 Al-Madrasah Al-Sulaymaniyyah, built by the Ottomans in 1566 |
 The Suleiman Complex, next to the National Museum, now contains a popular handicrafts market |
 Handicrafts (leather goods) at the Suleiman Complex |
 Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah, a former monestary for whirling dervishes |
 Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah |
 Ornate door, Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah handicrafts market |
 Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah handicrafts market, Damascus |
 Allahu Akbar and the Profession of Faith |
 Ornate door, Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah handicrafts market |
 Palestine |
 Ornate door, Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah handicrafts market |
 Ornate door, Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah handicrafts market |
 Damscus is famous for this type of inlaid woodwork |
 Old City of Damascus in paintings, Ornate door, Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah handicrafts market |
 Ornate door, Tikiyya al-Sulaimaniyyah handicrafts market |
 Backgammon and chess sets are popular |
 Sinan Mosque's Turkish minarets |
 Sinan Mosque, Ottoman, 1553 |
 Sinan Mosque, Ottoman, 1553 |
 Sinan Mosque, Suleiman Complex |
 Sinan Mosque, Damascus |
 Sidewalk book market behind the Sinan Mosque |
 Sidewalk book market behind the Sinan Mosque |
 Sinan Mosque, built in 1553 by the same Ottoman architect that built the Suleimaniye Mosque in Istanbul |
 Sinan Mosque, Damascus |
 Musallam Al Baroudi Street, Damascus |
 Sidewalk book market, Damascus |
 Sidewalk book market, Damascus |
 "The Other Face of Adolph Hitler:" |
 "So Said Al-Assad" |
 The Al Hamidiyeh Souq runs from just south of the Citadel all the way to the Umayyad Mosque |
 Al Hamidiyeh Souq is the largest of the souqs but I found others more interesting |
 Oriental slippers, Damascus |
 Al Hamidiye Souq, Damascus, remodelled in the 1870s to its present form |
 Al Hamidiye Souq |
 Banner supporting the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in the May 2007 referendum for a second 7 year term in office |
 Al Hamidiyeh Souq |
 Al Hamidiyeh Souq |
 Scheherazade Oriental Handicrafts, Al Hamidiyeh Souq |
 Bakdash, a famous ice cream shop in the Al Hamidiyeh Souq, Damascus |
 Bakdash, Damascus |
 Bakdash, Damascus |
 Women's clothing comes in colors.... |
 ...or basic black, the traditional abbaya |
 Wedding gowns, Syria |
 ...or something a bit more revealing...belly dancer outfits |
 Women's fasion, Damascus |
 Women's head scarfs, Al Hamidiye Souq, Damascus |
 Head scarfs, Al Hamidiyeh Souq |
 Traditional clothing, Damascus |
 Child sized traditional clothing |
 Superhero costumes, Damascus |
 Along Aal Al Beit Street, just south of Al-Sinaniyeh Mosque, is an interesting souq of stone carvers |
 Stone carver at work, Damascus |
 Most of the stone work is religious in nature |
 Or political - Hezbollah (the word in green) |
 Al-Sayyid Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah |
 Syrian stone carver at work on a marble tablet |
 Stone tablet carvers souq, Damascus |
 There is no god but Allah |
 Stone carver at work |
 Carved stone tablets, Damascus |
 Just north of the stone carvers is a row of metalsmiths |
 Tea pot with handle, Damascus |
 Brassware, Damascus |
 Metalwork, Damascus |
 Craftsman at work in the brassware souq |
 Brassware, Damascus |
 Statue of Liberty, Damascus |
 Tiny metal genie bottles |
 Tiny metal genie bottles |
 Metal coffee bot and cup set |
 Tea cup carousel |
 Lighting fixtures, Damascus |
 Oriental lighting fixtures, Damascus |
 Taxidermist shop, also near the Al Sinaniyeh Mosque, Damascus |
 An Oud, a traditional stringed instrument whose Arabic names literally means 'wood' |
 The Middle Eastern Oud developed over 5000 years ago and was brought to Europe during the Crusades as the Lute |
 Drum shop near the Al Sinaniyeh Mosque |
 Traditional drums, Damascus |
 Shoemaker at work, Bab Sriejeh Street |
 Shoe maker, Damascus |
 Syrian bakery, Bab Al-Sriejeh Street, Damascus |
 "King of Cheese Confectionary" Al-Sabbagh Sweets, Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 SyriaMay07 1951.jpg |
 Syrian bakery, Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 Mini-pizza |
 SyriaMay07 1954.jpg |
 Black and green olives, Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 Black and green olives |
 Spices, Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 SyriaMay07 1957.jpg |
 SyriaMay07 1958.jpg |
 Arabic bread bakery, Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 Fresh Arabic bread hung out to cool |
 Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 Sheeps head with lemon slice, Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 The rest of the sheep |
 Fresh meat hanging in a butcher shop |
 The didn't want me to photograph the fresh meat walking into the shop |
 After the butcher's work is done |
 Chanerig, a variety of small green plum |
 Colorful fruit and vegetable stand, Bab Al-Sriejeh Street |
 Vegetable Artwork, Syria |
 Nuts |
 The Kaaba in Mecca on an embroidered cloth |
 Damascus |
 Souvenirs of Syria and Iraq |
 Souvenir boxes of Syria, Iraq and Palestine |
 Tourist souvenir plate of Syria |
 Tourists also like these sand bottles |
 Sand bottles, Damascus |
 Painting of an alley on the Old City |
 Souk Bzouriyeh, Damascus |
 Spices, Souk Bzouriyeh, Damascus |
 Spices, Souk Bzouriyeh, Damascus |
 Souk Bzouriyeh, Damascus |
 Gold jewelry, Souk Bzouriyeh, Damascus |
 Antique shop along the southern wall of the Umayyad Mosque, Damascus |
 Souvenir shop beneath the Minaret of Jesus |
 Craftsman beating silver and copper thread into a brass plate, Badreddin Al-Hassan Street |
 Tea service, Badreddin Al-Hassan Street |
 Friendly boy waves a cane, Straight Street |
 Along Straight Street, away from the tourist shops around the Umayyad Mosque, you can find great deals |
 Swordsmith, Al Mustaqeem Street, Damascus |
 Swordsmith apprentice at work on a scabbard |
 Master swordsmith displaying his expensive but high quality wares |
 The souvenir shops carry inexpensive imitation swords, this one he quoted at 800 SYP ($15) but how to get it home... |
 Some shops call these daggars "Damascus Steel" but they are most likely "Pattern Welded Steel" copies |
 Camel bone handle daggers of pattern welded steel made to resemble old Damascus steel blades |
 Silver coins and medallions, Badrul Din al-Hussein St. |