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Beit Farhi (al-Mu'allim) at Damascus, Syria
The Beit Farhi is a brilliant example of the opulence and splendor of Damascene houses. At its prime, this vast space housed multiple inhabitants. Its many courtyards were decorated with fruit trees and fountains. Inside, the rooms boasted expensive furniture and painted wooden panels, some with Jewish holy inscriptions and others describing the family history in Hebrew and Aramaic.
Description
History of the Farhi House: Located in the Jewish quarter of Old Damascus, it is one of many similarly styled homes. These homes belonged to some of Damascus’s wealthiest and powerful Jewish families; in addition to the Farhi family, the Lisbona family and the Stambouli family, among many others, count as prominent residents of this neighborhood. But, this house is by far the most famous and lavish. It was inhabited by the Farhi family, a Sephardic Jewish family famous for its influence in the Ottoman empire. The house was originally commissioned by the patriarch, Raphael “El Muallim” (the Teacher) Farhi (1774-1846), an influential official in the Ottoman empire and a banker. He and his family controlled the finances of Ottoman Syria. Due to his position within the empire, the family rose to wealth and prominence. The house’s size and splendor reflect this esteemed status.
Description of the complex: Though the floorplan of the Farhi house is massive, it would have been easy to miss when entering from the street. Like many houses in Damascus and around the Islamic world, the entrance to the Farhi house was a simple door in the wall. The complex employed a dilhaz--a stranger’s corridor. Those who were not intimates or special guests of the family would enter through this narrow hallway and into its dark and dusty rooms. Such measures protected the true wealth of the family from outsiders; a sharp right-angled hallway in the building’s layout prevented anyone who entered through the dilhaz from peering into the rest of the house. Furthermore, these simple entrances provided a glaring contrast to the adjoining courtyard. One would enter in darkness and then fully experience the burst of color and scents in the next moment.
As an esteemed guest, one could continue on from the dilhaz and into the barrani (outer) courtyard. This was the largest of five courtyards in the complex and was specifically used to receive esteemed guests. It was open air and lush, containing many fruit trees, jasmine trellises, and a fountain. The bright jewel tones of the patterns on the wall and on the fountain, as well as the black and white tiles of the floor, would complement the sweet smell of the jasmine and citrusy smell of the trees. This garden environment provided a natural barrier against the summer heat. The barrani courtyard was bordered by a riwaq, a portico, on one side. This shaded hallway provided a refuge from the sun on hot days and contained one the building’s many iwans, an open room specifically for receiving guests. The iwan was enclosed on three sides and faced north, avoiding direct heat from the summer sun.
On either side of this iwan, were murabb’at rooms, multipurpose rooms which were elaborately decorated with engravings of the family’s history in Hebrew and Aramaic. Famously, the murabb’at rooms in the Farhi house are denoted as the pink and purple rooms, in reference to their respective predominant color. The other side of the barrani courtyard contained the main qa’a, or salon, a closed and more intimate room for guests. Above the qa’a was a stone cut Hebrew inscription which would have been gilded. This inscription was a physical greeting to the house’s guests. The language of the inscription, a passage from Deuteronomy in Hebrew, signifies the Jewish heritage of the Farhi family, while placing the house in the tradition of private architecture in the greater Arab world. Another salon in the house would have been used as a private synagogue by the family. This space would also contain the family Bible.
The second largest courtyard was the juwwani (inner) courtyard. This courtyard was used by the family alone--few outsiders would see it when visiting. Like the barrani courtyard, the juwwani courtyard was also open air and decorated with tile flooring, citrus trees, and a fountain. The other, smaller courtyards were used in the family’s daily lives and by its servants. The only restrictions of the space were based on the relationship to the family. Any number of the courtyards and rooms could be used on a given day, speaking to the family’s dynamic lifestyle. In addition to relationships, the weather also played a significant role in the house’s daily use. In the summer, the lower floors of the house, along with the courtyards, were used to combat the heat. In the winter, the family would use rooms on the second floor of the house, as the courtyards were entirely exposed to the elements. These rooms could be easily warmed and provided protection against the cold.
The courtyards feature the ablaq stone technique--a yellow and blue striped stone pattern running parallel along the walls. Furthermore, each room featured intricate wood and plaster carvings on the walls, some of which were gilded. These opulent designs were a testament to the wealth of the Farhi family and their high status within Ottoman Damascus.
The Farhi House Now: After the Damascus Affair of 1840, in which esteemed members of the Damascene Jewish community, including a few members of the Farhi family, were targeted after the alleged murder of a Franciscan monk (Father Thomas), the family began to lose its influence in the city. Afterwards, the house fell into disrepair. In 2004, Syrian architect Hakam Roukbti purchased the house with plans to restore and turn it into a five-star hotel. Before then, the home had been used by squatters, many of whom were refugees from Palestine. The house had also been ransacked and looted in previous years, adding to the damage. Though the hotel was expected to open in 2012, the brewing civil unrest and war prohibited its opening. While the entire neighborhood of Old Damascus is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this house remains unreachable to the average traveller and scholar. Only time will tell whether this house will return to its former glory.
