Abdelkader Palace hosts a centre for sustainable development

With the support of the European Union, the Syrian government was able to renovate the historical Palace of Abdlekader in Damascus in the framework of sustainable development: a major achievement.

Samar Ezmechli - Damascus, Eurojar

Transforming Abdelkader Palace, the 19th century residence of the chief of Algerian revolution, restoring it and establishing within it a Regional Centre for Sustainable Local Development was not an easy task in Damascus, where old Damascene residencies tend lately to be metamorphosed into restaurants and hotels. For the first time, one of Syria’s historic and touristic sites is supported for cultural and human purposes.

It all started in 2005, when local authorities were looking for the appropriate building to host the Regional Centre of Sustainable Local Development. Emir Abdlekader’s house, in the Barada valley, a few kilometers away from Damascus and not far from Beirut Street was chosen for this purpose. It is a two-story building of 1832 m², surrounded by a park spreading on some 10,000 m² of land.

The management of the Palace was relegated to the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment. Restoration activities were part of the Municipal Administration Modernization programme (MAM), supervised and funded by the European Union. The Palace has been transformed into a regional centre to reinforce dialogue and communication between Syrian and European cities. One of the halls inside the palace was converted into a “Memory Room”, displaying personal belongings of the Emir, books relating his history in several languages, as well as documents and biographic photos. The palace’s spacious park was transformed into an ecologic garden, constituting the example of an “ecologic city” to local administrations.

A symbol of international culture
The Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Hilal Atrach, declared last year, during the opening ceremony of the palace:”We worked on restoring the palace and maintaining in it the spirit of the 19th century, to make it a symbol of Arabism, humanism, and international culture.” He noted that this heritage is meant to open up to neighboring Arab cities to encourage cultural and scientific exchanges. The total cost of restoration reached 1.5 million Euros. The prince’s grand-daughter, Hind Husseini Al-Jazairi, who lived for years in the palace, was very keen to live again her childhood memories in the room where she was born:”The palace was composed of 20 rooms with a park full of roses and rare trees in close proximity to Yazid and Barada rivers.”

MAM project in Syria aims at improving the quality and effectiveness of local governance in many areas, at implementing strategies of urban development and at insuring cooperation with the federations of European cities. Focusing on social projects, the programme aims as well at fighting poverty and enhancing the conditions of local societies.

The palace’s restoration project, executed on a period of three years with the help of European experts, aims at implementing an institutional development of the country’s cities and municipalities in an effort to put forward the importance of the Syrian heritage.

With a mixture of Ottoman and German architecture, the palace benefits from great historical importance. Arab kings and princes used to meet there. Poems of famous Ahmed Chaouki were read in a memorable evening organized in the palace. In 1871, Prince Abdel Kader moved in to live with his family. He died in the palace, and his children and grandchildren lived there after him. The last prince who lived in the palace was prince Said al Jazairi, prime minister at the time of king Faysal, in the aftermath of the First World War. The family remained in the palace until the year 1948, with the outbreak of the war in Palestine. The palace was then deserted until the Mohafazat of Damascus acquired it in the year 1991.

Expert of municipal development, Peter Ross explained that the palace is hosting a number of private Syrian and European cultural and musical activities to ensure its self-financing. The palace is open to the public to enjoy the magnificence of the newly-renovated historical site.

Refer to the project fact sheet: Municipal Administration Modernisation (MAM) (Syria)