Al-Hamidiyah Souq is the largest and the most central souk in Damascus, Syria, located inside the old walled city next to the Citadel. The souq starts at Al-Thawra street and ends at the Great Umayyad Mosque plaza.The tin roofs over Medhat Pasha and Souq Al-Hamidiyeh date from the 19th century Ottoman refurbishment of the main souqs. During the insurgency against the French occupation, the cities' souqs were strafed by French Air Force aircraft. The bullet punctures have remained that way for almost one hundred years. The shafts of sunlight which pierce into the dark souqs are blindingly beautiful, and a daily reminder of Syria's struggle for independence.