Special importance
[Picture source: © 1991 Julia Gonnella ] The Taha Zadeh family was among the notable families that played an important part in urban politics in Aleppo during the 18th century. Ahmad Efendi’s madrasa translated this importance into urban space in a sustainable way, still visible today. The Madrasa al-Ahmadiyya constitutes one of three large endowments of the 18th century that – different from the large endowments of the 16th and 17th centuries – were not established by high bureaucrats of the empire, like governors or grand-viziers. The founders of these endowments were more divers concerning their background and their motivations. This is part of a regionalization in Ottoman politics that has been described as the ‘age of ayan’.[1]
The building is certainly one of the finest examples of 18th century architecture in Aleppo. It is unusually richly decorated as well, like the ablaq decoration on the entrance to the mausoleum, (fig. 14) or the muqarnas and capitals with acanthus leaves on the mihrab. (fig. 15) It displays thus the importance and the power of its founder in Aleppo’s cultural and political life of the time. (fig. 16)
