Suq Khan az-Zait

Suq Khan az-Zait
Suq Khan az-Zait in 2015
Native nameسوق خان الزيت (Arabic)
Lengthc. 400 metres (1,300 ft)[1]
LocationOld City of Jerusalem
FromDamascus Gate[2]
ToChurch of the Holy Sepulchre, Perfumers' Market[2]

Suq Khan az-Zait is a street and a souk in the Old City of Jerusalem,[2] it was initially established 2000 years ago during the roman rule of Jerusalem, then part of the Cardo, and continues to be a busy street in the 21st century.[3][4][5] The 7th station of Via Dolorosa is found in the market.[6]

Name

The name Suq Khan az-Zeit can be translated to English as "Street of the Oil Merchants".[7] In the market, an olive press dating back to the Mamluk era can be found in a location known as khan az-zeit (olive khan).[2]

Structures

Shops

As of 2019, there were 108 active shops in the market.[8]

Khan al-Zayt

Khan al-Zayt (Arabic: خان الزيت, romanized: khān al-zayt) is a inn found in the street historically used to store olive oil, eventually becoming the namesake of the street.[5]

19th century archeologist Conrad Schick studied the khan and published his analysis in the 1897 issue of the Palestine Exploration Fund, he took note of the presence of 2 cisterns used to store oil, which he attributed to the soap factory that once operated there. He also published 2 floor plans of the khan in that issue.[9]

Mosque

The Khan az-Zait Mosque was constructed in 1063 AH (1652/1653 CE) near the end of the souk, about 80 meters away from the cotton merchants market, only 800 meters away from Al-Aqsa Mosque, it was eventually repurposed into a shop.[2][10] The mosque was damaged significantly by the 1927 Jericho earthquake.[10]

Hashimi Hotel

The construction of the Hashimi Hotel is dated to around the 17th century. It was renovated 3 times in 1982, 1993, and 2013.[11]

History

Roman period

Roman vs modern Jerusalem
A map with road names
Basic schematic map of Jerusalem, as rebuilt by Hadrian (a reconstruction known as Aelia Capitolina), showing the two main north-south roads (Cardo Maximus and Cardo Minimus), and the two main east-west roads (Decumanus Maximus and Decumanus Minimus).
A basic map
Modern day map of Jerusalem, al-wad street and suq khan ez-zait can be traced on it from north, where they split-off at Damascus gate, to south, suq khan az-zait is on the west

The street was initially established during the Roman rule of Jerusalem as a part of the Cardo; a throughfare from the north to the south of the city.[4][3] It is believed by scholars that this was established during the reign of Hadrian as part of Aelia Capitolina.[3] The exact history of the street during the Byzantine and Roman periods is uncertain and further archaeological excavations are complicated by the presence of the modern-day market.[3]

Mamluk period

During the Mamluk rule of Jerusalem, the shops at the intersection of the two streets khan al-zayt street and Chain Street were a major commercial district. Most of their income was reserved for charitable trusts.[12] The street pavement is believed to have been renovated during the Mamluk or Ayyubid periods.[5]

Ottoman period

Soap factories, similar to those found in Nablus, operated in khan al-zayt as late as the 19th century. The remains of one masbana (Arabic: مصبنة) still exist in the street as of 2002, it is owned by the al-Qutayna family, who operated the factory.[13]: 152  No such factories remain operational as of the 21st century.[13] Unlike most other food stuffs, camel caravans transporting olive oil could not freely sell oil without first weighing it and unloading it into khan al-zayt.[13]: 77  One soap factory was established in khan al-zayt in the 18th-19th century, it was listed in the records of a waqf that owned a share of it.[14]

Ottoman authorities in the 16th century attempted to organised the markets into guilds, for instance, oil is to be sold in khan al-zayt and meat in the Butchers' market, but such regulations were frequently ignored.[13]: 125 

Post-1967

In April of 2023, the Israel Police restricted traffic through the street, hinder Holy Saturday celebrations.[15][16] Similar restrictions were reported by The New Arab in 2024, during the Gaza war.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Atrash, Walid; Overman, Andrew; Gendelman, Peter (10 November 2022). Cities, Monuments and Objects in the Roman and Byzantine Levant: Studies in Honour of Gabi Mazor. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-80327-335-8. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "سوق خان الزيت موطن معاصر الزيتون في القدس" [Khan al-Zeit market, home to olive presses in Jerusalem]. Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Magness, Jodi (1 January 1993). Jerusalem Ceramic Chronology: Circa 200-800 CE. A&C Black. pp. 120–123. ISBN 978-1-85075-413-8. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 "شارع "الكاردو" الروماني... شريان القدس وشاهد على تاريخها" [The Roman Cardo Street... Jerusalem's artery and a witness to its history]. Independent Arabic (in Arabic). 7 March 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "من أقدم أسواق القدس.. ما سبب تسمية سوق خان الزيت؟" [One of the oldest markets in Jerusalem... What is the reason for naming Khan al-Zeit market?]. Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 25 Jan 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  6. ↑ "يتكون من 14 مرحلة.. درب الآلام بالقدس القديمة" [It consists of 14 stations... the Via Dolorosa in Old Jerusalem]. Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Freedman, David Noel; Campbell, Edward Fay; Wright, George Ernest (1970). The Biblical Archaeologist Reader. American Schools of Oriental Research ; Missoula, Mont. p. 390. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "أسواق القدس العتيقة.. قصص من التاريخ" [The markets of Old Jerusalem... stories from history]. Al Jazeera Mubashar (in Arabic). 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Palestine Exploration Fund. 1897. pp. 29–33. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 "مساجد البلدة القديمة في مدينة القدس" [Mosques of the Old City of Jerusalem]. WAFA (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "فندق الهاشمي بالقدس يعول على السياحة الإسلامية" [Al-Hashemi Hotel in Jerusalem relies on Islamic tourism]. Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Luz, Nimrod (28 April 2014). The Mamluk City in the Middle East: History, Culture, and the Urban Landscape. Cambridge University Press. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-107-04884-3. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Cohen, Amnon (22 August 2002). "Economic Life in Ottoman Jerusalem". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  14. ↑ Memiş, Şerife Eroğlu (19 January 2026). Ottoman Provincial Society and the Waqf of Jerusalem, 1703-1831: Between Ottomanization and Local Networks. BRILL. pp. 160–161. ISBN 978-90-04-74344-1. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "رغم قيود الاحتلال: الكنائس الشرقية تحتفل بـ" [Despite the restrictions of the occupation: Eastern churches celebrate]. Wafa. 15 Apr 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "رغم قيود الاحتلال.. المسيحيون يحتفلون بـ"سبت النور" في كنيسة القيامة (فيديو)" [Despite the restrictions imposed by the occupation, Christians celebrate Holy Saturday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (video)]. Al Jazeera Live (in Arabic). 14 Apr 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "سبت النور في فلسطين بلا بهجة أو احتفالات بسبب حرب غزّة" [Holy Saturday in Palestine was devoid of joy or celebrations due to the Gaza war.]. The New Arab (in Arabic). 7 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
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