'ad Pasha al-Azm
As'ad Pasha al-Azem ( ar, أسعد باشا العظم, 1706 – March 1758) was the governor of Damascus under Ottoman rule from 1743 to his deposition in 1757. He was responsible for the construction of several architectural works in the city a ...
, as his residence.
[ It served the continuing line of Azm governors in Hama until the end of family rule in the 19th century.][Ragette (2003), p. 162.]
A larger palace with the same basic plan, also known as the Azm Palace
Al-Azem Palace ( ar, قصر العظم) is a palace in Damascus, Syria, built in 1749. Located north of Al-Buzuriyah Souq in the Ancient City of Damascus, the palace was built in 1749 to be the private residence for As'ad Pasha al-Azem, the gove ...
, was built in Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
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by As'ad Pasha when he became governor of that city in 1743.[Mannheim (2001), pp. 216-217.]
The palace has been used as a museum since 1956.[ Extensively damaged during the 1982 Hama uprising, the palace has since been largely restored.][
]
Architecture
Unlike al-Azm's palace in Damascus, the Azm Palace in Hama has courtyards on each of its two floors. The courtyard on the ground floor has a fountain in the middle and is decorated with trees planted to provide shade. A ''liwan
Liwan ( ar, ليوان, , from Persian ) is a long narrow-fronted hall or vaulted portal in ancient and modern Levantine homes that is often open to the outside.Abercrombie, 1910, p. 266.Davey, 1993, p. 29. An Arabic loanword to English, it is u ...
'' with three sides is located at one end, to provide seating for residents. The purpose of the courtyard on the second floor is to make use of breezes and the cool air.[''Beit Al-Azem, The Azem Palace Museum'']
at Syria Gate. Stairs lead to the upper courtyard, where there is a grand reception room; protecting the facade is an arched portico, while every surface inside the building is decorated with painted woodwork, banded stonework, and patterned marble. A large dome is built above the central area.[
The other rooms inside are also decorated with both fountains and painted panels of birds and trees.][ In addition, the rooms that open into the upper courtyard contain "popular tradition" displays, with costumed mannequins depicting everyday scenes of Syrian life. Close to the entrance area is the Azm Palace's private '' hamaam'' ("bath"). However, the ''hamaam'' seems to have been available for use by the public.][
The smaller courtyard at the lower floor served as the '']haram
''Haram'' (; ar, حَرَام, , ) is an Arabic term meaning 'Forbidden'. This may refer to either something sacred to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowle ...
lek'', or family and women's quarters. Burns says that the ''haramlek'' is particularly noteworthy.[ The palace has a single-floor guest wing on the western side, vaulted service quarters on the eastern side, and the second floor was the family residence. There is a direct entrance to the '' madafa'' and the southern ''liwan'', which also gives passage to the service wing and the Azm family tomb.][
]
Museum
Since 1956, the palace has been housing a museum[ displaying archaeological finds from sites in and around Hama, including the citadel. A noteworthy exhibit is that of a late fourth century Roman mosaic depicting female musicians playing the organ, double ]aulos
An ''aulos'' ( grc, αὐλός, plural , ''auloi'') or ''tibia'' (Latin) was an ancient Greek wind instrument, depicted often in art and also attested by archaeology.
Though ''aulos'' is often translated as "flute" or "double flute", it was usu ...
, forked and regular palm-held cymbals
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
, kithara (a type of lyre
The lyre () is a stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it is a lute in which the strings are attached to a yoke ...
), and an ''oxyvaphi'' (here consisting of eight yellow-coloured metal bowls played with two sticks).
Gallery
File:Al Azam Palace, in Hama, Syria10.JPG, Grand reception room
File:Al Azam Palace, Hama, fountain.jpg, Lower courtyard of the palace, leading up to the upper courtyard
File:Al Azam Palace, in Hama, Syria.8.JPG, Mannequin display depicting traditional scene
References
Bibliography
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External links
{{commons category, Al Azam Palace, Hama
Palaces in Syria
Museums in Syria
Houses completed in 1742
Buildings and structures in Hama
1742 establishments in the Ottoman Empire