Khan Burhan and Souq Burhan, Hama

Khan Burhan is a late Ottoman khan, a merchants’ inn built around an open courtyard, in the al-Hadir quarter on the east bank of the Orontes in Hama. Shops line the courtyard. The Souq Burhan next door takes its name from the khan, and the two are always mentioned together. The khan and the souq were restored between May 2006 and March 2007.

What al-Hadir is

The Orontes divides the historic centre of Hama in two. The west bank is called “al-Souq” after its great market, and the east bank “al-Hadir”. Local accounts say the name comes from the market where Bedouin brought their animal products every day: the place where people are present. The khan is on this bank, a short walk east from the al-Nuri Mosque.

What to see

The courtyard measures 24 metres by 14 and is ringed with shops. Inside it is a small mosque known as the al-Afandi Mosque. Some of the old khans in Souq Burhan were used as grain stores in recent years; this is a working market, built for trade rather than sightseeing.

Who built it

Here the sources disagree. The inscribed stone at the gate says the khan belonged to Burhan al-Jilani and was built in the Hijri year 1298, which corresponds to 1880-1881. Some local publications give the equivalent as 1876, but the Hijri calendar does not support that. Another account says Ali al-Kilani built it and named it after his son Burhan. A third view attributes it to the Turks.

Do not miss

The inscribed stone at the gate. The whole debate about the khan’s history comes from this one stone.