Shopping

A visit to the souk enables the tourist to discover something of the town's everyday life and at the same time see monuments which are often no longer used (the madrassas and bimarstans for example) but whose design and decoration is extremely interesting. Along the main axis from Bab Antakia to the Citadel just about every possible kind of goods are offered for sale - food, clothing, perfumes, shoes... What does it matter if tinned goods and plastics are displayed beside freshly gathered vegetables and traditional spices piled up in great gaily colored heaps, if western detergents rub shoulder with red and green beeswax candles; if in the narrow passageway that is the al Irakich souk reserved for the rope-makers, peasants and the last of the camel drivers hesitate between hemp and nylon.... Of course it doesn't matter at all; change is a sign of vitality and the daily life of a people who are both faithful to their traditions and also fully up to date is just as interesting to watch as painfully preserved folklore. The visitor may be a little put off at first but he will soon get used to the setting and appreciate the company of these people - traders, artists and customers - who are so often prepared to be friendly.

The semicircular or pointed slightly horseshoe-shaped vaulting, the domes where the streets intersect, all built in fine limestone, are themselves an architectural masterpiece. The thickness of the structure ensures an even temperature all the year round; cool in summer, warm and dry in winter. Opening the top of the vaulting let in sunbeams sometimes and a gentle light throughout the day.