Khan al-Nuri in al-Qutayfah
A late 12th-century caravanserai credited to Nur al-Din Zengi at the east end of al-Qutayfah: 58 by 35 metres, a paved court, two long iwans and loophole walls.
- Opening hours
- Could not be confirmed — check on site
- Entry
- Variable — check on site
- Duration
- 45 minutes
- Best time
- Afternoon, when the west wall and its tower take the light
- Period
- Zengid (attributed)
- Address
- Eastern edge of al-Qutayfah, Rif Dimashq
A caravanserai at the eastern edge of the town of al-Qutayfah, dated to the late 12th century and credited to Nur al-Din Mahmud Zengi, the Zengid ruler of Syria. Its rectangular plan measures 58 by 35 metres, with an open, stone-paved courtyard of 540 square metres in the middle. After much of the outer front and the entrance collapsed, the Ministry of Tourism carried out a thorough repair that brought the building almost back to its old form. It is a separate building from Khan al-Arous in the same district.
Why here
Al-Qutayfah is where the Damascus to Aleppo and Damascus to Palmyra roads meet. The khan stands at the eastern end of that junction. The source available does not tie the attribution to Nur al-Din to an inscription or a dated document, so it should be treated as unconfirmed.
What to see
The entrance is 8 metres long and 3 metres wide and rests on three arches. It once had a large wooden gate; that has since been removed. The walls are one and a half metres thick. Corners, edges, entrances and towers are built of large blocks, the inner walls of small, coursed stones. On the inner north front are two long iwans, open vaulted halls, each 25 metres long and 4 metres wide, with a small room at the far end of each. The walls have loopholes like those of a castle.
Do not miss
The projecting room in the middle of the west wall. It is called Bakiyat al-Zahr, and a watch and defence tower rises above it. Seen together with the loopholes, it shows a khan built to defend itself, not only to lodge travellers. A channel branching off the now dry Hajja stream runs through the building; the khan drew its water from it until the 1990s.
Getting there
Al-Qutayfah lies on the road from Damascus to Homs, and the khan is at the east end of town. The map also marks a Khan Sinan Pasha, a Sinan Pasha Mosque and a market bath house 250-300 metres northwest of the khan; nothing beyond a one-line source was found for these, so ask on site.
How long it takes
45 minutes. Enough for the courtyard, the two iwans and the tower on the west wall.
Tips
- Head for the middle of the west wall; the Bakiyat al-Zahr room and the watchtower are there
- Look for the small rooms at the far end of the two iwans on the inner north front
- Pair it with Khan al-Arous; both are in the al-Qutayfah district
Transparency
- How this was chosen
- Written by hand; opening hours, entry fee and coordinates are kept as data. A field that is not known for certain is marked as variable rather than guessed.
- Facts checked
- September 2026
- Last updated
- September 15, 2026