25°17'12N 51°31'60E T. 24°C - 32°C
No way, the best place to breath the qatari athmosphere is undoubtly the Souq; a kind of open-non-open bazar where old traditions, handcraft and the inborn arab sense of trade spread out all over. Camel markets, Ancient buildings made with old construction techniques, dim lights and rich arabesque decorations mixed up with the plainness of the palm-leaves woven ceilings covering the inner part of the souq.
Once you enter in, you get completely sucked in a twirling maze of tiny narrow streets, full of people strolling around and merchants trying to seduce you with some special bargain..
Someone is carving wood in his own little shop, goldsmiths are cutting gems for their precious jewels, someone is selling falcons and weird fluorescent chicks, a man is walking nowhere with his empty hand-cart and a black-dressed female is sitting on the ground with fire, stones and a red-hot griddle cooking the typical arab bread.
People enjoy walking and peering here and there, or sitting in the typical restaurants of the square, eating local food, smoking shishas or drinking the qatari alcohol-free mojito, the Lemonmint (so delightful, believe me!).
Perfumes are all over; a pleasant rose-flavoured incense, fruits and vanilla's smells coming from the shisha and flower fragrances enshroud you and suddenly disappear at the end of an alley, turning themselves into strong spice smells: peppery paprika, sweet cinnamon, indian curry, sugar-coated dates, large bags full of tasty pistachios, nuts, dried fruits and whatsoever..
And once you get used to perfumes, you are totally invaded by a multitude of colours coming from the textiles and fabrics in the shops, persian carpets on the ground and a multicoloured cascade of pashminas which plasters the walls along the alleys.
It's right here that I can't help stopping, totally enchanted by those fascinating gradations of colours, decorative patterns and sparkling silver-gold embroideries....Wow...awesome!! So, totally bewildered, I'm loosing myself into the charming words of the pitchman and, in a while, I find myself wrapped up in a large 100% cashmere pashmina, that I bought for only 20QAR... It's only 4 Euro!! So soft...so cozy...
It's a pity that I have to ration my pictures... I must be careful because Arab women don't like at all to be photographed..and I definitely don't mean to hurt them!!So now and then I steal some picture in a hurry, trying to catch the spirit of that people, the sense of that mess and the true hearth of such a misterious place. It's a kind of magic..
Whatever open-hearth.
No way, the best place to breath the qatari athmosphere is undoubtly the Souq; a kind of open-non-open bazar where old traditions, handcraft and the inborn arab sense of trade spread out all over. Camel markets, Ancient buildings made with old construction techniques, dim lights and rich arabesque decorations mixed up with the plainness of the palm-leaves woven ceilings covering the inner part of the souq.
Once you enter in, you get completely sucked in a twirling maze of tiny narrow streets, full of people strolling around and merchants trying to seduce you with some special bargain..
Someone is carving wood in his own little shop, goldsmiths are cutting gems for their precious jewels, someone is selling falcons and weird fluorescent chicks, a man is walking nowhere with his empty hand-cart and a black-dressed female is sitting on the ground with fire, stones and a red-hot griddle cooking the typical arab bread.
People enjoy walking and peering here and there, or sitting in the typical restaurants of the square, eating local food, smoking shishas or drinking the qatari alcohol-free mojito, the Lemonmint (so delightful, believe me!).
Perfumes are all over; a pleasant rose-flavoured incense, fruits and vanilla's smells coming from the shisha and flower fragrances enshroud you and suddenly disappear at the end of an alley, turning themselves into strong spice smells: peppery paprika, sweet cinnamon, indian curry, sugar-coated dates, large bags full of tasty pistachios, nuts, dried fruits and whatsoever..
And once you get used to perfumes, you are totally invaded by a multitude of colours coming from the textiles and fabrics in the shops, persian carpets on the ground and a multicoloured cascade of pashminas which plasters the walls along the alleys.
It's right here that I can't help stopping, totally enchanted by those fascinating gradations of colours, decorative patterns and sparkling silver-gold embroideries....Wow...awesome!! So, totally bewildered, I'm loosing myself into the charming words of the pitchman and, in a while, I find myself wrapped up in a large 100% cashmere pashmina, that I bought for only 20QAR... It's only 4 Euro!! So soft...so cozy...
It's a pity that I have to ration my pictures... I must be careful because Arab women don't like at all to be photographed..and I definitely don't mean to hurt them!!So now and then I steal some picture in a hurry, trying to catch the spirit of that people, the sense of that mess and the true hearth of such a misterious place. It's a kind of magic..
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| Souq Waqif - Inner part |
Whatever open-hearth.
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