Maktab Anbar

It is a model of an ancient Damascene house, closed to the outside and open to the inside. Its area is 5,000 square meters. Part of the building dates back to the early twentieth century, while the other part dates back to the Baroque period in the mid-nineteenth century. "Maktab" in Turkish means "school," while "Anbar" is the name of its owner, Youssef Anbar, who was confiscated by the Ottoman Empire in exchange for a debt owed to him. It served as the royal office until 1921.It was then converted into a secondary school (al-Tajheez) in the 1940s, then a women's arts school. In 1974, it was restored and opened as a palace for Arab culture. Since 1988, it has been the headquarters of the Old Damascus Directorate, which handles everything related to the old city within the wall.