Examining and Conserving Painted Interiors in Historic Syrian Houses

In this seminar Anke Scharrahs discusses 17th century, lavish decorative schemes adorned the interiors of the houses of merchants & notables.

From the 17th century, lavish decorative schemes adorned the interiors of the houses of merchants and notables in Damascus, Hama, and Aleppo. In this seminar, Anke Scharrahs discusses her findings from her investigations of the ‘al-ajami’ technique (pastiglia) and other decorative features she has discovered on wooden panelling in rooms in houses still in-situ in Syria and others translocated to museums in other parts of the world including Berlin, Dresden, Cairo, New York, Toronto, Doha, Honolulu, Cincinnati etc.

Anke Scharrahs is a freelance conservator specializing in polychrome wooden interiors from 17th to 19th century Syria. She holds a diploma as well as a Ph.D. from the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden.. For 25 years she has been engaged in research and conservation of Syrian interior decoration both in Damascus and in private and public collections around the world. Her most recent projects were the conservation and installation of the Damascus Room at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha/Qatar and the conservation of the Aleppo Room at the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin. The latter is the oldest surviving Syrian wooden interior (made between 1600 and 1603) and the most spectacular one, on account of not only the complex and elaborate painting technique but also the outstanding painted motifs. Anke has lectured and published widely on various aspects of this subject including the book ‘Damascene ‘ajami Rooms’: Forgotten Jewels of Interior Design (Archetype Publications, London, 2013) and the book co-authored with Filiz Çakir Phillip Syrian Living: Medieval to Modern (Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, 2022).