Maktab Anbar

In the Qaymariyya quarter of the old city, an ordinary wall when seen from the lane. Inside is one of the largest mansions in Damascus: built in the second half of the nineteenth century for a wealthy merchant, later taken over by the state and opened in the 1880s as the first modern secondary school in the city. A generation of Damascene intellectuals studied in these courtyards.

Getting there

North of Straight Street, through the lanes of Qaymariyya. Ten minutes from the Umayyad Mosque; the last lane is narrow and the sign is small.

How long it takes

Forty-five minutes. Three courtyards and the rooms around them; walked through without stopping it drops to twenty, and so does what you see.

What is there

Three interlocking courtyards: the reception court, the family court and the service court. Each has a pool, lemon trees and an iwan. The wooden ceilings of the rooms are painted — plant motifs, gilding, panels of landscape here and there. For anyone who wants Damascene mansion architecture in one building, this is the address after the Azm Palace.

What most people miss

Look up at the ceiling of the iwan on the north side of the main court. The layers of paint belong to different periods, and during restoration a patch was left open so the older layer underneath shows.