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"Reports that Syria's Ministry of Endowments has requested Ottoman-era waqf (charitable endowment) records from Turkey have stirred concern among merchants in Damascus' Hamidiya Souq, amid fears the move could affect current property ownership in the historic market. Footage filmed on Thursday shows shoppers moving through the historic Al-Hamidiyah Souq, one of Old Damascus's most iconic landmarks, lined with centuries-old shops and notable sites. Abu Omar, a merchant, dismissed claims of 'Ottoman waqf' over commercial shops, arguing that the system during that period was mainly limited to religious and charitable institutions such as mosques and takiyyas. He added that most endowments in the market originated from private initiatives by merchants and Damascus residents, who dedicated their own properties to charitable purposes, rather than being directly administered by Ottoman authorities. "I have a green title deed and I pay my fees and taxes. I am not involved in this matter. They should take it up with the relevant government agencies, not come to me. I worked my whole life to get where I am today. Now they are asking me to hand over my shop," said Abu Rida Al-Ashqar, another merchant. "If I hand over my shop to the Turks, then in the coming days the French and Romanians will also come and claim their property. By then, Syria will have been divided up - where will we live?" he added. Bashar Qouli, another shop owner, said the proposed decision had 'unclear purposes,' questioning whether a hidden agenda lay behind it. "Where is our independent state? Our country is Syria. It makes no sense for our documents to be used or invalidated in this way," he exclaimed. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Endowments announced that it had submitted a request to the Presidency of Religious Affairs for a full copy of the Ottoman archives, with the aim of documenting and cataloguing endowment properties and legally registering them within Syria. Samer Birqadar, Deputy Minister of Religious Endowments for Endowment Affairs, said Syrian endowments are 'purely Syrian property,' denying any connection to Turkey and stressing that the request was solely for documentation purposes. He noted that the ministry had received waqf files without an organised archive, but rather as scattered documents lacking accurate ownership records. He said Sharia law protects owners acting in 'good faith' and that officially registered properties cannot be changed outside legal procedures. According to official data, the number of waqf properties in Syria stands at around 37,000, concentrated mainly in Aleppo with about 19,000 properties, followed by Damascus with around 8,500, then Idlib with approximately 3,000, while the rest are distributed across other governorates. The term 'Ottoman waqf' dates back to 1516, when Selim I entered Damascus and a centralised system for managing endowments was established, based on official waqf deeds and land registers preserved in the state archives in Istanbul. Those records included markets and sections of markets such as Hamidiya Souq and Midhat Pasha Market, as well as service facilities and agricultural lands. They helped finance schools, hospitals and social services, making them a cornerstone of the Levant's urban and economic structure for centuries."
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