Oriental Market Burbach (Burbacher Souk)

Souk in the District

The Oriental Market Burbach — also known as Burbacher Souk — is one of Saarland's oldest and best-known intercultural district festivals. It has taken place annually on Burbacher Markt in Saarbrücken's Burbach district since 2010 and will celebrate its 16th edition in 2026.

Why Burbach?

Burbach is Saarbrücken's most colorful district. Around 100 nations live here — people from Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo, Sri Lanka, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and many other countries. The Oriental Market celebrates this diversity as the district's strength and turns a residential area into a shared stage once a year.

What you'll experience

• Around 70 stalls with traders and associations from the district and the region
• International gastronomy: lamb grill, couscous, falafel, hummus, mint tea, Moroccan sweets, Turkish baked goods, Syrian specialties
• Spices, pottery, jewelry, textiles
• Music and dance: belly dancing, Turkish folk dances, Kurdish music, Italian and Sri Lankan dance groups
• Themed tents: relaxation area for women, interreligious dialogue Christianity-Islam-Judaism, children's program with storytellers, Kurdish nomad tent

Sponsorship

The market is organized by the Burbach Community Work of Caritas Saarbrücken and the Immigration and Integration Office (ZIB) of the City of Saarbrücken. A collaboration that has been working since 2010 and has made the festival a firm fixture in Saarbrücken's event calendar.

More than a Market

The Oriental Market explicitly sees itself as an integration event. Locals and newcomers meet here, the district becomes visible as what it is: an urban mosaic. Former Saarbrücken Lord Mayor Charlotte Britz described the festival in 2010 as a combination of "oriental charm and Burbach hospitality" — and that still accurately describes it today.