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    Home » Travel

    Random Shopping Pictures From Our Middle East Vacation

    Published: May 16, 2011 by Faith · This post may contain affiliate links · 50 Comments

    Middle Eastern markets are amazing.  Imagine yourself walking through ancient city streets lined with shops and open-air markets selling anything you can imagine, and the scent of jasmine and spices wafting through the air.  You’re sipping metteh (an herbal tea) or maybe snacking on roasted nuts.  You pass a couple of elderly gentlemen who are laughing while playing a game of cards and smoking a hookah, which smells beautifully of apple and licorice.  You stop, look around, and inhale deeply, taking in as much as you can and trying to freeze this moment before it slips by.  (Have I mentioned I love Middle Eastern markets?  :) )

    I took most of these photos in Old Damascus, walking from Bab Sharqi (the eastern gate) towards Souk al Hamidiyah, and a few of the pictures were taken inside the Souk.  If you’re ever in Damascus and are in the mood to treasure hunt, I highly recommend walking this strip.  It’s a bit pricier than other places, but haggling is generally an accepted practice; not to mention that you get what you pay for, and this stuff is the real deal.  Plus you never know what you’ll find…some of it is gorgeous, most of it is old (or really old!), and all of it is unique.  As Mike can attest to, I could literally spend days here…

    I’m in love with the striped, burgundy-colored shawl on the top, second from the left!

    One night Mike went on a sweet shop sightseeing tour through Old Damascus and one of the surrounding neighborhoods called Midan (which is world-renowned for its sweets!).  He was kind enough to take pictures of some of the really gorgeous shops.  Thank you for the pictures, baby!

    Just look at that breathtaking ceiling (above)…

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Lentil Breakdown says

      May 23, 2011 at 11:56 pm

      A most delicious treat! Fantastic! Wow! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    2. Karen says

      May 23, 2011 at 9:54 am

      Thanks for taking us on a trip to Old Damascus, Faith. I spotted a whole bunch of stuff I would have hauled home. ;-) Those sweet shops are extraordinary!! They remind me of Istanbul. Great post!

      Reply
    3. Sweet Artichoke says

      May 19, 2011 at 3:48 am

      Woaw! These are gorgeous pics and I totally share your enthusiam for Middle-Eastern "souq"! (well, actually my enthusiasm is for Middle-East itself ;-))
      Thanks for your kind comment on my blog. I am very happy to discover yours and will surely come back often!
      Ma'a al-salaama :-)

      Reply
    4. Magic of Spice says

      May 18, 2011 at 11:34 pm

      What fun that must have been...and I love those scarves, beautiful! Great photos :)

      Reply
    5. Reeni says

      May 18, 2011 at 8:16 pm

      What a treasure trove! I could spend days there and I'd want to send boxes full of stuff home! So beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    6. Bizzy says

      May 18, 2011 at 10:54 am

      Faith, what did you bring home for me? Each item is more beautiful than the one before. I hope you were able to bring home some of these for yourself.

      These photos are stupendous.

      Reply
    7. Blond Duck says

      May 18, 2011 at 5:55 am

      And I would never laugh at anything you'd written!

      Reply
    8. suparna says

      May 18, 2011 at 1:06 am

      Hi Faith,
      Thanks for dropping by :P, You have a lovely blog and some awesome pictures...
      Middle East is def. a shoppers Heaven!Glad you had a great holiday.
      Hope to see you around :P
      Ciya

      Reply
    9. Now Serving says

      May 17, 2011 at 10:19 pm

      how does one follow your site?

      Reply
      • admin says

        May 18, 2011 at 7:50 am

        Priya,

        Thanks so much for your sweet comment!

        There are a couple different ways you can follow my blog…

        1) Subscribe to my RSS feed (click on the word “Posts” on the top right corner of the page and you’ll be directed to my RSS feed).
        2) Subscribe to my email list (click on the words “By Email” on the top right corner of the page and you’ll be directed to add your email address).
        3) Follow me on Facebook.
        4) Follow me on Twitter.

        Reply
    10. Now Serving says

      May 17, 2011 at 10:16 pm

      first time on your blog and I am filled with envy - love the pics! looks like you had loads of fun! Cannot wait to explore that part of the world - have a 2 yr old who needs to grow up before our next big travel - I think i will enjoy visiting your blog - please do take the time to visit mine and always appreciate one more follower :) see you soon, cheers, priya

      Reply
    11. Ameena says

      May 17, 2011 at 9:23 pm

      What beautiful treasures...I am especially in love with that gorgeous blue door!

      Priyanka is right...these photos remind me a lot of Indian markets!

      Reply
    12. pachecopatty says

      May 17, 2011 at 7:52 pm

      I love seeing all these photos, I'm living vicariously through you because I'm not sure that I will ever see this part of the world. It is certainly fascinating;-) Didn't you want to bring everything home???

      Reply
    13. Priyanka says

      May 17, 2011 at 6:23 pm

      I love this, reminds me of the open air markets in India. All those colorful shawls etc. are so beautiful.

      Reply
    14. Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says

      May 17, 2011 at 4:39 pm

      ahhhhhhh gorgeous! I'm drawn to shiny and colorful things =) haha

      Reply
    15. Maria @ Scandifoodie says

      May 17, 2011 at 1:26 pm

      Ever so fascinated and amazed by your photos! And those towers of sweets - WOW!

      Reply
    16. Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz says

      May 17, 2011 at 12:14 pm

      I'll have one of everything! Awesome pics Faith.

      Reply
    17. Jessica says

      May 17, 2011 at 10:46 am

      That shop is unbelievable!!!!! So beautiful. I love the markets - every artifact seems like it has such a rich history behind it. So much to appreciate and not enough time =)

      Reply
    18. Barbara Bakes says

      May 17, 2011 at 10:37 am

      Looks like you brought home some gorgeous treasures. I love travel. I'm sure shopping these amazing markets would be so fun.

      Reply
    19. Blond Duck says

      May 17, 2011 at 10:32 am

      I would feel like Jasmine in Aladdin!

      Reply
    20. Mary says

      May 17, 2011 at 10:11 am

      What a bonanza for shoppers. I can see why you loved the markets :-). I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

      Reply
    21. Biren @ Roti n Rice says

      May 17, 2011 at 9:11 am

      Those rugs, wall coverings are gorgeous! I can also spend hours just browsing throught the stores. :)

      Reply
    22. kalli says

      May 17, 2011 at 8:10 am

      love all these finds for sure......

      Reply
    23. 5 Star foodie says

      May 17, 2011 at 7:37 am

      Gorgeous stuff to get there for sure! I also could spend hours browsing through these shops, so neat!

      Reply
    24. coco says

      May 17, 2011 at 7:36 am

      such an exotic place!!! I love seeing all these pics because it likes taking me with you! :D

      Reply
    25. Michele | Cooking At Home says

      May 17, 2011 at 5:32 am

      Faith, What a wonderful trip you must have had. The sights, the smells, the colors--fantastic.

      Reply
    26. Anna Johnston says

      May 17, 2011 at 3:28 am

      OMG Faith...., no wonder you love middle eastern markets. The colours are stunning, the products are fabulous. Love hearing (seeing) it all through your eyes (lenses)

      Reply
    27. kankana says

      May 17, 2011 at 1:28 am

      Such a beautiful post! and those pictures are so amazing.. wish I could grab few of those glasses or mugs!

      Reply
    28. LeQuan says

      May 16, 2011 at 11:43 pm

      All I could think about while viewing all these gorgeous pictures was, "wow. Look at all those beautiful colours and patterns. The shawl you were eyeing was gorgeous, Faith.Thank you to the both of you for sharing all these photos. Mike is a sweetie for taking pics for you.

      Reply
    29. Veronica says

      May 16, 2011 at 11:41 pm

      Absolutely extraordinary! And Mike's pictures are great too (that was so nice of him! We are so blessed to have husbands willing to help us with photos), but I can't believe you didn't join him on that tour! There's not much that could keep me away from a sweets tour--LOL!

      Reply
    30. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says

      May 16, 2011 at 10:58 pm

      What a wonderful tour Faith. I felt like I was there with you especially after reading your first paragraph! "D

      Reply
    31. Monet says

      May 16, 2011 at 10:30 pm

      What lovely pictures. It took me back to my trip to the Middle East in 2009. I'm sorry I have been so absent these past few weeks. It has been so good to return to you and your lovely blog! Thank you for sharing with me tonight. I hope you have a wonderful day.

      Reply
    32. Lisa says

      May 16, 2011 at 7:02 pm

      Beautiful pictures! Thanks so much for sharing them :)

      Reply
    33. kim says

      May 16, 2011 at 6:21 pm

      I love markets. Much better than high-end shopping streets. I would love to travel to the Middle East someday. I had a wonderful time when I was in Turkey last year. So much culture and history in this part of the world. Your photos are amazing!

      Reply
    34. BeadedTail says

      May 16, 2011 at 5:58 pm

      Thanks for sharing your photos! I see several things I'd love to have! The candy shop was very incredible too!

      Reply
    35. Juliana says

      May 16, 2011 at 5:21 pm

      Faith, the pictures are awesome, so much to see...love them all and thank you so much for sharing the them...did you bring a lot of things home? Have a wonderful week ahead :-)

      Reply
    36. Tanvi says

      May 16, 2011 at 5:00 pm

      Ahaa! I wish I could grab everything and use it for taking pictures.In that case I ll have to buy a new house too :)So colorful & unique looking things.

      Reply
    37. Swathi says

      May 16, 2011 at 3:57 pm

      Painting and sweet love it. nice clicks.

      Reply
    38. Stevie says

      May 16, 2011 at 3:14 pm

      My Goodness! I can see your fascination completely. I am especially drawn to the images of the carpets and various ceramics. I would be there for hours, too! The treats at the end would be a great way to revive yourself for more shopping. Did you purchase the scarf that you mention?

      Reply
    39. Mimi says

      May 16, 2011 at 2:12 pm

      I love how colorful everything is.
      Mimi

      Reply
    40. Heavenly Housewife says

      May 16, 2011 at 12:28 pm

      OMG, that sweet shop is killing me!
      You must have bought home tons of beautiful treasures in your suitcases.
      *kisses* HH

      Reply
    41. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says

      May 16, 2011 at 11:57 am

      What a wonderful experience and beautiful, vibrant photos! You must have had a time to remember in the Middle East, and learned so much. Thanks for sharing a bit of your vacation, Faith! :)

      Reply
    42. Erica says

      May 16, 2011 at 9:24 am

      Wow! The paintings and sweets look so amazing. What an experience

      Reply
    43. Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather says

      May 16, 2011 at 8:58 am

      Wow so much amazing stuff! I especially love the blue pottery and fabrics.

      Reply
    44. marla {family fresh cooking} says

      May 16, 2011 at 8:33 am

      Beautiful post Faith. What I would do to own all those linens and treasures as props!! Could you imagine. Makes me want to travel far away....like now!

      Reply
    45. Anh says

      May 16, 2011 at 8:04 am

      So exotic! Wish I were there.

      Reply
    46. Krista says

      May 16, 2011 at 7:45 am

      I love the fabrics the most. I'm a sucker for stuff like that. Jason went to Japan a few years back and got me a beautiful piece of fabric which I promptly had framed!

      Reply
    47. Rosa says

      May 16, 2011 at 7:40 am

      Gorgeous objects and dangerously scrumptious treats!

      Cheers,

      Rosa

      Reply
    48. Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook says

      May 16, 2011 at 7:33 am

      The ceiling on that sweet shop is stunning! What a fantastic shopping trip, the Souk looks fabulous, I love the pottery! I could see visiting there for days, definitely days!

      Reply
    49. Barbara says

      May 16, 2011 at 6:21 am

      How lovely, Faith! The fabrics are divine and I hope you didn't resist! I would have come home with a suitcase full of scarves. :)
      And what patience to pile those little pastries! I was amazed.
      Lovely photos and I'm so glad you got to see it, which means we can visit it with you via your memories and photos.

      Reply

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