Khan al-Zafaraniyya

A khan named after the saffron trade. It stands on the west side of Souq al-Khayyatin, the tailors’ souq, south of Khan al-Jumruk. What sets the building apart is not its plan but its stone: some of the arches around the court rest on reused ancient columns.

The reused columns

Damascus has reused its own stone for centuries; a Roman column went into a mosque, a church column into a khan. This building is a late example of the practice: the columns are classical, the arches above them Ottoman. Look at the point where the two meet and you see the join.

Getting there

From the entrance of Khan al-Jumruk, drop into the tailors’ souq and walk south. The khan is on the west side. Across from it stands the old Qishani hammam, which closed and became a souq.

The date is disputed

The sources place the khan in the 19th century. Yet the same sources compare its plan with Khan al-Sadraniyya and treat the two as contemporaries, and Khan al-Sadraniyya is 18th century work. That contradiction has not been resolved, so no single century is claimed here.

How long it takes

15 minutes. It fits the same walk as Khan al-Jumruk and needs no detour.

Don’t miss

Look at the capitals. Some were cut back to carry the arch, others were left as they were, and that detail tells you which stone came from where.