Al-Azm Palace Damascus

Ottoman mansion of 1749 in Damascus's Old City — former private residence of governor As'ad Pasha al-Azm, now a museum of Syrian folk arts and traditions.

Al-Azm Palace is an Ottoman mansion built in 1749 by As'ad Pasha al-Azm as his private residence during his tenure as governor of Damascus. It stands in the Old City, north of the historic Al-Buzuriyah Souk and close to the Umayyad Mosque. The palace is a prime example of Syrian-Ottoman courtyard house architecture, featuring elaborate mosaics, painted wooden ceilings, and a central courtyard with a fountain. During the French Mandate period, it served as the French Institute's research center. Today the palace houses the Museum of Syrian Folk Arts and Traditions, and is considered one of the finest surviving private residences from the Ottoman period in the entire Middle East.