The Souk al-Mahmas, developping from the Great Mosque toward south and the famous Bab Qinnesrine, includes to the north some early Islamic structures which could be dated from the 12th or the 13th centuries. Other sections of the souk could date from the Mamluk and early Ottoman periods. Most of the merchants used this souk to access to the main gate to the prayer hall of the Great Mosque, recently restored within the project of rehabilitation of the Mosque. 

Most of the vaults of Souk al-Mahmas were constructed at the beginning of the Ottoman period.    

Damage in the souk can be estimated at 70% resulting from the civil unrest events between 2012 and 2016, and from the 2023 earthquake. The vault of the southern section included a rare pyramidal dome made of woof, which was destroyed prior to the Aga Khan Cultural Services-Syria (AKCS-S) intervention and was reconstructed based of remains.   

Documentation, damage assessment and studies were performed by in house-local staff of AKCS-S at the end of 2021. Project implementation, with a length of 36 meters including 24 shops, was undertaken from January 2024 to December 2024.  

A successful participative process, key to the long-term sustainability of the project involved local authorities, represented by the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, the Directorate of the Old City, as the Committee of the souk, representing shop owners and tenants, permanently associated throughout the project. To be noted is the close coordination with the restoration of the Great Mosque, adjacent to the Souk al-Mahmas. 

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture