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                                          The Old Souks of Bilad

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The old fan, nailed precariously on a beam above our heads did little to relieve the searing heat and humidity as we sat in an open café at one of the entrances to the ancient souks in the old part of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Although night had fallen the air temperature hardly drops in September and a cold juice before beginning our exploration was essential, especially for my wife in her black abaya. In this vast labyrinth of narrow streets crowded with thousands of people we were the only westerners as Saudi Arabia has little tourism and the expatriate population has declined rapidly in recent years.   Looking out from the café it was fascinating to watch the mix of people passing by. They were from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, their different dress reflecting their culture. Trading in this souk has gone on for centuries as Jeddah was an important station on trade routes between the Mediterranean and the Eastern countries and you get the feeling that little has changed for hundreds of years.

          Our observations were disturbed by numerous bare footed children aged perhaps between four and six years of age who persistently tried to sell us packets of chewing gum and eventually, having been harassed sufficiently we left to explore the souk. This particular entrance was reasonably wide with floors laid with marble tiles and along both sides of the street were small cave like shops set beneath ancient and decaying six story buildings. The streets were bustling with people yet the shops appeared empty, save the owners who seemed unconcerned as they dozed in chairs at the back of the shop. As we continued up the street it became narrower and the buildings closed in on both sides. The smell of spices begins to pervade the air and all around were barrels containing a myriad of different colours and strange herbs were carpeting the floor. Occasionally the street widened into a square where it was possible to sit and admire the beauty of the buildings. Large enclosed wooden balconies projected out overhanging the street. They are lattice worked with wooden panels to allow sea breezes through yet allow privacy for the occupants. Running off the main street are many narrow lanes some only wide enough to walk single file, you could lean out of opposite windows and hold hands across the street. The tall terraced houses border all the lanes creating such a narrow gap above that direct sunlight must rarely penetrate. We took one such lane and arrived in the silk souk where hundreds of little shops lined the alleyways selling what seemed like an infinite number of shades and patterns. A welcome relief here was that many of the shops had installed air conditioning and the cold air drifted into the narrow lanes. We sidestepped young men rushing up and down the streets with handcarts of materials and again found ourselves meandering through networks of tiny lanes which would open into little oasis of space and trees before suddenly narrowing again. At one of many blind junctions we turned right and stepped into an Aladdin’s cave of gold. We had stumbled across the gold souk where shop after shop was piled high with chains, bracelets, rings and every precious stone imaginable.

          A first visit to the souks overloads the senses with the turn of every corner offering a new experience. The actual business of shopping was forgotten however having found the silks, spices and gold we will have to return and engage upon the age old custom of bartering.