Fewer tourists and higher prices at Damascus souk as civil war continues

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• published: 03 Aug 2015
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The Souq al-Hamidiyya in Damascus has long been a firm favourite with visiting shoppers. But Syria's civil war has taken its toll - businesses say the unrest is driving away tourists and pushing up prices. Shoppers hunt for a bargain in the Souq al-Hamidiyya - a long, covered market in the Old City of Damascus. The shops here seemingly sell everything - from handicrafts and carpets, to lanterns and musical instruments. The two-storey bazaar dates back to the late 19th century, and features narrow side streets darting off the main thoroughfare. For years, the souq has been one of the Syrian capital's top tourist attractions. But the country's vicious civil war has taken its toll - driving visitors away, shopkeepers say. "Of course we have been affected here in al-Hamidiyya because we have always been accustomed to foreigners visiting, and because of the external pressure that has been applied on the country, foreigners are afraid to come to Syria," says one vendor. The Syrian uprising began in Daraa in March 2011 with anti-government protests. The revolt later turned into a civil war that has killed at least 170-thousand people and displaced some nine million - a third of the country's pre-war population. In the souq today, though, there is a degree of optimism in the air. "We have been affected by the crisis," says another vendor. "But thank God and our Syrian merchants who have been brave - because of them we got through the crisis and now we are fine and things are getting better and better." The souq sits in the capital's Old City, near the Umayyad Mosque (also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus). Nearby, a towering statue of the great warrior Saladin provides a distant echo of conflict. Along with falling numbers of tourists, vendors say prices have also risen in the wake of war. "We used to depend on the local factories in Aleppo and Homs," explains one shopkeeper. "Now they have all moved here, to Damascus, which helped prices to double and triple." As a consequence of the war, the price of imported fabrics has also escalated, he adds. "For example, a customer used to buy something for 500 (Syrian) pounds (3 US dollars) and now she will have to pay 2,000 pounds (13 US dollars) for the same thing," he explains. "There is a huge difference in price." Forced to pay higher prices, shoppers tend to buy only essential items, say some vendors. "People now are more concerned about the essentials before they buy gold or silver," says one jeweller. And yet Syria's civil war shows few signs of abating soon. Government forces are locked in battle with fighters from the Islamic State group, who have in the past few weeks seized a huge chunk of territory straddling the Iraq-Syria border, where they declared a self-styled caliphate. At the Souq al-Hamidiyya, life - and business - goes on, much as it has done for decades. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d6eac770594bbd4f7e230f8a9498987f Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork