Khan al-Kattan

It stands south of Khan al-Wazir, on the Souq al-Hibal branch. Its present name comes from the linen trade — kattan is linen. The older name says more: Khan al-Sayyida, the lady’s khan. That name is why the building is counted among the oldest khans in Aleppo, with its origin traced back to the 11th century and the Mirdasid period.

Getting there

Find Khan al-Wazir and go south. You are in the Souq al-Hibal run, and the khan’s door opens onto the lane. The two buildings are so close together that you do not need a separate plan for them.

Where the name comes from

From Sayyida bint Wassab al-Numayri. She was the sister of Shabib and the wife of the Mirdasid emir Nasr ibn Salih ibn Mirdas. Kamil al-Ghazzi’s history of Aleppo records that she equipped an army of ghazis out of her own wealth. It is rare for a building in Aleppo to carry a woman’s name. Here the name survived and then shifted: Khan al-Sayyida first, then Khan al-Kattan after the trade.

What to see

From outside it is a plain souq facade, so do not expect a carved portal. The value of this khan is its age and its position: a pre-Ottoman core sitting inside an Ottoman market. What stands today was shaped by the additions of later centuries. Rather than looking for an 11th-century wall, think about the site.

What most people miss

What the building is used for now. Khan al-Kattan is described as the seat of the Belgian consulate, but the same claim is made for Khan al-Nahhasin, and the sources part ways here. Both are inside the souq and both are within walking distance. Whichever door carries an official plate gives you the answer.