Khan al-Arous

A caravanserai built in 1182, in the time of Saladin. It stands about 50 km northeast of Damascus, in the Qutayfa district, beside the international road to Homs. It is a different type from the other khans on this site: not a souq khan but a roadside caravanserai, not inside a city but between two of them.

Souq khan and road khan

The khans of the Damascus old city were places where a merchant sold his goods: a tight plot, many shops, rooms above. A road caravanserai does another job entirely. It stands at the end of one day’s caravan stage, takes in the camels and the load, and shuts its gate. That is why the plan is plain and the wall is thick.

What to see

A square building of large stone blocks, about 40 metres to a side. The entrance is on the south front, framed by two pointed arches, and the gate follows the two-leaf arrangement typical of Ayyubid gateways. Inside, the plan is the classic caravanserai scheme: closed on all sides, a court in the middle.

Getting there

It lies beside the international road that runs from Damascus towards Homs, in the Qutayfa district. This is not a day trip in itself but a place to stop on a route heading for the Qalamoun or Maaloula. Hard to reach by public transport, easy to pull over for by car.

Protected status

The building was entered on the national archaeological register by decision 85/A of 28 September 1967. A band 100 metres wide on each of its four sides is closed to building, so you can still see the structure together with its setting and read how it sits by the road.

How long it takes

30 minutes. It is a stop on a drive; walking round it and looking at the south front is enough.