| Martyrs' Square ساحة الشهداء | |
 The square and theYalbugha Mosque | |
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| Coordinates | 33°30′46″N36°17′53″E / 33.5128°N 36.2980°E /33.5128; 36.2980 |
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| Construction | |
| Completion | Late 19th century |
Marjeh Square (Arabic:ساحة المرجة,romanized: sāḥat al-Marjah), also known as "Martyrs' Square" (ساحة الشهداءsāḥat ash-Shuhadā’), is a square in centralDamascus, Syria, just outside the walls of the old city. The SyrianInterior Ministry has its headquarters in the square.
The square was built by theOttomans in the late nineteenth century. A new post office and municipality were built there using steel and cement, new materials for Damascus at that time.[1] The Ottomans publicly executed seven Syrian national activists in the square onMartyrs' Day, 6 May 1916, and it is for this reason known as "Martyrs' Square". After the French took control of Syria they continued to use the square for the same purpose. Fakhri Hassan al-Kharrat, son of theGreat Syrian Revolt leaderHasan al-Kharrat, was hanged there in 1925–26.[2] On 18 May 1965, Israeli spyEli Cohen was publicly hanged in Marjeh Square.[3]
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