Name of Object:

Suq al-Hamidiyya, Damascus

Other name of the Object (second name):

Covered market constructed in the shape of an arcade turning it to the worldwide longest arcade of the fin de siecle

Location:

Berlin, Germany

Holding Institution:

Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum, State Museums

 About Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum, State Museums, Berlin

Date of Object:

1910

Description:

The Suq al-Hamidiyya, built in 1886 and 1894, is by far the biggest and most famous suq in Damascus. This bazaar street also links the two most important historic buildings, the Umayyad Mosque and the Citadel. It was built along its western section by incorporating earlier structures, whereas the eastern part of the street was a completely new construction cutting through the existing buildings. The commercial thoroughfare is 450 metres long and 8.70 to 9.90 metres wide, its enormous size and the high standard of its execution accentuate new design principles. So in various respects, this suq is a very interesting example of structural change in a traditional commercial centre.

Type of Object

Photograph; postcard

Citation of this web page:

Stefan Weber "Suq al-Hamidiyya, Damascus" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;de;10;en

Prepared by: Stefan Weber

MWNF Working Number: DE 010