The roofed market with its seven doors is witness to the ancient history of Latakia

The stone walls and archaeological arches of the roofed market narrate part of the ancient heritage of the city of Latakia, as the ceilings and domes covering its narrow alleys paved with ancient stones, provide an elegant scene that spices up the fragrance of the past despite the change that has occurred in most of his features.

The old market extends over a wide area about one km from the city center. It intersects its markets and main streets, where it is surrounded by Ugarit Square in the south, Souq Al-Sagha and Al-Annaba Street in the north and Al Quwatli Street in the east and Hanano Street in the west. It is linked with the city through seven gates, while the old municipality building is located in one of its entrances.

Hanna Zureik, 73 years old, who grew up in this historical landmark, says that the market was known as the Bazaar, and it is called the “Golden Hole”, as it was a popular destination for the city and the rural residents, noting that the market contained many restaurants, hotels and places for breeding cattle and horses, along with a bus station which was later turned into a municipal square.

He adds that the market includes many residential buildings dating back to more than two hundred years, as these houses are in the middle of a large area surrounded by a number of rooms in addition to a cellar and a well, indicating that some of these houses have turned into commercial shops.

Knitting (such as rugs and wool), soap manufacturing, making and ironing of Tarboosh, were among the most famous industries in the market.

In 2008, a project was launched to restore some of the market’s features, but it stopped at the beginning of the crisis in Syria.

Eng. Suhail Dayoub, who supervises the implementation of the project to rehabilitate and revive the old municipality building and the adjacent square and alleys, shows that the main goal of the project is to preserve the historical reserve and the diverse architectural heritage that characterizes the city, as well as to revive handicrafts and traditional trades and create new investment opportunities in a way that contributes to the revitalization of the tourism movement..

Amal Farhat