[oman-l] Re: shopping in Muscat

[Billyboy]

> Hello.   Please do tell us about the souq-shopping.
> Nicole

The souk in Muttrah has been mentioned in the writings of
travellers for many hundreds of years.  It is a maze of
narrow passages, just wide enogh for two people to pass,
with a few broader ways through it.  The passage ways are
covered.  On either side of the passage ways are the small
shops, mostly with 2 to 4 meter frontages.  Like many souqs
around the world, there is a tendancy for similar shops to
gather together, though in Muttrah, this tendancy is far
from absolute.  Muttrah souk is always busy.  Some of the
main shops sell:

Perfumes.  Mostly Eastern, attars (oil based perfumes)
rather than the western alcohol based ones.  Perfumes may be
applied to the body, but they are also extensively used in
burners to make rooms smell nice.  The perfume shops sell
the burning paraphanalia.

Spices.  Great sacks of spices, with their overflowing
contents, add to the rich aroma of the souk.  Dried limes,
sandle-wood, cinamon stick, cardamon, cloves, pepper-corns,
dried coriander leaves and pulses, coriander powder, dried,
crushed and powdered chillies - the list goes on and on.

Material shops.  These have their colourful wares displayed.
Brilliant cloths from India and Japan and around the world.
Lots of cottons, silks and satins

Gold and silver.  Selling both new items and old silver
items.

'Heritage' shops.  These sell Old Omani artefcts (silver
jewelry, message cases, marie therese dollars, coffee pots,
boxes, powder horns, swords, khunjars.  Beware - some of the
items may not be as old as they seem.  They also sell
pictures and prints of Oman, and brass, silver and lacquer
ware brought over from India.  They tend to be full of
tourists!

Many shoe shops and clothes shops sell the sorts of clothes
that Oamnis wear.  In public (and often in private, too,
Omanis still wear the traditional style of clothing).
Others sell T-shirts, jeans and other 'western' style
clothes.

Other shops sell aluminium and stainless steel kitchen ware,
watches, plastic kitchen ware and toys.  Others cater for
the more rural communities, selling rope, farm and gardening
implements, knives etc.

There are a few refreshment shops, selling tea, coffee and
cold drinks.

And more.  Much, much more!  The souk is busy and bustling
every day.

In Muttrah, there are separate souks, selling vegetables,
fish and meat.

Such covered souks exist in the other main towns.  In some
of them old gizails (match-lock) and Martini Henry rifles
may be bought.

The souk in Sinaw is particularly well known for its sales
of camels and goats.

Most small towns and villages will have a souk.  It might
only be an open piece of land, where local farmers gather
with their fruit and vegetables for sale.  They might be
weekly or daily.  In some of the villages, the agricultural
produce will be brought in donkey carts.

Is that enough?

Toodle pip!!

Bill