Built between 1732 and 1736 by Sulayman Pasha al-Azm, the Ottoman governor of Damascus, this caravanserai was one of the largest and grandest khans in the city. Its courtyard — originally roofed by twin domes on pendentives — sheltered merchants and their caravans travelling the Silk Road. The building's defining architectural feature is ablaq: alternating courses of black basalt and white limestone banded across every wall and arch.
For nearly two centuries the khan hummed with trade. Its popular name, Khan al-Hamasina, came from the merchants of Homs who leased its shops and warehouses. By the late 19th century, as trade routes shifted, the khan fell quiet — becoming a storage space and later a traditional nut-roasting workshop. The twin domes weathered, but the stone held.
In 2021 the Damascus Governorate and the Whoud Investment Group began a comprehensive restoration. Over 80% of the original stone was preserved. The team used traditional lime mortar instead of cement — applied by Damascene craftsmen — and installed every modern system (lighting, climate control, technology) on a reversibility principle: nothing pierces the historic fabric, and everything can be removed without leaving a trace.
UNESCO commended the approach and noted it for future global reports. On 5 January 2026, Tourism Minister Mazen Al-Salhani opened the doors.
The Ottoman governor commissions a grand caravanserai on the Straight Street. Alternating basalt and limestone — the ablaq technique that defines the brand today.
The khan hums with merchants and caravans. Goods from Persia, Anatolia, and Arabia pass through its twin-domed courtyard.
Trade routes shift. The khan loses its intensity, becoming a storage space and a nut-roasting workshop. The domes weather.
Damascus Governorate and Whoud Investment Group launch a meticulous restoration — 80% original stone, lime mortar, reversible installations. UNESCO commends.
The doors open as a 5-star hotel. Twenty-seven rooms welcome the first guests in over a century.
A restoration that may stand as a global model — heritage kept alive, not embalmed.
UNESCO — on the Khan's restoration standards
The hotel anchors a walking route through the old city: the Umayyad Mosque, Khan As'ad Pasha, the souqs, and the Straight Street.
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