Shopping in Damascus
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Nabeel Fouad Salka
At the entrance to Souq al-Hamidiyya, Nabeel Fouad Salka sells high-quality ouds, along with mother-of-pearl decorated drums and other instruments.
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Anat
A wonderful one-of-a-kind store, the not-for-profit Anat, is the place to shop for original gifts and souvenirs handmade in a workshop in the Palestinian refugee camp from embroidered textiles produced by women in villages all over Syria. Traditional Syrian and Palestinian embroidery techniques are employed to create contemporary items, including coin and cosmetic purses and hand and shoulder bags (in hundreds of sizes), cushion covers, slippers and clothes.
The profits from the sale of these exquisite products are shared among the women.
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Radwan al-Taweel
Sixty-year-old Radwan has been engraving intricate arabesque patterns on copper and brass coffee pots, tea sets, lamps and trays since his grandfather taught him as a child. He takes about two days to decorate a large tray. Ask and he'll happily show you his well-used tools of the trade and his techniques. Radwan is very proud of the recycled brass shells, remnants from the war with Israel, that he engraves to produce umbrella/walking-stick holders - particularly the one he designed for Gadaffi.
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Tony Stephan's
Bustling Souq al-Hamidiyya is not only a wonderful place to shop for the atmosphere, but it also has some of the city's best antique and craft shops. Tony Stephan's at No 156 is renowned for the finest quality at the best prices, with a wide range of beautiful textiles, splendid mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture, old Bedouin jewellery, and intricately engraved copper and brassware. The quality is unsurpassed, so if you only have time to shop at one store, make it this one.
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Oriental Center Arts
Saeed Zozoul creates exquisite furniture, mirror frames, picture frames, and decorative panels and ceilings for old Damascene houses by shaping raised patterns using gypsum and plaster, painting them colourfully, then carefully applying gold leaf to embellish them further. Each piece takes about four days and can be made to order in five.
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Khalil Haddad
For inlaid wooden boxes, chests and backgammon boards, visit Khalil Haddad, who fronts the actual workshop in which this exquisite work is produced. There are also many other workshops along Sharia Bab Sharqi and the surrounding streets with similar quality handicrafts.
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Mahmoud Shahin
Palestinian philosopher-writer-artist Mahmoud can be found most days in his tiny atelier drinking Turkish coffee and smoking cigarettes while he paints his small, striking paintings of veiled ladies, sensual shapes of women and other, often surreal, scenes.
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Elias Hayek
Damascus has no shortage of liquor stores selling beer, arak, spirits, and Syrian and Lebanese wine, in the Christian Quarter of the Old City and the modern town. A central liquor shop is Elias Hayek, on a side street running south off Al-Merjeh.
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Abdel Razek Mousali
Abdel Razek Mousali is the city's best music store, with an extensive selection of music, from the giants of the Arab world (Umm Kolthum, Fairouz, Farid al-Atrache and Abdel Halim Hafez) to jazz, classical and contemporary Arabic music.
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Souq Medhat Pasha
For red-and-white (Bedouin) and black-and-white (Palestinian) kufeyya (chequered scarves), dishdashas (men's white dress), tarbooshes (traditional red hats) and wooden canes, head to the covered Souq Medhat Pasha.
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Ibrahim Tawil
Great-nephew of the famous oud (Arabian lute) maker Hanna Nahaat, Anton (Tony) Ibrahim Tawil makes beautiful ouds in this dusty workshop. Expect to pay from S£3000 for a quality instrument suitable for learners.
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Librairie Avicenne
One block south of Cham Palace, Damascus' best bookshop stocks foreign-language publications with a decent range of Syria guidebooks, coffee-table books on the Middle East, phrase books, and novels in English and French.
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George Dabdoub
George Dabdoub, on the small square in front of the entrance to Azem Palace, sells jewellery, brass, icons, brocade and carpets. The courteous staff and fair prices make this an easy place to shop.
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Deeb Balah
Deaf sandal-maker Deeb handcrafts simple leather sandals and Turkish-style slippers with colourful brocade patterns. He helpfully reads lips in English, so you can order a size or style to suit.
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Hassab al-Kazaz & Sons
These beautiful, bold-coloured glass chandeliers, lamps, vases and decorative objects are hand-blown. Ask and they'll take you to the workshop out back where they're made.
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Librairie Universelle
Just west of Sharia Yousef al-Azmeh, it has a smattering of novels plus Middle East gift books.
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