Souq al-Hiraj

One of the covered lanes of the Aleppo souq, and the gap between its name and its business is what sets it apart. Al-Hiraj was for a long time the city’s firewood and charcoal market. Today most of its 33 shops sell rugs and carpets. There is no charcoal. The name did not move.

From firewood to carpets

The Aleppo souq named its lanes after trades: the soap makers, the coppersmiths, the furriers. Al-Hiraj is where that order broke most visibly. The city bought its fuel here, and charcoal and wood were weighed out in this lane. When fuel began reaching houses by other routes the shops changed hands and weaving took over. The lane itself is as old as the rest of the market, going back to the 14th century.

Getting there

The lane sits inside the covered part of the souq, so there is no way in from the street. You reach it by turning off the main axis, and waiting for a sign is pointless; in this market you find your way by asking a trader. Once you see carpets hanging outside the shops you are in the right lane.

How long it takes

A quarter of an hour on foot. Sitting down to bargain changes the arithmetic: buying a carpet in Aleppo is done over tea and rarely takes less than half an hour. For someone who has come to look, twenty-five minutes is a fair measure.

What most people miss

The ceiling. Here the vault opens into a hall, and the crossing arches and stonework stand exposed. The carpets cover the walls, so the architecture goes unnoticed; look up and you find some of the plainest visible stonework in the whole market. Repair work continues and the number of shops open shifts with it.