Projects related to Syrian Interiors
04 – 11/2024 Deinstallation, move and reinstallation of the Aleppo Room, dated 1600-1603, Museum of Islamic Art Berlin, Staatliche Museen Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
10/2021 – 03/2024 Conservation and restoration of the Aleppo Room, dated 1600-1603, Museum of Islamic Art Berlin, Staatliche Museen Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
06/2023 Consultancy for the examination of the Damascus Room at the Cincinnati Art Museum
04 – 05/2022 Professional assistance with the installation of the Damascus Room, dated 1232/1816-17, Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar Museums, Doha, in collaboration with Marie Harmsen and Haya al-Ansari, GWC, Specialties Qatar, Wilmotte & Associés Architectes
05/2021 – 11/2021 Conservation of the Damascus Room, dated 1232/1816-17, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar Museums, in collaboration with Marie Harmsen and Haya al-Ansari
2020 Conservation and restoration of the Aleppo Room, dated 1600-1603, Museum of Islamic Art Berlin, Staatliche Museen Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz, supported by Alwaleed Philanthropies
02/2020 Consultancy for the examination of the Persian Card Room, an interior consisting of pieces of various Damascene wood paneling, among them pieces dated 1112/1700-01, at the Graylyn Estate, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
06/2018 – 10/2019 Conservation of the Damascus Room, dated 1232/1816-17, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar Museums, in collaboration with Marie Harmsen, Danah Weßling and Lea Zumholz
2016 – 2018 Conservation of the Aleppo Room, dated 1600-1603, Museum für Islamische Kunst Berlin, Staatliche Museen - Preußischer Kulturbesitz, in collaboration with Evelyn Gärtner and Karoline Friedrich
2014 – 2018 Head of the research and conservation project: The Dresden Damascus Room: History and presence of an interior between Orient and Occident, supported by the Museum and Research Foundation and the Gerda Henkel Foundation, Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden, Staatliche Ethnographische Sammlungen Sachsen, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
05/2017 Consultancy at the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar Museums, examination of the Damascus Room, dated 1232/1816-17
02/2017 Research stay at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, examination of the Damascene panels made late 17th century
05/2016 Research stay at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, examination of the Damascus Room panels dated 1214/1799-1800
09/2015 Research stay in Cairo, examination of the Damascene panels in the Gayer-Anderson-Museum and in the Manial Palace
11/2014 Research stay at the Victoria and Albert Museum London, examination of the pieces of the Damascus Room, dated 1204/1789-90
09/2014 Research trip to study the „Oriental Lounge“ at Bojnice Castle, National Museum of Slovakia (in 1907 parts of a Damascene interior, dated 1228/1813-14, were used as wall decoration in the office of count Jan Palffy)
06/2014 – 09/2015 Consultancy and practical conservation treatment in the conservation project of the Damascus Room, dated 1180/1766-67, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
02/2014 Scholar-in-residence at Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Shangri La, Honolulu, Hawai’i: examination of the decorative elements in the Syrian Room
09/2013 Research stay at Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Honolulu, Hawai’i: Studies on the Damascus Room
06/2012 – 04/2013 Consultancy with focus on Damascene Architecture within the exhibition project “Refaiya 1953. Book culture in Damascus” in collaboration with the Bibliotheca Albertina, Leipzig, and Prof. Dr. Verena Klemm, professor for Near Eastern History and Culture, University of Leipzig, Germany
2011 – 2012 Conservation of a polychrome wooden ceiling at Ajami house, Damascus, contracted by Lina and Amr Ajami, in collaboration with Shadi Khalil, Damascus
03/2011 Research trip to study the Damascus Room, dated 1217/1802-03, at the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
2010 – 2012 Project management and oversight of 20 employees during the conservation treatment of three ajami- and ablaq interiors (polychrome wood, stone, paste-work and stone mosaic) in the Nizam and Sibai houses, dating to 1760, 1800, and 1835. Conservation project organised by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Damascus, Syria
04 – 10/2010 Conservation of four painted canvas ceilings in the Abdelnour House (19th century), Damascus, in collaboration with Shadi Khalil, contracted by Iyad Betinjaneh, Damascus
03/2010 Examination and development of a conservation concept for eight ajami rooms (18th and early 19th century) in the Salim al-Quwatli House, Damascus, in collaboration with Shadi Khalil
02/2010 Training course: Examination and documentation of ajami rooms in Damascene private homes, for participants of the Directorate of the Old City Damascus, contracted by the German government development- organisation (DED)
09 – 11/2009 Examination and damage assessment of 16 ajami rooms in the Nizam and Sibai Houses, 18th and early-19th century polychrome wooden interiors. Conservation project of three historic residences in the Old City of Damascus (UNESCO World Heritage) organised by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Damascus, Syria
10/2009 Examination of three highly-decorated 18th-century ajami interiors in the governor’s palace (Qasr al-Azm), Hama, Syria, contracted by the German Archaeological Institute Damascus
2008 – 2009 Research on provenance and historic decoration techniques of the “Damascus Room” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: the earliest preserved Damascene polychrome wooden interior, dated 1119/1707-08, previously known as the „Nur al-Din Room“
2005 – 2006 Condition mapping and conservation treatment of the “Aleppo Room”, the earliest preserved Syrian polychrome wooden interior, dated 1600-03, at the Museum for Islamic Art Berlin, Staatliche Museen - Preußischer Kulturbesitz, in collaboration with Karoline Friedrich, Birgit Müller, Esther Dittmer and Kathrin König
2003 Examination of materials and techniques, condition assessment, development of a concept for conservation, condition mapping and conservation treatment of the “Aleppo Room”, the earliest preserved Syrian polychrome wooden interior, dated 1600-03, at the Museum for Islamic Art Berlin, Staatliche Museen - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
2002 – 2004 Examination and preliminary conservation steps for the „Arabicum“, an 18th-century Damascene wooden interior at the Villa Gutmann, Potsdam
2002 Conservation of a tile tableau of 14th and 15th-century Damascene tiles assembled in a polychrome wooden frame, Syria, mid-19th century; at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Dresden, Pillnitz Castle
1997 – 2014 Examination and conservation of the Dresden Damascus Room, dated 1225/1810-11 Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden, Staatliche Ethnographische Sammlungen Sachsen, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden