Little Istanbul

Souk Saroujah was the first neighborhood in Damascus to be built outside the city walls in the 13th century. Known as Damascus's "Little Istanbul," Sarouja contains some perfect examples of traditional Damascene architecture, including houses, mosques and baths. The neighborhood had to struggle against the merciless invasion of steel and concrete, and had already lost some battles when the Governorate of Damascus decided to declare it as a protected historical site and started to "think", along with the Ministry of Tourism, about renovating the ailing buildings and opening the area up to tourists.