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 | Damascus Souk El-Hamidiyeh Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 18 |  |
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Light twinkles like stars through the bullet holes in the iron roof of the Hamidiyeh Souq, and the lamps lining the wide passage give the whole place a glow. Below is a seething, heaving mass of people - local women shopping for everyday items, girls pointing at elaborate wedding dresses, carpet and curio salesman trying to lure tourists in to their shops, men with stuffed hawks sitting on their wrist, boys selling the flourescent-lit tubes and other knick-knacks you see all over the world, families heading for the icecream parlours. Druze women in their delicate white muslin veils, old men in traditional dishdashas and checked keffiyehs, young girls in jeans and their mothers in hijab. On and on it goes, until finally you come out into the sunshine of the newly smartened-up square in front of the Omayyed Mosque. Come back again after 6 and all is shuttered and closed. A few last people are drifting around but that is all. Now is the time to see just how big the souq is before you too take yourself off to your evening pursuits. Before it closes for the day, stop at the icecream parlour (the second one down) for a mastic icecream covered in chopped pistachios. I'm not all that fond of it, MrL loves it - you need to try it though, it's a favourite Damascus treat. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Souk El-Hamidiyeh: Souks of Damascus | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
Since ancient times, Damascus has been known as a commercial centre due to its strategic position at the end of the southern caravan routes traversing through Arabia and Africa. As a result, it developed a large market (called "souk") which has become the focus of daily Damascene life. The souk is in fact divided into several adjacent souks, each sometimes specialising in a different product (silk, spices, etc.), though over time, this feature became less pronounced. The most famous is called Souk Al-Hamidiyya, which runs just south of the Citadel from the western city wall to the Roman Propylaea and the Omayyad Mosque. Others include Souk al-Bzouriya (spices, nuts), Souk al-Harir (silk), Souk Midhat Pacha, and Souk al-Attarin (perfumes). These souks tend to be covered to shelter shoppers from summer heat. When visiting Damascus, you must allow yourself at least a day to wander through the souks and discover intriguing merchandise. The friendly shopkeepers are usually delighted to offer you tea. For more photos, click on the travelogue: Souks of Damascus.
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