Old Homs on foot: from the covered souq to Bab Tadmur

This walk crosses the old city of Homs from west to east. It starts in the vaulted passages of the covered souq and ends beside Bab Tadmur, the Palmyra Gate. There are six stops: the souq, the Old Clock of 1923, two churches, a Mamluk mansion and the Church of Saint Elian, founded in 432. The walking adds up to about 2600 metres and no single leg reaches a kilometre. With the stops, allow four hours.

The route

Enter the covered souq beside the portal of the al-Nuri Mosque. The passages open south and east of the mosque. Which of them are open can change, so asking a shopkeeper is the quickest way through. Come out of the souq heading north and you reach the square at the east end of Quwatli Street.

The Old Clock stands in this square. It is not a tower: it is a two-faced clock halfway up a cast-iron post, and the name of the clockmaker, Abdullah Kishi, is engraved on it. Al-Hamidiyah Street starts east of the clock and runs into the old Christian quarter.

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is on the south side of that street. Its walls are black basalt, and its arches alternate black and white stone. Walk round to the east end to see the dome. From there, walk south to al-Abrar Street. The National Evangelical Church stands directly opposite the Jamaleddin Mosque. Its plain body gets lost among the taller buildings around it; you pick it out by the black-and-white bell tower at its south-east corner.

Then cross into the Bab Tadmur quarter. Qasr al-Zahrawi is a Mamluk mansion dated 1262-1263. Its courtyard has an iwan, a vaulted hall open on one side, under a half-dome shaped like a shell, and two lions are carved on the wall opposite. The last stop is the Church of Saint Elian, on Tarafa bin al-Abd Street right beside Bab Tadmur. The real reason to come is below ground: the crypt frescoes that appeared when the plaster came off during the 1969-1970 restoration.

Timing

Be in the souq at 09:30. The shops are opening and the passages are still quiet. Walk up to the Old Clock around 10:30; fifteen minutes there is enough. Reach the cathedral at 11:00. Its hours vary and visits stop during services; if the door is shut, ask in the courtyard or the side buildings.

Move on to the Evangelical Church at 11:45. It is open for the Sunday service, and on other days you ask at the door. Get to Qasr al-Zahrawi around 12:30. Whether the folk museum inside is open today, and at what hours, is not confirmed, so ask before you go. Enter Mar Elian at 13:30 and give it forty minutes with the crypt.

If you want the souq at its busiest, reverse the route. The souq is liveliest in the evening: start from Mar Elian in the afternoon and reach the covered passages towards dusk.

Take care

The souq, the clock and the three churches are free. The fee at Qasr al-Zahrawi changes, so confirm it at the entrance. All three churches are working places of worship: cover shoulders and knees, and ask before taking photos during a service. The old city was badly damaged in the war. Repaired lanes and lanes still closed can sit side by side, so the leg distances are approximate.

The feast of Mar Elian falls on 6 February. That day the church fills with pilgrims; to see the frescoes in peace, pick another day. The Church of Umm al-Zunnar is about 150 metres from Qasr al-Zahrawi and fits in if you have time. Homs is hot in summer, and spring and autumn are easier for this walk.