We started at the Bur Dubai souks, a covered market right along Dubai Creek—which is more of a river with dhows, floating restaurants, water taxis all along the banks. We got there early to ensure a good parking space and then walked from one end to the other. All told about 2 hours including some bargaining and shopping. The first section of stalls we came to sold fabric. Shop after shop after shop with yardage hanging in the doorways and bolts along the walls. Most of it looked to be silks and satins with bright patterns. There were some shops that specialized in bolt after bolt of black fabric for the abayas that all the women wear, and shops where the walls were lined with white shirting that is used to make the men’s dishdasha.
By this time it was evening and we heard the 6 p.m. call to prayer. The men came out of their shops and headed for the mosque, which was conveniently located in the center of the market. As we strollled along with them we suddenly found ourselves in a narrow alley where the markets looked more “native” shall we say, and there were more and more people crowding around us. It was soon apparent that we were enroute to the back door of the mosque. The wash basins and shoes galore on the ground confirmed that all the men streaming past us were on their way to prayer. We zigged and zagged around the crowd to avoid being swept in for prayer (!) and came out at the other end of the alleyway. Back on the main street we came around the front of the mosque, where there were many fewer pairs of shoes on the front steps, and resumed shopping with the rest of the Westerners!
The Deira Gold Souk is just across the creek from Bur Dubai and you can take a water taxi across for about a nickel. We, however, took a renegade cruise boat and to T.’s delight created a bumper boat-get your illegal dhow out of here-shouting spectacle as we disembarked at the embarkation docks on the other side! (We took the nickel cruise on the way back.)
Not just gold--pashminas, spices, shoes, clothes—it’s all for sale in a stall or shop. The gold vendors are all in one area and you walk past window after window of gold jewelry, much of it suitable for the gold dowry that is customary for brides in this part of the world.
Along the way hawkers would approach us to ask if we wanted “copy bags” and “copy watches”. No knock-offs were on display anywhere. Finally curious just to see what they had, I expressed some interest and was about to follow the vendor down a side street. When T. realized where I was going, he turned me right around advising me NOT to leave the beaten path. Seems he had an interesting encounter in Egypt some years back in a similar situation. Never did see a copy bag or copy watch.
Saw lots of interesting people and merchandise, though. And as we walked back to the lot where the car was parked we were treated to a fireworks show.
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