Al Hariqa

Al Hariqa is one of the quarters of old Damascus between Souk alHamidiyeh and Souk Medahat Pasha. At the start of the 20th.centuryit became one of the luxurious residential areas in the capital where many of the beautiful palaces ,houses ,schools and baths could be found. In 1925 al Hariqa was submitted to the worst disaster in its history. It was bombed by the French mandate army and air force and a huge fire erupted for several days and burnt most of the quarter, hence it is called al Hariqa, in Arabic the great fire. The fire ate most of the quarter, and new construction projects were planned to rebuild it and to change it into a main commercial center, not only in Damascus, but in Syria in general .

Al Hariqa, now, is the center of whole sale and retail trade of many products: upholstery, curtains, bed sheets, lingerie, towels, leather, plastic materials, electric appliances, sports wears, furniture, in addition to the financial and law services related to commerce like banks, exchange centers and offices of dealers, distributors and attorneys. It is also one of the economic destinations for most of Arab visitors from Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states as well as foreigners of American, European and Asian nationalities.

Another element of importance can be added to al Hariqa, it is the jewel of the crown and the central spot of the most frequented markets downtown Damascus, namely: Souk alHamidyeh, Souk Medhat Pasha, the Gold Market, the Silk Market and the Ladies Market, where high quality elegant fabrics are sold. It is also central to the tourist destinations: the Umayyad Mosque, AlAzem Palace, the museums of Arab Medicine and Calligraphy …..etc.

Due to this important location the Governorate of Damascus decided to qualify the main square of alHariqa to go in line with the economic and tourist importance of the place. First, cars were prevented from parking or crossing the square. The ground was covered with marble decorated with typical Damascene mosaics. A five tier pond with a beautiful fountain was built in the center of the square, and was surrounded by a circle of beds of flowers and roses .A modern snack shop started to serve the visitors who like to have a light meal ,beverages or to taste the typical damascene cookies or sweet cactus fruit .The corners of the square were equipped with elegant wooden seats to allow old people or those who get tired to sit and watch the ceaseless(bee hive) movement of the souk.

Souk Al Arwam :It is a small, old souk that links alHariqa with Souk al Hamidyeh. It is the main center of the trade of old and new carpets , kelims and traditional furniture. It was called al Arwam because merchants from Asia and Europe used to meet in it to exchange their goods, hence it is called al Arwam which means the foreigners in old spoken Arabic. Now the souk is rich with all kinds of  local, Persian, Chinese and Indian carpets as well as typical Damascene furniture inlaid with mother of pearl, with glass ware and China, another element of richness of al Hariqa Souk in Arabic means bazaar.

Haifaa Mafalani