Shopping in Syria's Souqs: What to Buy and How to Bargain
What to buy in the souqs of Damascus and Aleppo — spices, pistachios, laurel soap, sweets and crafts — how to bargain, and what not to take home.
In this article
Syrian souqs are not just places to shop but cities within cities: each craft has its market, each market its smell and sound. This is your guide to coming home with a beautiful bag without paying more than you should.
What to buy
- Spices: sumac, wild za'atar, Aleppo pepper, cumin and mixed spice. Ask for airtight packing.
- Aleppo pistachios, walnuts and almonds.
- Sweets: barazek, ghraybeh and baklava in boxes — see our sweets guide.
- Aleppo laurel soap — learn how to spot the real thing.
- Rose water, rose syrup and rose jam from the Damascene rose.
- Brocade, scarves and fabrics.
- Wood inlay and copperware — see our Damascus crafts guide.
- Freshly ground coffee with cardamom.
Where to go
- Damascus: Souq al-Hamidiyeh for everything, al-Buzuriyeh for spices and sweets, Midhat Pasha for fabrics, Straight Street and Bab Sharqi for crafts.
- Aleppo: the covered souqs below the Citadel, including the soap, spice and cloth markets.
The art of bargaining
- Bargaining is expected for crafts, fabrics and larger pieces — not for food or shops with marked prices.
- Start with conversation, not with price. The glass of tea you are offered is part of it.
- Offer a reasonably lower price and settle in the middle.
- If you don't agree, thank the seller and walk away politely — sometimes they follow with a better offer.
- Buying several pieces is the best way to a discount.
Check the currency before paying: prices are in new Syrian pounds, but some sellers may quote in old pounds or in dollars. Read our money guide.
Don't buy this
- Antiquities, old coins and "ancient" statues: exporting them is illegal, and most are fake anyway.
- Protected animals and plants.
More in our packing and customs guide.
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