Khan al-Sadraniyya

An Ottoman khan of 1757 to 1758, on the arms souq, directly opposite Khan al-Tutun. The plot is narrow, so the plan does not look like other Damascus khans: the door leads into a domed corridor 15 metres long, and the corridor opens into a small court roofed with twin half-domes. 13 shops line the rectangular court.

Getting there

It is on the arms souq south of the Umayyad Mosque, in the side street known as Uthman bin al-Aidi. If you have found Khan al-Tutun you have found this one too; it is across the lane. The door on the souq front is narrow, and the dark corridor behind it hides the interior completely from outside.

Why come here

The khans of Damascus are usually described through Khan As’ad Pasha: wide court, great dome, cut stone. This building honestly breaks that picture. Same century, same souq, but a narrow plot and a modest budget; unable to widen the court, the builder stretched the space into a corridor instead. Most Damascus khans looked more like this one.

How it stands today

The rooms on the upper floor are ruined and abandoned. The ground floor shops around the court still trade. Plaster is coming away under the half-domes. Do not expect a restored building.

Don’t miss

Look at the door leaf. Carving covers the old wood, and fragments of blue tile survive at the head of the arch; the most careful work in the khan is here, not in the court.