Beit Achiqbash

Beit Achiqbash is one of a number of historic buildings found in the Al-Jdayde Christian quarter of Aleppo. It was built in 1757 CE. A Turk named Ashiqbash later bought the house after the Karaly (Qara Ali) moved to Alexandretta. Its style is said to have been greatly influenced by Baroque decorative traditions. The rooms on its eastern side were eliminated to make way for the street that now runs in front of the property. Beit Achiqbash remains the home of the Popular Traditions Museum with its collection of fine decorations of Aleppine art along with artefacts of past local lives. == Recent Developments ==

The building, like much of Aleppo's old city, suffered "severe" damage and looting caused by street fighting during Syria's civil war. A survey of Beit Achiqbash was completed in November 2017 by the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums and UNESCO to facilitate emergency consolidation of its structure. Consolidation work on the structure began in 2019. As of August 23, 2021, restoration and construction work took place in the courtyard, including sculptural work, restoration of facades using original elements such as old chasuble stones. The second phase of the restoration was completed on September 2, 2021. The main architect of the entire reconstruction is Eng. Pierre Ghassan Zarz. == Further reading ==

File:Ajikbash House037.JPG|Interior of Beit Ajikbash (2001) File:Ajikbash House038.JPG|Interior of Beit Ajikbash (2001) File:Ajikbash House039.JPG|Interior of Beit Ajikbash (2001) File:Beit Ajikbash 3.jpg|Beit Ajikbash Museum of Aleppo (2010) File:Beit ajikbash 1.jpg|Beit Ajikbash Courtyard (2010) File:Beit Ajikbash 2.jpg|Beit Ajikbash Iwan (2010) File:Beit Ajikbash Dec 2016.webm|File:Beit Ajikbash survey (2016) File:Beit Achiqbash Survey September 2017.jpg|Beit Ajikbash photograph taken during damage survey (2017) File:Beit Achijbash April 2019 02.jpg|Beit Ajikbash photograph taken during consolidation work (2019) ==See also==