covered souq, Aleppo

Some 200 meters from Bab Antakia, on the right, there is a mosque of some importance: Jame al Bahra-myah, in the Turkish style with a great dome which is being restored; note the many beautiful small carpets in the prayer hall.

The thickness of the structure ensures an even temperature all the year round; cool in summer, warm and dry in winter. Opening the top of the vaulting let in sunbeams sometimes and a gentle light throughout the day.

As far as monuments are concerned, you will wish to see the most characteristic ones.
The semicircular or pointed slightly horseshoe-shaped vaulting, the domes where the streets intersect, all built in fine limestone, are themselves an architectural masterpiece.

Of course it doesn't matter at all; change is a sign of vitality and the daily life of a people who are both faithful to their traditions and also fully up to date is just as interesting to watch as painfully preserved folklore. you may be a little put off at first but you will soon get used to the setting and appreciate the company of these people - traders, artists and customers - who are so often prepared to be friendly.

What does it matter if tinned goods and plastics are displayed beside freshly gathered vegetables and traditional spices piled up in great gaily colored heaps, if western detergents rub shoulder with red and green beeswax candles; if in the narrow passageway that is the al Irakich souk reserved for the rope-makers, peasants and the last of the camel drivers hesitate between hemp and nylon....

A visit to the souk thus enables the tourist to discover something of the town's everyday life and at the same time see monuments which are often no longer used (the madrassas and bimarstans for example) but whose design and decoration is extremely interesting.
Along the main axis from Bab Antakia to the Citadel just about every possible kind of goods are offered for sale - food, clothing, perfumes, shoes...

Wonderful shop where you can buy anything you need!
For sure it looks cozy and cute and you can have a rest and they'll offer you a cup of tea or Arabic coffee, but you should know that prices here are really much expensive!

Here you can buy almost everything!
Some places on the Souk are not specialized to buy one product!
Like this one!
It’s a universal one and in general they thought about everything which can interest a Tourist!

The most famous here!
A piece of gold will coast from 100$ up to 10000$
The choice is really big!
Gold also in Syria is the only guaranty in the black day!
You sell it and have money to save your day!

Wood Boxes
This is what Syria is really very famous in!
So great hand work awesome boxes will coast you between 2$ minimum up to 200$
Of course size and decoration and the master who did it and also the age and the quality of wood are all factors of the high price!