Al-Madrasa al-Siba'iya, located on al-Darwishiyyeh Street near al-Jabiyeh gate, was built in 1515 by Prince Sibai. It is composed of a peristyle prayer hall, a small courtyard, two iwans, double story chambers and a domed mausoleum. The madrasa walls are clad with materials excavated from various antique sites, affecting an ornamented façade. The opulent façade coupled with the madrasa's minaret imbue the building with a historic richness and unique quality that provoked its popular name Jam'i al-Jawam'i, or mosque of mosques.
Source:
Rihawi, Abdul Qader. 1979. Arabic Islamic Architecture in Syria. Damascus: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. 176.
