After visiting the three Suqs, at the southern end of Suq al-Khawajat is the start of the street to Bab al-Silsilah. Ten meters further down, one finds the entrance to Khan al-Sultan, also known as al-Wakala. It is attributed to the Mamluk Sultan al-Zahir Barquq, who renovated it in 1386 AD (788 H). The Khan is composed of two floors, the lower of which was used for keeping animals and receiving goods arriving to Jerusalem from the countryside, while the upper floor included private areas used for receiving guests, normally traveling traders. The income from this Khan was earmarked for al-Aqsa Mosque maintenance projects, amounting in the 9th Century H to about 400 gold dinars. This Khan was a center for commercial life, whereby goods were priced, taxed and distributed to retail traders. Until recently, the Khan was a center for selling cheeses, dairy products and lard. Today, it is commercially deserted, used for storage or as living quarters for poor families whose financial situation is difficult but who wish to stay in Jerusalem, despite harassment.
