Along the Hajj road in Damascus: from Midan to Marjeh

The caravan road running south out of Damascus — to Jerusalem, Medina and Mecca — kept the same line for centuries, and the buildings along it still draw that line. This walk takes the road backwards, from the direction the caravan left in, back towards the city. It starts on the sweet street of Midan. Four mosques follow, and it ends in the centre. It comes to 2400 metres; the stops are short and the walking is easy.

The route

Start in the middle stretch of Jazmatiyya — the street is long and the middle is the easier place to begin. From there walk north along Midan Street for 800 metres; the minaret shows before you reach Bab Musalla Square, and the street door is on the avenue with a sebil beside it. The longest leg starts here: another 800 metres north, into the market lanes outside the wall. Looking for the Sinan Pasha Mosque, look for the minaret rather than the door, because the shops hide the front. From there it is 200 metres to Bab al-Jabiya and the western end of Straight Street, where the door of the Darwishiyya Mosque opens directly onto the pavement. The last leg runs northwest. It is 500 metres to Nasr Street.

Timing

Be in Jazmatiyya at 09:00. The bakeries are working, the street is not yet loaded and it walks easily; the same street in the late afternoon is another place altogether, and the crush is real. Get to Bab Musalla before the morning is out, while the shops are opening. Be at Sinan Pasha around 11:30: the green glazed brick of the minaret takes the sun head-on before noon, and only then does the shaft give its true colour. Leave the Darwishiyya for the afternoon, because the Iznik panels framing its door glare in direct sun and give their colour in shade. Reach the Tankiz around 14:00 — wait for the noon prayer to empty out and you get the courtyard to yourself.

Take care

All four mosque stops are in use: shoulders and knees covered, shoes at the door, and wait outside during prayer. Women need a headscarf. One may not be lent at the door, so carry your own. Opening hours outside prayer vary; if you find a door shut, ask, and most of them open. Shopping in Jazmatiyya is done from the stall and in cash, so bring small notes. On the eve of a feast and on Ramadan evenings the street locks solid — do not drive in. The building of the Tankiz Mosque that faces the avenue was rebuilt in 1951; what is Mamluk is the northern minaret, the two portals, the mihrab and the tomb. This axis of the city is off the tourist line and signs are few; do not hesitate to ask the way.