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Souq Midhat Pasha

سوق مدحت باشا

A covered market forming the western extension of Straight Street within the walls of the Old City of Damascus, named after Ottoman governor Midhat Pasha, who had it roofed in the late 19th century.

Souq Midhat Pasha forms the western extension of the ancient Roman Straight Street route within the walls of the Old City of Damascus, and bears the name of Ottoman reformist governor Midhat Pasha, who oversaw its roofing in the 1870s during his tenure as governor of Syria, transforming it from an open street into a covered market sheltering shoppers from summer heat and winter rain.

The market runs from around Bab al-Jabiya in the west toward the center of the Old City, lined on both sides with a variety of shops selling fabrics, clothing, household goods, and traditional handicrafts, making it a vital commercial artery that still serves the residents of the Old City daily -- not merely a tourist attraction.

The market is distinguished by its arched metal roof, which lets sunlight filter through repeated small openings in a style similar to Souq al-Hamidiyah, but on a smaller scale with a more local character and fewer tourist crowds, giving visitors an experience closer to the real daily pulse of Old City residents.

Souq Midhat Pasha is a natural extension of any tour exploring the historic Straight Street, and a living example of the continuity of commercial life in Damascus from the Roman era to the present day.

For the visitor

Photos: Dosseman — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)