A grand 19th-century courtyard house in the centre of the Old City, built by the wealthy merchant Yusuf Effendi al-Anbari and used in the late Ottoman period as a school (maktab) for boys. The building is one of the largest surviving Damascene houses, with three interconnected courtyards, painted wooden ceilings, marble fountains and stained-glass windows.
Today the house is maintained as a heritage centre with exhibitions on Damascene art and crafts. The painted reception rooms are the highlight — every surface is decorated with floral and geometric motifs in red, blue and gold. Reached down narrow alleys; ask at any cafe for directions.