Serai of the Ottoman Governor of Aleppo

The Dar al-Hukumah building in Aleppo, known as the Saraya, is one of the city’s significant landmarks. It consists of three floors and is officially registered among the historical and heritage buildings by order of the Ministry of Culture. The palace was built in the early 20th century on a two-hectare site as the headquarters of Aleppo’s provincial government. A grand structure situated directly south of the citadel, it blended elements of European colonial design with traditional Islamic architecture. It contained an internal olive garden that cooled the air through evaporation. Its wide, corniced gateway led to a classical colonnade, which in turn opened into Mufti’s Hall. The grand reception hall housed an imitation Ottoman chandelier, set against a backdrop of glazed brick flooring and gilded wooden friezes. In 1936, the administration moved to New Saraya, and the palace was converted as an archive before its eventual closure. During restoration in 2004, layers of European paint were stripped away, revealing golden ocher ornamentation. A museum pathway, titled The Sublime Porte in Aleppo, was created to showcase provincial seals, records from the Sharia courts, and portraits of governors in their official attire. After the government headquarters relocated in the early 20th century, the building was repurposed as a police station. The structure was destroyed in 2014 during the Syrian civil war.