Some of the finest buildings in Damascus are the khans or caravanserais, appropriated to the reception of goods brought in caravans from various quarters by wholesale merchants, who supply them to the retail dealers. In the course of our ramble today we visited several of these, and were much pleased with them all, but were particularly struck with the beauty of one that was superior to every other. The architecture of this was in the finest style of the Saracen order, and might be considered as a specimen of one of the best works of that age in Damascus. It consisted of a spacious court, the entrance to which, from the street, was by a superb gateway of the pointed arch, vaulted and highly ornamented with sculpture. The court was paved throughout with broad flat stones, smoothly polished and admirably joined together; and in the centre of this stood a large fountain sending forth cooling and agreeable streams; the whole being crowned with a cluster of lofty domes. The masonry of this pile was formed of alternate layers of black and white stone, one of the peculiar features of Saracenic and Turkish taste; the ornaments were profusely rich; and the distribution of light through the domes so well managed that no corner throughout the whole of the building appeared obscure. We were so charmed with this fine specimen of the best days of Saracen architecture that we remained in it for a considerable time, and closed there our excursion for the day.
Gérard Degeorge. Damas, répertoire iconographique. L'Harmattan 2001 (plan).
Akram Ḥ. ʿUlabī. H̱iṭaṭ Dimašq 1989 (photo).
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