Half a day in Aleppo: from Dabbagha to the khans

One walk in the old city of Aleppo can set four uses in a row: a quarter mosque, a madrasa, a trading khan, a craft market. 1600 metres in all, the longest leg 600 metres. Light sets the order here, not distance — the four stand close together, but they are not all at their best at the same hour.

The route

Start at Seven Basins, in the old tanners’ quarter. Look at the minaret of the Dabbagha Mosque from the street and from a little way back; from the court you only see the lower shaft. 560 metres south, near Khan al-Wazir, is the Shadhbakhtiyya Madrasa. The sign says mosque; this is the building you are looking for. Another 420 metres west takes you into the Medina souk: the door of Khan al-Gumruk is set back from the lane and carries no sign, so you know it by its portal. The last leg runs 600 metres south-east, to the north side of the Khusruwiyya Mosque, where Khan al-Shuna stands.

Timing

Be at Dabbagha at 09:00, while the minaret takes light from the east. Enter Shadhbakhtiyya about 10:00; light reaches the court before noon, and the capitals of the marble mihrab read at that hour. Reach Khan al-Gumruk around 11:00, when the muqarnas of the portal takes full light. That leaves Khan al-Shuna for the afternoon; the craftsmen are still at their benches, but the market is not as quiet as it is in the morning. Reverse the order to get Shuna quiet and you lose the light on the portal. You cannot have both, so choose.

Take care

The Dabbagha Mosque is waiting for repair; inside it is small and plain, so give the visit to the outer wall. At the mosque and the madrasa, come outside prayer times and cover shoulders and knees. Khan al-Gumruk is still in the hands of cloth merchants and is a working place of business; the small mosque in the corner of the court is unmarked and you will not find it without asking. Under the vault of Shuna there are 49 separate crafts — do not try to see them all; stop at two or three benches. Souk hours change, so confirm them at the entrance.