Madrasa al-Sahibiyya (Aleppo)
Aleppo, Syria

The Madrasa al-Sahibiyya is a historic mosque-madrasa complex located in Aleppo’s Islamic city immediately east of the Khan al-Wazir on a small square adjoining the large arterial street that runs north of the Great Mosque (Shari’ al-Jami’ al-Umawi). The madrasa was originally constructed in 1363-1364/765 AH under the command of Ahmad ibn Ya’qub ibn al-Sahib. Today it is also known as Jami’ al-Fistuq (The Pistachio Mosque).

The entrance to the complex consists of a large portal vaulted with muqarnas toward the west end of the north side of the building, which faces a small square. The north façade is also notable for several carved rectangular plaques with geometric designs.

Entering the complex, one emerges onto the north side of a square courtyard, the opposite end of which is occupied by an iwan. On the east side of this courtyard is the entrance to a small domed chamber with a mihrab which gives onto the larger domed prayer hall at the east end of the complex.


Sources:

Herzfeld, Ernst. “Matériaux pour un corpus inscriptionum arabicarum. Part 2: Syrie du nord. Inscriptions et monuments d’Alep, vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 340–42. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Cairo: Institut Français d’archéologie orientale, 1954-1956.

al-Homsi, Fayez. Old Aleppo, 48. Damascus: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Publishing, 1983.

al-Jāsir, Lamyā’. “Taṭawwur ‘imārat al-madāris al-athariyya fī madīnat Ḥalab,” 281-286. Masters Thesis, Univesrity of Aleppo, 1998.

Location

Suwayqa 'Ali (near al-Jami' al-Umawi Street), Aleppo, Syria

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Associated Names

Events

1364/765-66 AH

Style Periods

1250-1517

Variant Names

مدرسة الصاحبية
Original
Madrasa al-Sahibiya
Alternate transliteration

Site Types

religious
educational