Khan al-Dikka

This is said to be the oldest khan still standing in Damascus. It dates from the Mamluk period and nobody knows who paid for it. The building has one floor: an open court, eight rooms around it, and a large hall in the northeast corner. The pool that once stood in the court was removed at some point.

Where the name comes from

The name comes from the stone bench in the court. Enslaved men and women were put up for sale on that bench, which is why the building is also called Khan al-Jawari. This is one of the few places in Damascus that still carries a trace of the slave market. The bench itself is no longer there; what remains is the building and the name.

Getting there

It stands at the western head of the Midhat Pasha souq, which is Straight Street, right where the souq begins. Khan Jaqmaq is a little to the east. The door is on the souq front: a wide arch in black and white stone, with a small heritage plaque beside it.

How it stands today

In 2008 the photographer who recorded it noted that the building was too ruined to take a decent picture, and its condition has not been checked on the ground since. Looking in from the door should be possible in any case. If you plan to go inside, ask the shopkeepers in the souq; they know the current state.

How long it takes

10 minutes. This is not a stop of its own but a short pause on a souq walk.