Visit
Come and stand where the soap sleeps.
The Jebeili factory is a working soap house, not a museum — and its doors open to visitors by appointment, in the heart of the Old City of Aleppo.
A working house by the gate.
The factory stands by Bab Qinnisrine, one of the seven ancient gates of Aleppo, a few steps from Khan al-Qadi and the covered souqs and within sight of the Citadel. Behind an unremarkable wooden door lie the stone-vaulted halls where the family has cooked and aged soap since 1832.
A visit is a quiet, first-hand look at a craft that has barely changed in centuries — best arranged ahead so someone from the family can show you through.
What you'll see
Three rooms, one craft.
The winter cook
From December to February the copper kettles run, and the hall fills with the smell of olive oil and laurel. This is the one season to see the soap actually made.
The aging vaults
Year-round, the stone vaults hold airy towers of soap curing in the dark — green cubes slowly turning brass-gold on the outside. Open whenever you visit.
The brass stamp
See the family's brass seal that is struck by hand into every bar, and the bladed rake used to score the poured slab into cubes across the floor.
Plan your visit.
Visits are by appointment so someone can guide you and the kettles or vaults are open when you arrive.
Hours
By appointment, Saturday–Thursday, 9:00–16:00. The winter cook (December–February) is the best time to see the kettles at work; the aging vaults can be visited year-round.
The shop
All six grades are sold at the factory shop, straight from the aging vaults — the freshest way to take a piece of Aleppo home.