A walk through the Christian quarter of Damascus: Bab Sharqi to Bab Kisan

The Christian quarter of Damascus fits into a single walk: 900 metres in all, and its three stops are ends of one story. You enter through Bab Sharqi, the Roman east gate; you go 5-6 metres below street level into the Chapel of Saint Ananias; you finish at Bab Kisan, where a city gate became the front of a church. It is not the distance that tires you: all three stops keep their own hours, and that is why the order matters.

The route

Enter under the arch of Bab Sharqi and do not follow Straight Street west — this walk goes north. Narrow lanes inside the eastern wall bring you to the Chapel of Saint Ananias in 233 metres; look for a single-leaf door set into a wall, not a church front. It is easy to walk straight past. Coming out, the direction turns south: 640 metres through the quarter, 9 minutes, the wall on your left. At Bab Kisan step outside the old city and cross the road — the gate faces outward, onto Ibn Asakir Street, and its facade only reads from the far pavement.

Timing

Start early. Be at Bab Sharqi at 09:00: the lanes are empty and the surviving side arch is sharp in morning light. Enter the chapel at 10:00, before the groups — the stair takes one person at a time and the chapel can close around midday; that is why it is the second stop and not the last. This puts you at Bab Kisan at 11:00, when the facade, which faces southeast, still takes the light head-on. Leave it to the afternoon and the front falls into shadow while the hours of both chapels turn uncertain.

Take care

Two of the three stops are working places of worship: cover shoulders and knees, and do not photograph during a service. The chapel charges a small entrance fee that changes often — carry cash. The stair is narrow, the steps worn, there is no handrail, and the two rooms below have no windows. Bab Kisan faces a square with traffic running past; take your time crossing. The walk works year round, apart from summer middays.