Qasr al-Zahrawi, Homs

Qasr al-Zahrawi is a Mamluk mansion that survives in the old city of Homs, and since the 20th century it has housed the city’s folklore museum. One side of its basalt-walled courtyard is taken up by a large iwan — a vaulted hall open to the courtyard — under a half-dome shaped like a shell. On the opposite wall two lions face each other in relief. No other palace from this period is left in Homs.

Whose house it was

The foundation inscription gives the Hijri year 661, which is 1262-1263. The builder was Ali ibn Abi al-Fadl al-Azhari, an emir serving Baybars, the Mamluk sultan who ruled Egypt and Syria in those years. The two lions on the far wall were Baybars’s emblem, and carving them was how the owner put his loyalty in stone for every visitor to see. Later the building served as Dar al-Niyaba, the seat of the city’s governor. The Ottomans added rooms on the south side. The present name comes from the Zahrawi family of Homs, who lived here for a long time.

What to see in the courtyard

The iwan stands on a terrace reached by steps. Its half-dome opens in ribs like a shell, and the lower edge is lined with small niches. Around the doors and windows, black and white stone alternate course by course — the local pairing you see all over Homs. The lions face the iwan. Arabic sources also mention Byzantine tombs beneath the palace; whether visitors can see them is not clear.

Is the museum open today

The mansion became the Homs Folklore Museum in the 20th century. Abdulaziz al-Rifai ran it for 25 years, and during his time, which ended in 2006, the building was restored with its old fabric kept. Then came the war. The palace was damaged. We could not find a current, reliable source on whether the museum is open, its hours or its entry fee; ask locally before you go.

Getting there

The palace is in the Bab Tadmur quarter, on the edge of al-Hamidiyah. The Umm al-Zunnar Church is about 150 metres away, so both fit into one walk. The lanes of the old city are narrow; walking in from Hamidiyah Street is the easiest way.