Souq al-Buzuriyah

Informazioni

Fatti rapidi: Seed merchants gave the market its name, with 'buzur' being the Arabic word for seeds, and shoppers today scoop saffron, sumac, and dried rose petals straight from burlap sacks. More than one hundred stalls crowd the vaulted stone lanes, and third-generation families still measure out the spice blends their forebears traded a century ago.

Punti salienti: At dawn, porters haul gunny sacks of saffron and dried rosebuds across the worn stone floor, and the perfume clings to the walls for hours. Behind a sliding wooden shutter hides a small khan courtyard where traders sip mint tea and seal deals with handshakes, far from the crowd you see out front.

Consigli da insider

• Squeeze in before 9 AM to catch freshly opened stock and sellers willing to drop prices on the first sale of the day.
• Sniff and taste before you buy, the strongest-smelling saffron and rosebuds are the freshest, and dealers usually offer a sample.
• The junction where three vaulted lanes meet catches the best morning light for photos, so frame your shot from the stone steps.
• Wear flat, closed-toe shoes because the stone floors stay slick with dropped oil and rosewater all day.

Informazioni pratiche

Indicazioni

Altre attrazioni a Damascus

Umayyad Mosque (Great Mosque of Damascus)

Old City of Damascus (Ancient City)

Al-Hamidiyah Souq

Azm Palace (Beit al-Azem)