Sulayman I Complex Restoration

Damascus, Syria

The Takiyya (monastery) was built between 1555 and 1560 by Sultan Sulayman II. The mosque of the Takiyya on the south side is made up of a square hall crowned by a huge dome, with a portico in front, and two cylinder-shaped minarets to each side. The adjoining madrasa, on the eastern side, was built in 1566 on a plan similar to the Takiyya, but on a smaller scale. The simplicity of design, combined with the variety of colors along its walls and arcades, lend this structure much harmony and elegance. Ceramic tiling adorns the lunettes of the windows and doors, and within the mosque are marble mosaics which cover the walls and mihrab.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture