Al-Hamidiyah Souq & the Markets of Damascus — a Visitor Guide

Al-Hamidiyah is not a tourist souk dressed up for visitors — it's a working market where Damascenes actually shop, and that's exactly what makes it worth your time. Here's what to see, what to buy and when to go.

The perforated roof

Its most famous feature is the great arched metal roof pierced with hundreds of holes that drop threads of light onto the market floor. The holes aren't decoration — they're bullet marks from the French Mandate era, and they've become the soul of the place. Best seen in the afternoon, when the sun is low and the shafts of light are sharpest.

What to buy

• Fabrics and silk — the souk's core trade.
• Damascene brocade — cloth woven with gold thread, an old Damascus craft.
• Spices — in the branching souks nearby.
• Sweets — sugared almonds, maamoul and jibn (cheese) sweets.
• Laurel (Aleppo) soap, copperware and inlaid woodwork in the artisans' lanes.
• Ice cream — a century-old Arabic ice-cream shop (Bakdash) pounds its stretchy ice cream by hand and rolls it in pistachio. There's always a queue.

The branching souks

Al-Hamidiyah is the head of a web of markets — Souq Midhat Pasha (part of the ancient Straight Street), the Al-Buzuriyah spice souk, and the tailors' and goldsmiths' souks, each with its own specialty.

Bargaining

Expected and accepted in most shops, especially for antiques and fabrics — prices are fixed for sweets and food. Ask at more than one shop before you buy; differences can be large.

When to go

• Late afternoon and evening — the souk comes alive; many shops are still shut in the morning.
• Avoid Friday morning, when much is closed.
• The crowds are part of the experience; go early for calm, but you'll see only half the souk.

What's around it

The Umayyad Mosque is right at its end, and Azm Palace and Khan Asaad Pasha are a few minutes away — all in one visit.

We'll get you there

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Read more: the Umayyad Mosque · Azm Palace · Damascus Old City tour · Damascus travel guide

In Arabic: سوق الحميدية

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