Mukhtar Al Souq The truth from the market, for the people
Powered Byمشمش Mesh-Mosh
Mukhtar's Market Tours

Olives
Their price in Syria, and how to choose them for pickling

Episode date: Length: 1 min 29 s Page published: · Last checked:

Olive season is pickling season in Syrian homes, when families stock up for the year (muneh). The Mukhtar asked sellers where the olives come from, what a kilo costs this year, how the varieties differ, and how to cure them at home.

The short answer

In October 2026 a kilo of olives in Damascus cost about $0.7 to $1.1 (100 to 150 new Syrian pounds), and one seller priced 10 kilos at about $7 (1,000 pounds). The olives come from Houran, Ghouta, Idlib and Daraa, and well known varieties are Tuffahi, Shamali and Salqini.

InstagramFacebookTikTokYouTube

How much do olives cost in Syria?

According to sellers in the episode, a kilo of olives in Damascus cost about $0.7 to $1.1 (100 to 150 new Syrian pounds) in October 2026. One seller said 10 kilos cost about $7 (1,000 pounds). Another said a kilo cost about 300 new pounds last year, so this year's olives are cheaper.

Where do the olives come from?

Sellers named Houran, Ghouta (the farmland around Damascus), Idlib and Daraa.

Which varieties are sold?

Tuffahi ("apple" olive): large fruit. Shamali ("northern"): from Aleppo and Afrin. Salqini: a variety known to home picklers.

How do you cure olives at home?

One seller's method: soak the olives in plain water for about ten days, changing the water from time to time. Then put them in salted water with lemon and seal the jar well.

Tips before you buy

Sellers say olives take up oil after rain, so post-rain olives are preferred for pressing. They advised against buying summer olives for pickling.

Questions people ask

How much is a kilo of olives in Syria?

In October 2026 a kilo cost about $0.7 to $1.1 (100 to 150 new Syrian pounds) in Damascus, according to sellers in the Mukhtar Al Souq episode.

What olive varieties grow in Syria?

Sellers named Tuffahi, Shamali from Aleppo and Afrin, and Salqini.

How do you remove the bitterness from olives?

Soak them in plain water for about ten days, changing the water, then store them in salted water with lemon in a sealed jar.

We ask sellers in the market and record every price with its date, in US dollars and new Syrian pounds. How we work

The Mukhtar Al Souq team: produced by (the show on his site) · written by Ahmad Nahas, Mazen Shbib, Ranim Shabani and Dania Halbouni · edited by Abdulrahman Al-Nassar and Abdulrahman Mulla · graphics by Wael Fayyad