(Little India) in Old Damascus.. Details and Tales

Damascus-SANA

On its walls and in its alleys, the history of the oldest inhabited capital in history is carved.

In the nineteenth century, according to the book “Damascuses” by the researcher Mounir Kayal, the ancient neighborhood of Qaymariya was called “Little India”, due to the variety of luxurious industries and distinctive textiles it includes. With all its fragrant past and ancient history.

Since the early morning hours, the pioneers of this neighborhood race to walk the ancient road with black stones, accompanied by Fayrouz’s voice emanating from cafes, shops, and other details such as food, coffee, candy, and antique stores, in addition to individual performances by a group of young people to draw faces directly or write the names of loved ones on colored sand. Or grains of rice, or taking a souvenir photo in this neighborhood flooded with beauty, or buying wild roses sold in the alleys of the neighborhood, or visiting restaurants and cafes scattered in its sides.

And he told SANA reporter, the young Ahmed Al-Tayyara, his story with the Al-Qaymariya neighborhood, while he is a student in the third secondary school, indicating that after the end of school hours every Thursday, he meets with his companions in Bab Touma and they walk towards the Al-Qaymariya neighborhood to buy some delicious food that specializes in it, such as pizza and croissants, and then sit in the Al-Nofara Café to drink “Khmer” tea, as a break after the trouble of a whole week of study, to return again at the beginning of each week to the study seats with love and activity.

Regarding the antiques and gifts that distinguish this neighborhood from others, the young woman, Lama Haddad, indicated that she is an expatriate living in the United Arab Emirates, and with every visit to Syria she chooses the Qaymariya neighborhood in her list of priorities to buy gifts and souvenirs from it and present them to her friends in the expatriate, as it reflects the simplicity and beauty of Syrian manual work ancient.

This neighborhood has many stories and memories with lovers, as it is the place that brings them together constantly, which was confirmed by the young man Fadi Salloum, who explained that he visits the neighborhood periodically with the girl he chose to be his life partner, where many details bring them together, including writing their names on a grain of rice and drawing their faces with a pencil on paper. And print lovely graphics on their clothes and form the first two letters of their names with grains of colored sand.

The young woman, Hala Al-Ali, an employee of an accounting company, says: She eagerly awaits the beginning of each month to meet with her childhood friends in a restaurant located in the Al-Qaymariya neighborhood, confirming their love for this monthly session based on their passion for walking in these ancient alleys, discovering the ancient Damascene lanes, and living in the fragrant memories. They end up in a restaurant that constantly offers "women's morning sessions".

And the young man, Ahmed Haroun, who is in the ninth grade, said that the Al-Qaymariya neighborhood witnesses unprecedented crowding during the holidays, events and official holidays, stressing that with the start of the midterm holiday, he goes with his friends daily to the neighborhood to entertain themselves and buy delicious food.

Historically, the Qaymariya neighborhood, according to the historical researcher Ilham Mahfoud, extends from the east of the Umayyad Mosque at Bab Jiroun in the west to the al-Jura neighborhood, which separates it from the Bab Touma neighborhood in the east, and separates this neighborhood from the straight street - the extension of Midhat Pasha market, the al-Kharab neighborhood in the south.

Regarding the naming of this neighborhood, the researcher Mahfoud explained that it dates back to a school set up by Prince Nasir al-Din al-Qaymari, one of the commanders of al-Nasser al-Ayyubi.

Mahfoud concluded her speech by emphasizing that the Qaymariya neighborhood is not only distinguished for being a destination for visitors and tourists due to the shops and restaurants located in it, but also for the presence of old houses in it that captivate the viewer as it is characterized by the Damascene character and the close social ties between the residents living in it.

Fida Hourani and Sakina Mohammed

Follow SANA's news on Telegram https://t.me/SyrianArabNewsAgency