Khan al-Tutun
An 18th century khan on the arms souq south of the Umayyad Mosque, named after the tobacco trade. Craft workshops now fill its 72 or so rooms and its court.
- Opening hours
- Souq hours; most shops closed on Fridays
- Entry
- Free
- Duration
- 20 minutes
- Best time
- Towards midday, when light drops straight through the opening
- Period
- Ottoman
- Address
- Souq al-Silah, south of the Umayyad Mosque, Old City, Damascus
An 18th century Ottoman khan on the west side of the arms souq. Its name comes from the tobacco trade: goods arrived here, were weighed here and went out from here. Arabic sources count about 72 rooms in the building. Most of them are craft workshops and shops today.
Getting there
Enter the arms souq from the south side of the Umayyad Mosque. The khan stands on the west side of the souq, directly opposite Khan al-Sadraniyya. The two are a street’s width apart, so if you find one, do not miss the other.
What to see
A dome covers the court, with a wide opening left in its centre. Light falls through that opening all day and the court changes by the hour. The pointed arches around it are cut from rough stone, and a row of small barred windows runs along the upper floor.
How long it takes
20 minutes. Step into one of the workshops and watch a craftsman at work and it becomes half an hour.
Don’t miss
Stand in the middle of the court and look up: a second, smaller round window opens at the edge of the wide one, and only from there can you read how thick the dome is.
Tips
- Khan al-Sadraniyya is directly opposite; see both in one stop
- Ask before photographing in the workshops; most people agree
- The court paving turns slippery after rain
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