The Souk

On Friday, Paul, Mia and I went to what is described as "the most stunning souk in the Gulf Region" (Live, Work, Explore Qatar). The souk stands upon the site of what was once a tiny village wnere the Bedouin brought their goods for trade.  In the recent past, the trade center deteriated, but has now been restored and is a vibrant labyrinth of activity where one can purchase an array of unusual items from all over the Mideast and East. The shops are small and many are merely stalls. What caught my eye were the beautiful silk carpets from Iran and the bright, glittering fabrics from India.  One can even get a dress or suit tailor-made with a fabric of your choice! Collections of swords, guns, knives, and armor seem very popular as do the beautiful pearl boxes from Lebanon and hand made vases from Lebanon, Turkey, Iran with intricate patterns and colorful designs. There are also nut, candy, chocolate, and spice shops where one can inhale the sensual delights of the region. Water pipes (called shiusha pipes here) are sold in many sizes and designs--this, by the way, is a very common practice and one must be prepared to smell the scented "tobacco" in most public places, including restaurants. The souk is also one of the few places people can purchase animals, although where they came from and how they have been raised is questionable.  We even saw a monkey for sale! I also thought it interesting that some locals were buying pigeons. Mia was enamored with the bright pink and blue bunnies (yes, they have dyed the fur of bunnies and chicks) and really wants one now for her birthday (which is coming up on Saturday!).

We ate dinner at an outdoor table at a Lebanese Restaurant at the souk. Of course we ordered hummus and
baba ganoosh with our meal. Sitting at a table in a restaurant here is usually an all-night event and done in a very leisurely manner.  Children are very welcome any time anywhere. At dinner, we were able to do quite a bit of people-watching as the foot trafic at the souk is heavy and very diverse. By diverse I mean variety within the Mideast and East where almost all of the women are veiled, but the veils vary from region to region and alomost all of the men wear long robes and headpieces, but that also varies from region to region. It seems that many more women here wear veils that cover all of the face, except the eyes, than in Abu Dhabi.at this point, it is not clear which women and men are Qatari and which are from Africa or another Arab country. There were also other Westerners at the souk, most of whom seem to be British, or Eastern European. Although there were many families walking and eating together, there are many groups of Arab men walking and eating together.  This is especially noticeable for me since it is not common in the USA to see men shopping together or eating dinner together or sitting for hours with coffee and shisha. I did observe two men greet each other, and this was done in a very affectionate and gentle manner.I have been told that the friendship among men is very strong and loyalty is very important. This is strictly friendship, but a strong and lasting bond.

After dinner, we went shopping at a furniture store--a real contrast in style--which was open after 10:00 p.m. Most places close in the afternoon and reopen in the late afternoon and stay open until late evening.  This is very convenient for shopping and late night dining. Friday and Saturday make the weekend, since Friday is the holy day. For this reason, many offices and so on are not open during the day on Friday. The Muslims appear very devote. When the "call to prayer" is heard, they go to a mosque or prayer room--which is alwayts nearby, even in the shopping malls--and pray. Men and women do not pray in the same place, and the pray rooms are often located near the restrooms with very clear boundaries around the areas. People like their privacy, which I personally appreciate.