One of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture in Syria, this religious complex was commissioned by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by the legendary architect Mimar Sinan, best known for the magnificent Suleiman Mosque in Istanbul. The Damascus complex features a distinctive mosque with slender minarets, a madrasa school, and a courtyard with striking "ablaq" striped stonework. Historically, it served as a vital soup kitchen and hospice for pilgrims on the Hajj route to Mecca. The adjacent Salimiyya Madrasa is another beautiful Ottoman-era religious school building, used as an artisan bazaar in recent years. Both complexes are currently undergoing much-needed renovations.
