Khan al-Saboon in the Old City of Aleppo Witness to the City’s Deep-Rooted Industry

The khans of Aleppo and its ancient alleys are still witness to the  ancient  history and originality of  the old city of Aleppo   where  terrorists organizations   tried to destroy and eliminate  its history, but these attempts were foiled  and defeated by the heroes of the Syrian Arab Army.. 

In Khan al-Saboon  in  “Aghir”  neighborhood , which was rehabilitated by the concerned authorities in cooperation with the residents  of the  neighborhood , Fawaz Dahhan, who is the owner of a commercial store, told  SANA reporter that  Khan  al-Saboon dates back  to hundreds of years and was a stop for commercial caravans and  exchange of goods.  Later the khan was dedicated  to the manufacture of the famous Aleppo laurel soap.

Dahhan  indicated that the  khan was destroyed by terrorists’ brutal acts , but thanks to  the efforts exerted by  the directorates  of  Aleppo’s Antiquities  and the Old City, it was restored  to preserve the ancient stones of this khan, which symbolize  its heritage and history. 

On his part, Head of Aleppo’s Old City Directorate Eng. Ahmed Shehabi stressed   that the restoration of  khan Al-Saboon is a model for preserving the archaeological and historical value, especially as it is linked to a popular and heritage profession for the people of the neighborhood. He pointed  out that the Old City Directorate is coordinating with the owners of commercial and tourism activities to restore and rehabilitate their facilities and providing technical  advice by specialists  to accelerate the return of commercial and economic life.

Khan al-Saboon is about 400 meters and it contains a special internal section for placing soap and arranging it in a distinctive way, in addition to hanging wooden panels on the walls of the khan, including  the names of families who worked in the traditional  profession of soap making.Some of those families date back more than 800 years. 

Rawaa Ghanam