Queen Victoria's prestige extended far beyond the British Isles and the Empire's dependencies. Though late Ottoman Damascus was by no means a real British protectorate -not even in the illustrious age of Palmerston-, the Empress of India would graciously bestow its venerable name on several landmarks in the ancient Syrian metropolis.
Victoria's Hospital, the only surviving monument -originally named after the queen and subsequently re-baptized as al-Zahrawi's- was inaugurated in 1896. Its namesake Bridge is long gone, though the appellation has withstood the test of time in the new bridge and its immediate neighborhood. The three Victoria's hotels were the least fortunate of the entire lot, the last one bit the dust by the middle of the twentieth century.
First we have Hotel Victoria at the Marja Square. It was constructed 1880-1883 by Pietro Paullicevich (also known as Paulikewitsch), a Dalmatian. After the construction of Grand Hotel Victoria, the name of the Marja's Victoria was changed to Hotel Amerika. It was destroyed in the 1920's by fire and a new facility, known as Hotel Omayya (later Omar al-Khayyam) was erected on the same location in 1927.
Grand Hotel Victoria was erected at the Victoria Bridge (named after the hotel) on the left bank of River Barada somewhere between 1895 and 1899 (depending on the source) by the same above-mentioned Pietro Paullicevich. According to the 1900 edition of the Guide Baedeker, this hotel was, along with the adjacent Hotel Dimitri in the north, included in Hotel al-Basrawi. The name Grand Hotel Victoria was therefore a later label (it would eventually be designated as Hotel Qasr al-Rashid). The upper stories of the building were destroyed in the 1940's and the rest demolished in 1952, apart from a row of shops in the first floor extending eastward beyond the original building towards Fadl Allah al-Basrawi's Mosque. The place is currently occupied by al-Hayek's commercial building.
Last -perhaps least- we have the Little Hotel Victoria, known for the most part through historical photography. It was located west of and opposite to Grand Hotel Victoria, on the other side of King Fouad I Street (modern Port Said Street).
Victoria's Hospital, the only surviving monument -originally named after the queen and subsequently re-baptized as al-Zahrawi's- was inaugurated in 1896. Its namesake Bridge is long gone, though the appellation has withstood the test of time in the new bridge and its immediate neighborhood. The three Victoria's hotels were the least fortunate of the entire lot, the last one bit the dust by the middle of the twentieth century.
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| Hotel Victoria at the Marja Square circa 1885. Photo credit: Fine Arts Library, HCL |
First we have Hotel Victoria at the Marja Square. It was constructed 1880-1883 by Pietro Paullicevich (also known as Paulikewitsch), a Dalmatian. After the construction of Grand Hotel Victoria, the name of the Marja's Victoria was changed to Hotel Amerika. It was destroyed in the 1920's by fire and a new facility, known as Hotel Omayya (later Omar al-Khayyam) was erected on the same location in 1927.
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| Grand Hotel Victoria about 1910. Photo credit: W.-D. Lemke |
Grand Hotel Victoria was erected at the Victoria Bridge (named after the hotel) on the left bank of River Barada somewhere between 1895 and 1899 (depending on the source) by the same above-mentioned Pietro Paullicevich. According to the 1900 edition of the Guide Baedeker, this hotel was, along with the adjacent Hotel Dimitri in the north, included in Hotel al-Basrawi. The name Grand Hotel Victoria was therefore a later label (it would eventually be designated as Hotel Qasr al-Rashid). The upper stories of the building were destroyed in the 1940's and the rest demolished in 1952, apart from a row of shops in the first floor extending eastward beyond the original building towards Fadl Allah al-Basrawi's Mosque. The place is currently occupied by al-Hayek's commercial building.
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| Little Hotel Victoria. Reference: Qutaiba al-Shihabi |
Last -perhaps least- we have the Little Hotel Victoria, known for the most part through historical photography. It was located west of and opposite to Grand Hotel Victoria, on the other side of King Fouad I Street (modern Port Said Street).
Damascus
Ottoman Modernity and Urban Transformation
1808-1918
Stefan Weber
Proceedings of the Danish Institute in Damascus V 2009
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ReplyDeleteAre there also photos of the rooms, reception halls, etc. of the hotels?
ReplyDeleteThe reception hall, yes. I've seen at least one. The rooms no as far as I know,
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