Al-Jazmatiyah Souk

Off the tourist axis of Damascus, in the middle of the Midan quarter, runs a street called Al-Jazmatiyah. The name is left over from the bootmakers (jazma) of the Mamluk period; when the craft died out, the street gave itself to food. Today it is called the kitchen of Damascus — sweet shops, bakeries and street-food stalls in a row. It works for the city, not for tourists, and that is exactly its pull.

Getting there

In the central stretch of the Midan quarter, along Midan Street. A short taxi ride from the Old City; the street is long, so start from the middle.

How long it takes

An hour — more if you walk it tasting. Shopping happens at the counter; seating is scarce.

What you see

The sweet counters are the street’s signature: maarouk, qatayef, mabroumeh and warbat line up by season. Between them stand mosque and bathhouse facades from the Mamluk period — the street is old, the counters are fresh. In Ramadan after mid-afternoon, and on the eve of the Eids, this is the most crowded place in the city; the crush is real, and so is the experience.

Do not miss

If you are here in Ramadan, the maarouk ovens: the yeasted, orange-blossom-scented Ramadan bun is this street’s trade, bought warm at the counter.