Al-Manakhliah Market: A Tale of a Damascene Neighborhood Breathing History

SadaNews - The Al-Manakhliah market in Old Damascus carries a name that drips from the depth of craftsmanship and the spirit of the land together, a name that feels like it emerged from the womb of the narrow alleys overflowing with the scents of damp wood and the sound of hammers playing the melody of precision and mastery.

In its early days, this market was a haven for the manufacture of sieves and screens, seemingly simple tools, yet they formed the backbone of a life that moved to the rhythm of agriculture and trade, drawing its strength from the simplicity of needs and the depth of meanings.

Every sieve born here carried within its threads a story of a hand accustomed to patience and precision, and a piece of the memory of ancestors who shaped crafts as poems are crafted, carefully, rhythmically, and diligently.

That name was not merely a label for a place, but a symbol of a time when things were made without haste, and more of the artisan's spirit was infused into them than of their raw materials. A time when craftsmanship was an extension of human dignity and pride in one’s work, where sieves and screens left the market for Damascene homes as if they were part of its soil and pulse. Tools that sift love, separate the good from the worthless, and teach their owners that mastery is the most beautiful face of loyalty.

As time flowed, the market's features changed, and its activities expanded in a calm yet solid trajectory. Small shops began to appear on either side, displaying building materials, traditional craft tools, and everyday knick-knacks, transforming the market into a living reservoir of Damascene professions, an open space where stories mix with the sounds of selling, and the memory of the place reverberates whenever a hand brushes against aged wood or a rusty box carrying the scent of years gone by.

This extension was not merely a physical expansion, but a natural reflection of the city's own transformations, as the market remained a mirror to Damascus as it changed, preserving its old spirit amid every change. It was a living urban entity breathing with the neighborhood's residents, capturing their breaths and returning them in the form of trade and renewed memory, becoming like an open warehouse storing the history of Damascene crafts, exporting it to the entire city.

Among the closely-knit shops, times meet just as ancient caravan routes converge. Those who stand in the market now hear the footsteps of the past in the stones of the ground, and smell the scent of old wood blended with the scent of time in the air of the alleys. In this place, craftsmanship transforms into language, sound into memory, and time into a story whose chapters unfold from generation to generation.

The Al-Manakhliah market is not just a narrow street lined with busy shops; it is an open architectural text where geography intertwines with history, reflecting the philosophy of Damascus in preserving its spirit despite the vicissitudes of eras. It is the place where the Damascenes learned that craftsmanship is not merely a means of livelihood but a form of belonging, a message that says that hands which craft with precision and patience create a civilization that does not perish.

A History Spanning Centuries

The age of Al-Manakhliah market extends over 18 centuries, as if it were a stone manuscript read by the ages, leaving behind its successive imprints on its pages. The market was in its early days a pulsating artery connecting the heart of Damascus with its outskirts, a bustling station through which caravans passed from the plains of Ghouta and the banks of Barada and the distant slopes of Qalamoun. In its narrow alleys, paved with pebbles, the footsteps of caravans echoed daily, carrying wood, grains, and hides, filling the air with a scent of toil mixed with the voices of sellers calling out to their goods in melodies reminiscent of the old market's chants.

In those ancient times, the market served as a bustling heart of the city, where goods flowed just as stories did. Here, a farmer coming from the countryside met a merchant coming from Aleppo or Palmyra. Traders exchanged their copper and silver coins on wooden tables overflowing with the warmth of bargaining and the artisans' cunning. Every stone in this place bore witness to this flowing life, as if the market were a large mosaic panel storing details of people, their voices, and the scents of their goods within layers of collective memory.

With the passing centuries and the succession of states and empires, the market remained steadfast as if it refused to bow to time. When the Ottomans entered Damascus, the market underwent a profound transformation; its alleys widened, trade increased, and rows of closely packed shops sprang up along its sides, almost touching each other as if they were bodies huddled around a single warmth. This era was a moment of architectural and social flourishing, with the market becoming not just a place for buying and selling, but a vibrant neighborhood, resembling a small village pulsating in the heart of the large city.

In this intertwined village of souls, human relationships ran deeper than the ebb and flow of commerce, and familiarity among people was paramount. The customer was not a passing stranger but a neighbor, relative, or an old acquaintance. The shopkeeper did not merely stand behind his goods as a guard of profit; he was a guardian of his ancestors' reputation and the voice of the neighborhood, unwavering in loyalty.

Anyone entering the market in those days did not need a guide to show the way; the eyes of the sellers recognized strangers and guests, welcoming them with a smile befitting a place that understands that trade is not just an exchange of goods but a constantly renewing friendship with those entering.

Source: Al Jazeera