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Souk it to me 12/15/2014

As National Day falls upon the sleepy little island of Bahrain, I sit at my work computer with the AC blasting directly into my face, little children screaming in the hallway for some reason, a stomach full of coffee and a little adventure to talk about.

 
 © See this?  No Copyright issues here.  Move along...move along.

I had been wanting to go to the Manama Souk for a while.  I had been to the smaller one at Riffa and had breezed through the one at Hamad Town, but I had heard this was one I shouldn't miss.

First of all, if you are like me, when you hear the word "Souk" you pictured this:

Looks like a bar in Key West I've been to...

While this isn't too far from the truth, you would find that this isn't necessarily the case.  Yes, there are shops everywhere, but they are "real" shops with "real" signs and "real" faded logos.

Instead of the nameless stalls you see above, you are basically surrounded by shop after shop that looks like this:


And this:



And of course one of these:


And when you put them all together, this is what you get:


While not the stereotypical mental image I had, it was still very much like I imagined.  Store owners showing you their wares as you walk by.  

Store owners following you down the road showing you their wares.

Store owners following you into other shops so now you have two store owners showing you their wares.

But it was quite marvelous.  To begin with, the Manama Souk lies behind this very impressive gateway, the Bab Al Bahrain, built in 1945:

It was difficult to get the fountain water to hold still for this picture...

A friend of mine who accompanied me for my first run at the Manama souk told me this gateway used to be basically beachfront not too long ago.  As it now lies in the center of the city, the rest of the land around it was put there by people who wanted to make more room for roods with no names.

I don't know how his neck doesn't hurt...

So this is my friend and I being led by a store owner through the souk.  It was amusing to see the defeated looks of some of the other shop owners as they saw this guy with his great catch walk proudly through the souk.  After some light negotiating, (I will wholeheartedly admit I was not feeling "The Haggle" that day - and while I paid a fair price I know I could have gone lower if I wanted to.  Next time, next time...)

I bought a few things for my family - some CENSORED and some CENSORED.  Oh, and I got this really nice CENSORED.  I think they will love the CENSORED especially.

(Nice try Mom, I know you read this thing...and I know how you are about Christmas presents...no hints!)

But all in all it was an amazing experience - I mean where else can you get one of these:

YES THAT IS A TURTLE ON A TURTLE ON A TURTLE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

And who doesn't want one of these?

Your pinkies had damn sure better be out when you drink out of these...

You can get clothes and lamps and puzzle boxes and camel bone jewelry and stuffed animals and flags and RC Helicopters and spices and felafel and hookah and bedazzled scimitar desk ornaments and human kidneys and you name it - the Manama Souk has it.

After spending about CENSORED BD (which is about CENSORED US dollars...NO HINTS, MOM!) we packed up and left for home.  I had a good sized box of goodies for the family, and my friend had priced some really nice looking lamps and picked up his gift for his wife at GOLD CITY! GOLD CITY! GOLD CITY!

Seriously, this place was crazy.  However, the name did not disappoint...

BUT WHAT DO YOU SELL!?!?

There are 52 gold and jewelry vendors here...

JUST ON THE FIRST FLOOR.

I don't think there is any real way to describe how many stores to give you the full effect other than to simply provide you with a listing of the shops which are inside of the aptly named "GOLD CITY!"

GROUND FLOOR
Sl. No.FLOORNAME
1.GFARIHANT JEWELLERS (P)
2.GFJASS JEWELLERS
3.GFKHAN ANTIQUE JEWELLERS
4.GFCHEMMANUR JEWELLERS
5.GFALYAFY JEWELLERS WLL
6.GFMATTATHIL JEWELLERS WLL
7.GFFAREEDA JEWELLERS SPC
8.GFVIKRAM JEWELLERS (P)
9.GFMALABAR GOLD WLL
10.GFJ & P JEWELLERS
11.GFBANSARI JEWELLERS.
12.GFATLANTA JEWELLERS WLL
13.GFSAHIL JEWELLERY
14.GFSKY JEWELLERS WLL
15.GFROSARY JEWELLERS
16.GFALLSEASON JEWELLERY
17.GFMR. PADATHODI USSAN
18.GFCITY JUMBO JEWELLERS
19.GFDAMAS WLL
20.GFKAPIL KHANNA PERFUMES
21.GFKHANNA JEW
22.GFMISK JEW WLL
23GFNATURAL PEARL PALACE
24.GFPOINT CENTER WLL
25.GFTIME ZONE WLL
26.GFOLYMPIA JEW
27.GFAMEENA GIFT
28.GFNEW LOOK JEW WLL
29.GFORITZ JEW WLL
30.GFABU YAHYA JEW. WLL
31.GFRAMZANA JEWEL WLL
32.GFKINGDOM JEW (P)
33.GFKANSARA JEW (P)
34.GFSHOBHA JEW WLL
35.GFCHICAGO JEW WLL
36.GFDHAKAN JEW SPC
37.GFRAMA JEW WLL
38.GFANAND JEW WLL
39GFCITY CENTRE HOTEL
40.GFM G JEWELLERY
41.GFALUKKAS JEWELLERY
42.GFMOHD.IQBAL JEW.
43.GFRAINBOW JEWELLERS
44.GFSHRINGAR JEW WLL
45.GFMR. ABDUL HADI
46.GFJAIN PEARL JEW
47.GFPINTO JEW WLL
48.GFCALIFORNIA JEW
49.GFSAI JEWELLERS
50.GFSHARIF GIFT CENTRE
51.GFAJMAK JEW
52.GFAAYUSHI JEW WLL
FIRST FLOOR
Sl. No.FLOORNAME 
53.MFHARI JEW WLL
54.MFKAPIL JEW (P)
55.MFMUSARRAT JEW WLL
56MFSAFA JEWELLERY
57MFMF MR.SAEED AHMED
58.MFMAHARAJA JEW
59MFDESERT DIAMOND WLL
60MFAPOLLO JEW
61MFEDWARD JEW W L L
62MFARABIAN CENTER WLL
63MFALSARRAJ GEMS
64MFMALIM JEW (P)
65MFF G LIGHT HOUSE (P)
66MFMRS. BALQEES AHMED MOHSEN
67MFTHAI JEW
68MFSEAN ANTIQUE CENT WLL
69MFSAMI KHAN
70MFALSADIQ TRADING
71MFSHINE JEW WLL
72MFELITE CITY GEMS CO. S.P.C.
73MFEVER SHINE JEW
74MFNEW SHINE JEW
75MFZAIN EST. WLL
76MFGOLDEN CHANCE
77MFMR.THOMAS (SHINE)
78MFMESHKAT JEWELLERS
79MFAMAROOS JEW SPC
80MFBURHANI CORNER
81MFDURAT ALMADINA FOR JEW.
82MFCENTURY DIAMOND
83MFGOOD LUCK JEW WLL
84MFPRESTIGE GIFT JEW.CO.WLL
85MFDECOR JEW WLL
86MFGOLD ART
87MFSILVER STOP JEW WLL
88MFGN JEW W L L
89MFJASMINE JEWEL
90MFSTATE JEW WLL
91MFMR. DAWOOD OTTUKULOTH
92MFVICTORY DIAMOND
93MFREAL JEWELLERY WLL
94MFCAMPUS JEW WLL
95MFRIDHI JEW WLL
96MFCITY TIME WLL
97MFCHARAN GAYIL EST
98MFSILVO JEWELLERY
99MFBLOSSAM JEWELLERY
100MFATLAS JEWELLERY
101MFPURE JEW WLL
102MFROHIT JEW (P)
103MFNEW GOODLUCK JEW
104MFSHAMSHUDDIN EST.WLL
105MFLALWANI JEW. WLL
106MFMUNAWAR
107MFSTAR MARK JEW
108MFFASHION INTL WLL
109MFFLOORA JEWELLERS
110MFFADHEELA JEW
111MFABU YAHYA JEWELLERY
112MFRAMU ELECTRONICS
113MFMULLOILI JEW WLL
114MFMR. ANWAR SIRAS
115MFLAZIM JEWELLERS
116MFMR. SANJEEV KUMAR
117MFALZABEEL JEW WLL
118MFDIAMOND TECH WLL
119MFDEVONI EST. WLL
120MFALOBEID PERFUMES
121MFANSON JEWELLERY
122MFAQSA JEWELLERS
123MFSAM JEWELLERS
124MFINDO ARAB CO WLL
125MFFAWAZ JEW WLL
126MFPAK MART EST.
127MFCARMEL INTL WLL
128MFSEVEN STAR JEW. WLL
129MFMGE CONSULTING WLL
130MFMAHENDRA JEW
131MFSHRI SILVER JEW
132MFSILVER STONE JEW WLL
133MFPANDARIPARAMBIL JEW CO.WLL
134MFJAFFAR JEW
135MFALIF TRADING EST.
136MFPRAVEEN JEW WLL
137MFBABER JEW WLL
138MFNEW SKY JEW
139MFCITY CHARM JEW WLL
140MFVIJAY KUMAR EST.
141MFALAN TRADING EST. WLL
142MFPAROOS JEWELLERY
143MFSAMASH TRADING CO.
144MFALTHEQAH WLL
145MFHAFSA JEW WLL
146MFSULTAN MAHMOOD JEW. WLL
147MFSHRI HARI JEW
148MFSHAUKAT ALI JEW WLL       




And on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...

I had to look up photos of the actual gold pieces...I was fairly certain if I took a picture my camera would have melted from the sheer karat-oscity of it all...

So if you do end up in Bahrain, and let's face it, everyone does at some point right?, definitely get your Gold City experience in - and then take a quick walk to the Manama souk where you can argue with the same store owner in three different stores...seriously...I think the guy that led us around has an interconnected system of tunnels...he was everywhere!

As you leave they have some sculpture art, and I'll admit I kinda like it...







Side note:  I didn't know where this fit in with this blog entry so I will just tack it on at the end, but I was at the school gym the other day and our order came in...in one of the boxes was this:


A bag of squeaky rubber chickens.  Don't tell me you don't love this place...













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