service areas remain, the haremlik being destroyed during the 19th century. To accommodate their growing family, the Debbanes added two levels to the palace in the Levantine neo-Classical style during renovations undertaken between 1917 and 1920. The open courtyard was vertically extended by the addition of a gallery covered by a four-sided red tile roof. The new gallery was designed in the Damascene style with ablaq (alternating) motifs running on all its sides. A tiyyara, a tower-like structure, was later added on the terrace of the second floor. Collections and exhibition spaces The Debbane Palace ground floor's stately chambers and furnishings provide a glimpse of a traditional Ottoman house. In addition to Ottoman era furniture and décor, the selamlik chambers hold a collection of Ottoman-era wood and ivory-inlaid musical instruments from Syria including ouds and buzuqs. The museum also boasts six exhibition spaces; these occupy the bedrooms built in the early 20th century. One of the rooms will host the planned virtual museum of the necropolis of the kings of Sidon; this exhibition will include high resolution photographs of the collection of royal Sidonian sarcophagi. The 16 sarcophagi were discovered in 1887 in an orchard north-east of the city near the village of Helalieh; they were moved by the Ottomans after their unearthing to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. The exhibition space includes the library of jurist and law professor François Debbane; it holds more than 2,500 works including 50 rare books. A third room exhibits the history of the Debbane family and the genealogical family tree. The tayyara houses a collection of old films and photographs of the city of Saida. Notes References Bibliography Palaces in Lebanon Museums in Lebanon