The building that houses the Syrian Ministry of the Interior was constructed as a new palace for the Ottoman government in 1900-1901/1317 AH. It is located to the west of Marja Square in what had been a public garden before its construction. The building occupies a rectangular footprint approximately 75 meters long and 30 meters wide. The building has three stories and opens onto the boulevard to its north. A memorial column commemorates the building's foundation under the Ottoman governor Husayn Nazim Pasha. The building became the became the seat of the prime minister in 1946 before becoming the headquarteres of the Syrian Ministry of Interior.
Weber, Stefan. Damascus: Ottoman Modernity and Urban Transformation (1808-1918), Vol. 2, p. 268 (cat. 419). 2 Vols. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 2009.
