This building was originally intended to serve as a Mamluk palace, but was not completed in that period and later became an Ottoman khan. The khan is made up of a main entrance with large gates, faced with a grand iwan directly on the axes. It is this part of the khan with the large scale iwan and its ornamentation and inscriptions on the windows of the two rooms that flank it, that is dated to the Mamluk period.
The khan today is a commercial space that has deteriorated from its former majestic stature. Its large courtyard now serves for parking for the various shops and storage areas in the building. On the second floor, there is a banquet hall (Qahwat al-Burtuqal which means Orange Cafe) that is used for wedding ceremonies and celebrations.
Source:
Rihawi, Abdul Qader. 1979. Arabic Islamic Architecture in Syria. Damascus: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. 232.
