2- St. Paul's Church:
Is situated behind Bab Keissan, one of the gates in the old wall encircling Damascus.
It commemorates the memory of St. Paul, whose name was Saul of Tarsus, charged by the Romans to persecute the Christians. As he approached the village of Daraya, a burst of blinding light took his sight away, and he heard The Lord ask him `Saul, why do you persecute me?' This was a vision of faith. He was taken unconscious to Damascus, attended by Hananiya, Christ's disciple, and became one of the staunchest advocates of Christianity. His Jewish peers decided to kill him, but he hid in a house by the city wall,and at night was lowered by his disciples in a huge basket from a slit in the wall. The church is located at the site of his escape. He travelled to Antioch, Athens, and Rome, after a brief stay in Jerusalem, and continuedt o teach the gospel until he died.
3- The Souqs
The old covered souqs of Damascus have a unique flavour you can savour with eyes closed. As you walk about in the warm darkness of these streets with their fragrant scents, spices, and colourful merchandise spilling out of the shops onto the pavements, you enter the strange world of exotic legends. Most prominent of these souqs are:
Souq al-Hamidiyeh
Follows a straight line from the west (where Bab al-Nasr used to be) to the Omayyad Mosque. It dates back to 1863, to the rule of the Ottaman Sultan Abdul-Hamid, after whom the souq was called. It is covered with high iron vaulting, so old that sun rays filter through it into the darkness of the souq. The shops here sell everything from tissues to leather-work, from sweets and ice-cream to exquisite handmade brocades, mosaic, and copper inlaid with silver.
Souq Midhat Pasha
(The Long Souq): Founded by the governor of Damascus Midhat Pasha in 1878. It stands above the Roman 'Street Called Straight' which used to traverse the city from Bab al-Jabieh to Bab Sharqi, and runs parallel to Souq al-Hamidiyeh, with numerous side-souqs separating them.
On both sides of the Souq the shops are filled with local textiles, silk cloth, woollen cloaks, headbands and skull caps; there are also ancient khans (inns) whose entrances and archways house an endless number of other smaller shops. One half of this Souq (the part closer to Bab Sharqi) is uncovered, and is well-known for its coppersmiths, engraved copper products, and silver inlaid utensils. Some archeologists say this is the location where Damascus first came into being thousands of years ago. In one of the side streets in this part, Maktab 'Anbar is situated. This is the most exquisite of Damas- cene houses built in the nineteenth century. In 1887 it was turned into a secondary school, and continued functioning throughout the Ottoman and French periods. It was repaired and restored recently to become a cultural centre. It contains some of the most striking tinted glass windows, spacious patios, ornamented halls and painted ceilings.
At the end of this Souq, just before Bab Sharqi, there are several beautiful churches, such as the Hananiya Church, which dates back to the Byzantine era, and the N'assan House, which represents a typical old Damascene house.
Souq al-Harir
Founded by Darwish Pasha in 1574. Its entrance is the end of Souq al-Hamidiyeh just outside the Omayyad Mosque. Its shops are filled with local embroidered cloths, perfume essence, and tailoring and sewing requi- sites. Here, too, a number of old khans have been converted into shops, best known for their cloaks, capes, mantles, shawls, and 'galabiyas'. Most interesting of these clusters of little shops is an old bath called al-Qishani.
Souq al-Harir leads to yet another souq called al-Khayatin (Tailors) which was founded by Shamsi Pasha in 1553; a multitude of shops here sell woollens and material for men's clothing. Hundreds of celebrated tailors of traditional wear used to work here in the past. Between these two souqs stands the mosque and tomb of the Muslim leader Nureddin ibn Zenki. The mosque was erected in 1173, and is distinguished by a dome of unequal beauty, and interior and exterior designs of unique originality. Also between the two souqs stands Madrassat (school) Abdallah al-Azem, constructed in 1779, during the Ottoman period, which has also been converted into a cluster of small shops for traditional crafts.
Souq al-Bzourieh
Extends between Souq Midhat Pasha and the Omayyad Mosque and is famous for its quaint little fruit, medicinal herbs, and confectionery.
In the middle of this souq stands a bath (one of the two hundred public baths) which has been in continuous use from the twelfth century. Here, too is the celebrated khan of As'ad Pasha built by the owner of al-Azem Palace in the min-nineteenth century; it is now being converted into a hotel.
Another little souq branches out of al-Bzourieh; this is the Goldsmiths' Market, where an endless variety of hand-made jewellery is sold; the southern entrance to the Omayyad Mosque overlooks this glittering little souq.
4- Bimaristan al-Noury
To the south of Souq al-Hamidiyeh, this was built by Nureddin in the twelfth century as a hospital, and financed by ransom money to the amount of 300,000 dinars paid by a Crusader king held captive. During the Ottoman period it was converted into a school for girls, and it now houses the Museum of Arab Medicine and Science. It contains the most exquisite examples of decorative inscriptions used for the first time during Nureddin's reign to replace the traditional kufi inscriptions.
5- Saladin's Tomb and its Neighbouring Schools
The tomb is next door to the north gate of the Omayyad Mosque. It was originally part of al-Azizieh School built by Uthman, Sladin's son, in the twelfth century. The whole interior is decorated with polychrome marble mosaics.
Next to the tomb stands a typical Mamluk edifice, the Jumaqjeh School, built in the twelfth century. The interior is decorated with inscriptions and beautiful lettering. It is one of the most splendid old schools in Damascus; and has recently been turned into a Museum of Arabic Calligraphy.
Two other schools stand nearby: al-Zhahiriya, which is an Ayoubite edifice and houses the famous library of that name; and al-Adliya, which is also Ayoubite in style, and is now headquarters of the Arab Language Academy.
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