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Popular Shopping | Miscellaneous Shopping Tips | All Tips (42)  | |  |  | Traditional crafts | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
There is a wealth of lovely stuff to look at and shop for in Syria, something for every pocket, if not necessarily taste - minimalism and modern industrial hasn't exactly taken off here. Damascus has been a trading city forever, and a lot of what you will see, especially at the cheaper end of the market, will in fact be imported, usually from India. You'll find a lot of interesting stuff is imported too - from Russian icons to inlaid alms boxes from Ethiopia. However, there is still a strong craft tradition in Syria -metal work, gold and silver, inlaid wood, textiles - there are wonderful things to see and to buy. Prices will vary enormously and, as is the case everywhere, good stuff costs - but it won't cost you as much as it probably would at home, and if you are a skilled bargainer, you will do well. There is an art to bargaining though, and you have to know when to stop. There is always a price below which the seller will not go. Don't insult him by pushing him to that last little bit. Keep a perspective on the amount involved - it's probably only a dollar or two, or even less.
The website here will give you an idea of what is available in the way of good craft items, and what you can expect to pay. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftWebsite: www.syriangate.com
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| | | | ANAT Olic: Palestinian embroidery | Tip Rating: | | | | |
A tiny shop, near the ancient Bab Sharqui Gate at the end of Straight Street in the Old City in Damascus, reveals within an explosion of colour and intricate handwork - beautiful embroideries, both traditional and contemporary; gossamer-fine weaving and other needle crafts. This is the work of Palestinian and Syrian women from the ANAT workshop project, a conduit for both income and pride - and hope for the future.
Finely woven and embroidered stoles and shawls in every colour of the rainbow; cushions and table mats worked in traditional patterns; purses and bags of every shape and size; jackets and robes; small gift items - all hand-worked. My favourites are bags, appliqued and embroidered with village scenes of houses, mosques and churches, flowers in the gardens and washing on the line. leyle
$5 and up, and up. Not cheap, but this is very high quality work that takes hours and hours to do and the prices should, and do, reflect this. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftPhone: +9631-11-5427878Directions: Close to the Eastern Gate (Bab Sharqi) near the Armenian Orthodox Church. Check the website for a mapWebsite: www.anat-sy.org
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| | | | Tony Stephan: The real thing | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Tony Stephans' shop may present a small face to the world - just a narrow passage and a showcase off the Souq Hamidiyeh, but inside is an Aladdin's cave of silks and other textiles, copper, silver, brass, inlaid wood work and much more. Prices may seem on the high side compared to the souq outside, but the quality here is good and the range enormous.
Silk damask (brocade) from Damascus - this is the real thing. Lustrous silk woven in intricate patterns of as many as 6 and 7 colours. This is incredibly complex work, and you pay accordingly - the more colours, the more expensive the fabric. If you like textiles, you really should buy a small piece and that will only cost you a few dollars. Tony has ties, scarves, waistcoats, etc made up in the fabric and also sells it by the metre.
Up to you but prices here are perfectly reasonable for whatever it is you are buying. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: 149 Souq HamidiyehOther Contact: POBox 4700, Damascus
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| | | | The Handicraft souq: Craftsmen at work | Tip Rating: | | | | |
The old madrassa beside the Tekkiye mosque now houses the government-sponsored Handicraft souq. There's an attractive stone-paved arcade of shops selling good quality items - textiles, wooden boxes, inlaid work, silver and gold, jewellery, curios - the usual stuff, at reasonable prices that are controlled (no bargaining here). It's particularly nice here in the evening when the place is all lit up and busier than it often is in the day. Around the courtyard, rooms that once were the study and sleeping cells of Koranic students are now the workshops and ateliers of artists and craftstmen -glassblowers, musical instrument makers, weavers, etc. where you can buy directly from the maker. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: Sharia Choukri al-QuatliDirections: Adjacent to the Tekkiye mosque.
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| | | | Semiramis: The best pastry shop in Damascus | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Ask anyone in Damascus (and a lot of other places in the Middle East) "Who makes the best pastries?" and the answer will more than like be Semiramis. They've been making them for over 50 years and they are just perfect. People come from all over Syria, and even from Lebanon, just to shop here when they want something really special. The shop is always busy, and come Thursday night, before the weekend, it is packed.
Semiramis' specialities are tiny, delicate pastries - backlavas 2cm square packed with pistachios, minute little bird's nests with 3 perfect little pine nut "eggs" nestled in them, melt-in-the-mouth ghraibeh (shortbread), date-filled ma'amoul, crispy sesame coated bara'ze - and lots more. A kilo box contains dozens of these perfect little mouthfuls, laid out in rows of all varieties - what to choose is the dilemma.
$10 a kilo and upwards Leave a Comment Theme: Food and DrinkAddress: Noura StreetDirections: Abou Roumana areaWebsite: www.semiramispastries.com
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| | | | Chez Olabi: Sweets and spices | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
Like all the sweet and spice shops in the souq, this one is filled to bursting with delicious goodies and fragrant spices. Polished brass canisters hold little mountains of spices and herbs in every colour. Shelves groan with boxes of glace fruits, bright colours showing through their sparkling cellophane packaging; Turkish delight and nougats studded with bright green pistachios; jars of rosepetal and apricot jam; sweets and candies of every description. Presiding over this abundance of good things is a young man who speaks excellent, colloquial English (and his German is probably just as good) and a nice line in dry wit. He'll have you trying, and buying, his delicious goodies - probably far more than you intended - in no time.
The variety of sweets available is enormous, everything you can possibly think of to do with dried and preserved fruit and nuts, and that's before you even turn to the candy. The glace fruits are wonderful - tiny mandarins, pears, prunes, prickly pear, baby aubergines, apricots and more - and a fraction of the price you would pay at home. You can choose your favourites for packing in a handsome presentation box or just buy two or three for a little treat. The nougats and Turkish delight are not overly sweet and are more nut (almond or pistachio) than the sweetmeat that is holding them together. If you're buying spices, only buy small quantitites -you don't want them getting old and dusty in your pantry. Sumac and pomegranate molasses are the things to buy if you want to take the flavour of Syria home with you. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and DrinkAddress: Slah SouqPhone: 221 4499Directions: Slah souq runs at right angles to Souq Bzouriyya. Chez Olabi is just at the corner of where the two souqs meet.
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| | | | Tony Stephan and others: Beautiful cloths | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Apart from Tony Stephan, there any number of shops selling wonderful textiles in Damascus. The one I like is in the left-hand corner of the courtyard at the Handicraft souq -a tiny little shop, stacked to the roof with jewel-coloured cloths and cushions, spreads and throws. The young men there are so patient and willing to show you yet another one as something else catches your eye.
Lovely, heavy tablecloths in lustrous cotton woven into traditional patterns, cushion covers to pile up on an odalisque's divan, gold-embroidered and tasselled runners and squares to add an exotically luxurious touch at Christmas or any time. Easy to pack, unbreakable, always useable, textiles like these make perfect souvenirs and gifts
From just a few dollars for a cushion cover or a small mat, to a hundred or more for something big and very special. Leave a Comment Theme: Home FurnishingAddress: The Handicraft souq, next to Tekkiyeh
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on April 24, 2005
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