Layout plan

[Picture source: © 1984 Jean-Claude David]

The madrasa building is situated in the south side of the central suq axis in the so-called ‘m’dine’, Aleppo’s central market district. (fig. 4) Its entrance is located on the eastern side of the small alley perpendicular to the main suq-thoroughfare. An outer entrance leads into a small open space, the first courtyard. (fig. 5) A number of stairs lead on its eastern side to the entrance of the madrasa proper. (fig. 6) The mausoleum is on the southern end of the first courtyard that is filled with a number of graves. The mausoleum, a domed square room, houses the tomb of the founder’s father, Taha b. Mustafa, ‘known as Taha Zadeh’, who died in 1137/1724-25. (fig. 7) Windows open towards the small alley from the small courtyard and the mausoleum. Ghazzi mentions that the mausoleum was constructed before the other parts of the madrasa.[1]

The main parts of the madrasa are situated around the second courtyard, rectangular with a riwaq on each side and a dodecagonal fountain in its center. (fig. 8) On the southern side, in the direction of the qibla is the domed payer room (qibliyya), (fig. 9) (fig. 10) square and rather small, with a mihrab decorated with a muqarnas half dome. (fig. 11) (fig. 12) The prayer room opens towards the courtyard and the room to the west, where the famous library of the madrasa was located. On the eastern side of the qibliyya, we find a small room probably used for teaching and/or administrative purposes. Four rooms on the eastern side of the large courtyard and another two on the northern side were used to accommodate the madrasa’s students. On the northeastern corner of the building is a public fountain (sabil) with water reservoir (sahrij) open towards the main suq axis (fig. 13) that the founder build to supply the passersby with water. The sahrij supplies the central fountain the courtyard as well. The madrasa had access to Aleppo’s main fresh water supply (qanat Halab).[2]  

Figure 8: al-Madrasa al-Ahmadiyya, main courtyard [Picture source: © 2011 Lamya al-Jasir]

Figure 9: al-Madrasa al-Ahmadiyya, entrance to the qibliyya [Picture source: © 2008 Stefan Knost]

Figure 10: al-Madrasa al-Ahmadiyya, qibliyya, central dome [Picture source: © 2008 Stefan Knost]

Figure 11: al-Madrasa al-Ahmadiyya, mihrab [Picture source: © 2008 Stefan Knost]

Figure 12: al-Madrasa al-Ahmadiyya, detail of mihrab [Picture source: © 2008 Stefan Knost]

Figure 13: al-Madrasa al-Ahmadiyya, sabil [Picture source: © 1999 Collection Mamoun Fansa, Photos by Johannes Grimm, Michael Kloster, Jens Schwanke, Kristin Hofer (all contracted by Logiplan multimedia systems GmbH)]