Al-Amara
Encyclopedia
Al-Amara is a prominent neighborhood in the old city of Damascus
located a few meters away from The Grand Mosque of Damascus.
prides itself on being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The history of Damascus goes back well into 8000 BC. In every corner of its ancient alleys there's a taste of every historical era there was to be found. Amara District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.
It’s name derives from the Arabic word “Amara” which means building, denoting its routes which date back to the founding of Damascus. The Great Mosque of Damascus with its stunning minarets
can be spotted almost form every house in the district and the souks
of the old city can be reached within minutes.
from any of the entrances from the modern city, you dive into a maze of alleys, a labyrinth of small streets with arches
, with shops, with mosques and churches, with arches and remnants of the old defensive wall
, with restaurants hidden behind small doors. From every corner, the age of the houses dawns on you. It is actually quite easy to imagine that life might not even have been very different here many centuries ago.
Sometimes alleys are so tight that you can just walk inside without touching the walls. Some alleys are covered by vines, giving them a distinctly village-like appearance. Despite all the winding little streets, the many side streets and small squares, it is somehow impossible to get lost there - sooner or later you find yourself near one of the landmarks. Stepping back into modern-day Damascus with its traffic is like stepping forward into history.
"farms and gardens that were surrounding Damascus" and overlooking the mountains
.
Those houses look solid and sealed off from the outside, but inside all rooms look on spacious open courtyards with trees planted here and there and a water basin in the center. The rooms are large and comfortable. More often there is a second floor over the ground floor, having windows that open to the marrow streets. A quite family life is enjoyed here amidst lovely ornaments created of gypsum, the hard earth, wood or marble made even more beautiful by inscriptions of Islamic calligraphy or a symphony of color and craved wood which decorate the walls and ceilings. On the walls there are shelves where books or utensils, pots and cups are stored in a manner meant to be decorative.
which contains the grave of Sukayna, the infant daughter of Husayn ibn ‘Alī
. The site was built around the mausolem in 1985 and exhibits the modern style of Iranian architecture
, with a tremendous amount of mirror and gold work. There is a small mosque area adjoining the shrine room, along with a small courtyard in front.
in 1277, the establishment was recognized as the National Library of Greater Syria for centuries. The decorations, carvings, and writing on the building walls, in addition to the gate which bears geometric designs and patterns, make the library one of the most important historical sites in Damascus.
The library was nationally recognized by the Syrian state in 1880, and in 1949 a legal deposit law decreed that two copies of every work published in Syria be deposited in al-Zahiriyah National Library. Later in July 1983, Al-Assad Library
replaced Al-Zahiriyah Library as the national library of Syria.
The neighborhood has been for centuries home to numerous great personalities and saw the birth, rise and fall of multiple opinion leaders in the region.
Among people who have lived in it are Prince Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri, Izzat Husrieh
, Sheikh Ramadan Deeb, and Kamar Keilani.
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
located a few meters away from The Grand Mosque of Damascus.
History
DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
prides itself on being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The history of Damascus goes back well into 8000 BC. In every corner of its ancient alleys there's a taste of every historical era there was to be found. Amara District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.
Minarets
Minarets may refer to:*Minarets, an architectural feature of Islamic mosques*Minarets, California, a former town in California*Minarets , mountain peaks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California*Minarets , a song by Dave Matthews...
can be spotted almost form every house in the district and the souks
Souk
A souq is a commercial quarter in an Arab, Berber, and increasingly European city. The term is often used to designate the market in any Arabized or Muslim city, but in modern times it appears in Western cities too...
of the old city can be reached within minutes.
Description
As soon as you dive into the old townDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
from any of the entrances from the modern city, you dive into a maze of alleys, a labyrinth of small streets with arches
Arches
-Places:* Arches National Park in the U.S. state of Utah* Arches, Cantal, a commune of the Cantal département, in France* Arches, Vosges, a commune of the Vosges département, in France-Other:* Arches of the foot...
, with shops, with mosques and churches, with arches and remnants of the old defensive wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
, with restaurants hidden behind small doors. From every corner, the age of the houses dawns on you. It is actually quite easy to imagine that life might not even have been very different here many centuries ago.
Sometimes alleys are so tight that you can just walk inside without touching the walls. Some alleys are covered by vines, giving them a distinctly village-like appearance. Despite all the winding little streets, the many side streets and small squares, it is somehow impossible to get lost there - sooner or later you find yourself near one of the landmarks. Stepping back into modern-day Damascus with its traffic is like stepping forward into history.
Damascene Houses
As you stroll though the enchanting neighborhood only simple wooden doors separate you from numerous houses that resemble Arabian palaces with their fabulous facades and roomy entrances. What distinguish these houses from others is more than one thing, the paintings which decorate the walls of these houses are the first thing which make them museums or galleries. Damascene houses in Amara District which are typical of oriental architecture mirrors the social requirements, copes with Islamic traditions, and releases on the raw materials that are found in the GhoutaGhouta
Ghouta , is a collection of farms in Rif Dimashq close to the eastern part of Damascus, Syria.The Damascus Ghouta is a green agricultural belt surrounding the city of Damascus in the South and East. Separating the city from the Syrian Steppe, it has provided its inhabitants with a variety of...
"farms and gardens that were surrounding Damascus" and overlooking the mountains
Mount Qasioun
Mount Qasioun is a mountain overlooking the city of Damascus, Syria. It has a range of restaurants, from which the whole city can be viewed. As the city expanded over the years, some districts have been established on the foot of the mountain...
.
Those houses look solid and sealed off from the outside, but inside all rooms look on spacious open courtyards with trees planted here and there and a water basin in the center. The rooms are large and comfortable. More often there is a second floor over the ground floor, having windows that open to the marrow streets. A quite family life is enjoyed here amidst lovely ornaments created of gypsum, the hard earth, wood or marble made even more beautiful by inscriptions of Islamic calligraphy or a symphony of color and craved wood which decorate the walls and ceilings. On the walls there are shelves where books or utensils, pots and cups are stored in a manner meant to be decorative.
Family Life
The inhabitants used to be three generation family, their neighbors where most often kinsmen and friends, the alleys are separated by larger gates which open to markets, mosques, bath houses or fountains and schools. In some cases, the second floor of one house protruded over part of the street, and these come so close together that the alley might look like a tunnel.Sayyidah Ruqayya Shrine
Located nearby is Sayyidah Ruqayya ShrineSayyidah Ruqayya Mosque
Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque is a shrine located in Damascus, Syria, that contains the grave of Sukayna , the infant daughter of Husayn ibn ‘Alī....
which contains the grave of Sukayna, the infant daughter of Husayn ibn ‘Alī
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
. The site was built around the mausolem in 1985 and exhibits the modern style of Iranian architecture
Iranian architecture
Iranian architecture or Persian architecture is the architecture of Iran . It has a continuous history from at least 5000 BCE to the present, with characteristic examples distributed over a vast area from Turkey to North India and the borders of China and from the Caucasus to Zanzibar...
, with a tremendous amount of mirror and gold work. There is a small mosque area adjoining the shrine room, along with a small courtyard in front.
Al-Zahiriyah Library
Built by Sultan BaibarsBaibars
Baibars or Baybars , nicknamed Abu l-Futuh , was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked...
in 1277, the establishment was recognized as the National Library of Greater Syria for centuries. The decorations, carvings, and writing on the building walls, in addition to the gate which bears geometric designs and patterns, make the library one of the most important historical sites in Damascus.
The library was nationally recognized by the Syrian state in 1880, and in 1949 a legal deposit law decreed that two copies of every work published in Syria be deposited in al-Zahiriyah National Library. Later in July 1983, Al-Assad Library
Al-Assad National Library
Al-Assad Library is the national library of Syria. It was established in Damascus in 1984 'to gather all books and daily issues in addition to all kinds of literature connected with our "ancestral cultural legacy", then to sort out these materials to serve researchers and scholars and benefit...
replaced Al-Zahiriyah Library as the national library of Syria.
The People of The District
Among people who have lived in it are Prince Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri, Izzat Husrieh
Izzat Husrieh
Izzat Husrieh was a renowned Syrian journalist, author, publisher and researcher. He contributed several books to the Arab library and his famous newspaper Al-Alam continued to form public opinion in Syria for two decades....
, Sheikh Ramadan Deeb, and Kamar Keilani.