Shop at Souks (Souqs) of Aleppo, Syria

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The covered souqs of Aleppo is considered one of the finest and most beatuful markets in the world. Aleppo's strategic trading position attracted settlers of all races and beliefs who wished to take advantage of the commercial roads that met in Aleppo from as far as China and Mesopotamia to the east, Europe to the west, and the fertile crescent and Egypt to the south. The largest covered suq-market in the world is in Aleppo, with an approximate length of 13 kilometers. The Suq al-Medina, as it is locally known, is an active trade centre for imported luxury goods, such as raw silk from Iran, spices and dyes from India, and coffee from Damascus. The Medina also is home to local products such as wool, agricultural products and soap. Most of the souqs date back to the 14th century and are named after various professions and crafts, hence the wool souq, the copper souq, and so on. Aside from trading, the souq accommodated the traders and their goods inkhans(caravanserais) and scattered in the souq. Other types of small market-places were calledcaeserias. Caeserias were smaller than khans in their sizes and functioned as workshops for craftsmen. Most of the khans took their names after their location in the souq and function, and are characterized with their beautiful façades and entrances with fortified wooden doors.

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