Al-Salimiyah Madrasa
Encyclopedia
Al-Salimiyah Madrasa is a madrasah
in Damascus
, Syria
. The madrasa was built as a part of the Tekkiye Mosque
complex in a separate building to the southeast of the complex. It was built by Selim II
in 1566 and is composed of a single row of arcaded cells around a rectangular courtyard, aligned northeast-southwest, with a large domed classroom at the center of the southwest wing.
The madrasa is linked to the main complex with a 85 meter long souk attached to its northeast wall, composed of two parallel rows of stores of forty-four domed shops. The souq leads at its northwest side into the Tekkiye complex and has larger gateway at its center that connects the madrasa to the street. The souq has recently been renovated and is currently used along with the madrasa as a larger market for handmade goods.
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
in Damascus
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...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The madrasa was built as a part of the Tekkiye Mosque
Tekkiye Mosque
The Tekkiye Mosque is a mosque complex in Damascus, Syria, located on the banks of the Barada River. The complex is composed of a large mosque on the southwest side of a courtyard, flanked by a single line of arcaded cells, and a soup kitchen across the courtyard to the northwest, flanked by...
complex in a separate building to the southeast of the complex. It was built by Selim II
Selim II
Selim II Sarkhosh Hashoink , also known as "Selim the Sot " or "Selim the Drunkard"; and as "Sarı Selim" or "Selim the Blond", was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1566 until his death in 1574.-Early years:He was born in Constantinople a son of Suleiman the...
in 1566 and is composed of a single row of arcaded cells around a rectangular courtyard, aligned northeast-southwest, with a large domed classroom at the center of the southwest wing.
Architecture
The main door on the northeast side opens into a three-bay portico before the courtyard. A shallow rectangular pool occupies the center of the courtyard surrounded by twenty-two small chambers with individual chimneys. The arcade, which is composed of domed cells carried on thick stone columns, wraps around the two sides of the courtyard but not the porticoes of the entry hall and the classroom. The square domed classroom projects southwest beyond the peripheral wall of the madrasa cells and is preceded by a three-bay portico. Inside, it is decorated with alternating geometric patterns and niches, thus acting as both a prayer space and a library for the students of the madrasa.The madrasa is linked to the main complex with a 85 meter long souk attached to its northeast wall, composed of two parallel rows of stores of forty-four domed shops. The souq leads at its northwest side into the Tekkiye complex and has larger gateway at its center that connects the madrasa to the street. The souq has recently been renovated and is currently used along with the madrasa as a larger market for handmade goods.