Beit Junblatt

Beit Junblatt (Arabic: بيت جنبلاط‎) is a historic mansion in Aleppo, Syria, built in the 16th century by a Kurdish emir of the Jumblatt family.

Beit Junblatt
بيت جنبلاط
Beit Junblatt
Location within Ancient City of Aleppo
Alternative namesQasr Junblatt
General information
TypePalace, Museum
Architectural styleSyrian
LocationAleppo, Syria
AddressAl-Bandarah area, al-Farafira district
Ancient Aleppo
Completed16th century
CostOne thousand Ottoman gold lira
ClientJanpolad bek ibn Qasim
Technical details
Floor count2

Background

Beit Junblatt (Arabic: بيت جنبلاط‎); originally Janpolad Palace (Arabic: قصر جان بولاد‎), is a historic mansion in Aleppo, Syria, built during the 2nd half of the 16th century by a Kurdish emir of the Jumblatt family, Jumblatt ibn Qasim.[1] In 1604–1605, it briefly served as a residence for the Ottoman wāli of Aleppo Hussein Pasha Janpolad.[2]

The mansion is located at al-Bandarah area of al-Farafira district, within the walls of the Ancient City of Aleppo.[3] According to the Aleppine historian sheikh Kamel al-Ghazzi, emir Janpolad spent 1,000 Ottoman gold lira to build the palace. Since 1766, the palace became the property of al-Kawakibi family. In 1814, it then served as the residence of the mufti of Aleppo sheikh Hasan Afandi al-Kawakibi.

Beit Junblatt is believed to have the largest iwan in Aleppo, decorated with fine qashani ceramic-tiled mosaic wall, depicting several Persian-type inscriptions.[4] Like the vast majority of Arabic traditional houses, the square-shaped courtyard of the palace has a large water fountain in the centre mainly used for wudu. It has been described as one of the most beautiful palaces built in the city.[5]

However, many associated external buildings around the palace—including a military barrack and stables—were said to have been ruined during the 1960s. It was subsequently restored by the Kuwait-Syria-Arab Fund to serve as a cultural centre and library.[6]

War damage

Beit Junblatt (Dar Janpolad) suffered material damage from fighting and looting during the Syrian civil war of 2012-16.[7][8] Numerous tiles were removed from the building's iwan allegedly to be shown as samples to international antiquities dealers.[9][10] Similar tiles were sold at a Western auction house in 2015.[11][2]

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References
  1. Kurds in Lebanon
  2. Burns, Ross (2017). Aleppo: A History. New York: Routledge. pp. 229–231.
  3. Mansel, Philip (2016). Aleppo: The Rise and Fall of Syria's Great Merchant City. I.B.Tauris. p. 128.
  4. "موقع حلب - "قصر جنبلاط".. وأكبر إيوان في "حلب" Qasr Junblatt has the largest iwan in Aleppo". www.esyria.sy. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  5. Darke, Diana (2006). Syria. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 9781841621623.
  6. Burns, Ross (2009-06-30). Monuments of Syria: A Guide. I.B.Tauris. p. 54.
  7. "In Photos: Damages of Dar Janpolad_Beit Junblatt in old Aleppo المديرية العامة للآثار والمتاحف". www.dgam.gov.sy. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  8. Ross Burns (17 May 2017). "Monuments and sites reported damaged in the Syrian conflict since 2011".
  9. Shabi, Rachel (2015-07-03). "Looted in Syria – and sold in London: the British antiques shops dealing in artefacts smuggled by Isis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  10. "Robert Fisk: Syria's ancient treasures pulverised". The Independent. 2012-08-05. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  11. "Four 'dome of the rock' tiles | Olympia Auctions". www.olympiaauctions.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  • Beit Junblatt Iwan (2001)
  • Beit Junblatt (2001)
  • Beit Junblatt (2001)
  • Beit Junblatt (2001)
  • Beit Junblatt (2001)
  • Beit Junblatt (2018) missing decorative elements
  • Beit Junblatt Iwan (2018) Aleppo


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