Souq Midhat Pasha
The covered western stretch of Straight Street, named after the Ottoman governor who rebuilt it in 1878. Cloth and abaya stalls on top of the Roman road.
- Opening hours
- Shops by day; largely closed on Fridays
- Entry
- Free
- Duration
- 30 minutes
- Best time
- Morning to midday, not on a Friday
- Period
- Ottoman market over the Roman road, 1878
- Address
- Western stretch of Straight Street, old city, Damascus
The western stretch of Straight Street runs under this souq: the main avenue of the Roman plan, roofed over by the Ottomans, still doing its job. It takes its name from Midhat Pasha, the governor who reorganised the market in 1878.
What to see
A more local market than the crowded Hamidiyya: cloth merchants, abaya and keffiyeh sellers, thread and button shops. With few tourists, both the bargaining and the prices work differently. As you walk under the roof, the straight line is the Roman avenue itself — where the souq ends, Straight Street carries on east under open sky.
Where it leads
Its western end joins the Buzuriyya spice street and from there the Azm Palace and the Umayyad Mosque quarter; its eastern end leads to the Christian quarter and Bab Sharqi. A natural halfway stop for anyone walking old Damascus east to west.
Take care
Most shops close early in the evening, and on Fridays the souq is largely quiet. Some sections are open to vehicles; keep to the side under the roof.
Tips
- More local than the Hamidiyya; cloth and abayas are priced here
- Exit the west end into the Buzuriyya — the spice street follows on
- Some sections admit vehicles; keep to the side under the roof
