Episode date: Length: 1 min 30 s
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Saffron is the most expensive spice in the market, which is why it is so often copied. The Mukhtar asked spice sellers in Damascus what a gram costs, where it comes from, and how natural and synthetic compare.
The short answer
In April 2026 a gram of natural saffron cost about $3.1 to $4.7 in Damascus (400 to 600 new Syrian pounds), and a gram of synthetic about $1.2 to $1.6 (150 to 200 pounds), sellers say. A kilo of natural saffron was about $3,150 (400,000 pounds). Most saffron in the market is Iranian, usually brought in by travellers.
According to sellers in the episode, a gram of natural saffron cost about $3.1 to $4.7 (400 to 600 new Syrian pounds) in Damascus in April 2026. Synthetic saffron cost about $1.2 to $1.6 a gram (150 to 200 pounds). One seller put a kilo of natural saffron at about $3,150 (400,000 pounds).
Why is saffron so expensive?
Saffron is made of tiny threads picked by hand from the saffron flower. One gram of dried saffron takes about 150 to 170 flowers, so a kilo needs roughly 150,000 flowers or more (University of Vermont). Sellers add that much is lost during drying.
Where does it come from?
Sellers said saffron used to come from Spain and Iran, and that most of it today is Iranian, usually carried in by travellers.
Natural or synthetic?
Natural saffron costs about three times as much as synthetic. If the price is close to the synthetic price, ask the seller clearly which one it is.
Questions people ask
How much is saffron per gram in Syria?
In April 2026 natural saffron cost about $3.1 to $4.7 a gram in Damascus (400 to 600 new Syrian pounds), according to sellers in the Mukhtar Al Souq episode.
What is the difference between natural and synthetic saffron?
Price is the clearest sign: natural cost about 400 to 600 pounds a gram, synthetic about 150 to 200.
Where does saffron in Syria come from?
Mostly Iran, usually brought in by travellers. It also used to come from Spain.
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 Ahmad Nahas (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
The truth from the market, for the people