The facade of Al-Hayr Al-Gharbi Palace is one of the most impressive features of the National Museum of Damascus. The palace originally stood 60 km southwest of the ancient city of Palmyra, in the heart of the Syrian desert. It was built by the Omayyad Caliph Hisham Ibn Abdel-Malik in 728 at the crossroads of trade routes connecting Damascus, Baghdad and Arabia. In 1939, the Palace's facade was brought to Damascus and reconstructed, stone by stone, at the entrance of the National Museum. It is one of the rare examples of Persian and Byzantine influences on early Omayyad architecture.
3 comments:
Such a nice blog with excellent photos. Very educational as well.
wow that is beautiful!
you're an awesome photographer!
mashallah
I remember this marvellous facade. I was impressed by the museum, although many of the exhibits were not on display; taken away for restoration works.
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