Sanaa Shopping

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is not really a shop, but shops - souq or the street that is near morning gate (bab al...) - full of stores. BUT I still liked the old Souq, just wonder around and get your ideas what you wish to buy, its very cheap and nice little things you can get there

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Its inside the Bab El Yemen and while you're fascinated by their house, you could do some cheap and worthed shopping.

What to buy: Many houses in the old city (Bab El Yaman) are selling their local crafts, from small keychain, fridge magnet, local textille, Gambia (unique knife that most of Yemenian men wear it), old house model and also snacks.

What to pay: YR 100 - YR 6000

Fridge magnet/ keychain : YR 100
Gambia : YR 3500-6000
Model houses : YR 150 - YR 1000 depends on its size

Diet soda drinkers will understand this one. Across much of the developing world it is hard to fine anything except 'full' soda laden with sugar. Do not despair or pack your own. I found most shops had both Coca Cola AND Pepsi diet drinks. A lot of restaurants have them as well. So for the diet conscious - it's going to be ok.

A small shop, not unlike some other shops selling the same or similar items - I chose to buy some scarves there because the young owner did not seem or act pushy. I never regretted my decision - and ended up buying quite a few scarves and pashminas.

The small world: in this shop there were a handful of business cards - one of which from the only shop in my swiss blink-and-you-miss-it village (pop. 1500). A nice conversation followed - I showed the man some pictures of my village - a huge discount and an invitation for tea. But he doesn't believe Melide (where I live) is a village: two Swiss customers, two from the same place - so it must be a city. I

We said later to his tea invitation - as we were looking for some saffron and Yemeni honey. He called his father and asked him to look after us... Father took us all around to shop, he didn't speak English, we don't speak Arabic... plenty of smiles, we understood each other silently.

What to buy: Wonderful scarves and shawls - pashminas, too. Hopefully locally made. They are very colourful, and the young man is really nice.

What to pay: All scarves and shawls come in the 2-8 dollars range. Bargain, gently.

Walking around the old town you'll see a lot of honey shops.
Yemenite honey is really special but you will find it just in these shops as in supermarket they seem to have honey from any middle east country but Yemen.

What to buy: Honey and spices like zafferan, much cheaper here than in dubai for example.
They also have really beautiful silk scarfes the price goes from 1 dollar up to 7 or 8, depending on the material and the designes.

What to pay: Half kilo of a good quality of honey(not the best one) is 10 dollars.

A walk through this souq is mandatory and for good reason. It is something out of a storybook and there are thousands of items on display ranging from a dollar to hundreds of dollars. There is everything from jewellry to buckets to sandals. Yemenis are not like other bazaaris around the ME because they are more innocent. They are of course used to bargaining but Yemen does not see the number of tourists that Egypt or Jordan experiences so you must be polite. They are not over run by mass tourism so they may be offended if you try to bargain really hard. Overall, if you watch your manners you will have a great time and meet some exceptional local people.

What to buy: Daggers, sandals , jewellry anything you desire.

What to pay: always start bargaining at 40 % (approx) of the price and work it from there.

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In any large town or wherever you find tourists, you will easily find shops selling Jambiayas. Unlike some of their North African cousins, Yemeni shopkeepers tend to be very easy going and will not pursue you if you say no. Have a long chat with them first and maybe a cup of tea before you begin negotiations. You will both be more relaxed and you will probably end up with a better price.

What to buy: A Jambiya is a dagger with a broad curved blade that the men carry in their belts.

What to pay: $5-7 for a medium-sized one that does not have a quality blade. For a large sized, quality blade and a very decorative scabbard you will pay about $20 with a lot of negotiation. You really need to compare and haggle really hard.

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What to buy: Across the many Tourist (permitted) routes in Yemen you will see ceramic reproductions of typical Yemeni houses. These tall townhouses are a mix of stone, mud, plaster and paint. They can be hundreds of years old and they even collapse sometimes. The ceramic reproductions are exquisite in detail. The are hand painted, have actual wooden features on larger models and have deep set window frames. The best part is that they are cheap! I paid only $7.50 for the largest one at a gift shop at Wadi Dhahr. It was so cheap I forgot to negotiate a lower price! Please note: may shops say they sell “Cmyx and Corals”. They mean ceramics and pottery. Be careful when you pack them! They are somewhat delicate and I damaged one before I even got onto the plane.