Khan Asad Pasha

Khan As'ad Pasha was documented as part of Project Anqa, a collaboration between the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), CyArk and Carleton University, funded by the Arcadia Foundation in the UK. The project began in 2015 in response to the catastrophic loss of heritage in the Middle East and aimed to protect monuments by providing training on digital preservation techniques for local heritage professionals in the region. CyArk provided several training and workshops in Lebanon to Syrian heritage professionals in 2016 and 2017 in partnership with the UNESCO Office for the Preservation of Syrian Cultural Heritage. Khan As'ad Pasha in Damascus was documented by the trained members of the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums using photogrammetry and LiDAR. Constructed at a major point of economic activity of the Ottoman Empire's rule in Damascus, governor As'ad Pasha al-Azem oversaw the project which was completed in 1752 and served as a guesthouse, commerce center, and storage facility for merchants traveling through the city. The structure follows the typical layout of a khan or caravanserai and was situated in the heart of the historic trading center along the Suq al-Buzuriyyah. The first floor consists of a courtyard populated with shops and was dedicated to commerce and storage while people mainly used the second floor for lodging. By the twentieth century the Khan As'ad Pasha no longer functioned as a haven for traveling merchants and in 1980, the Department of Museums and Antiquities used it as a manufacture and storage space. Restoration continues on the khan including restoring the domes which had been damaged in an earthquake, reinforcing the supporting piers, and restoring interior finishes and decor. External Project Link: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/HgISe2K5YFf0IQ Additional Info Link: https://cyark.org/projects/khan-as-ad-pasha